Welcome To New York 2025 Giants Rookie Class
The Giants made a statement by taking edge rusher Abdul Carter with the 3rd pick, giving their defense a true cornerstone. Later, they traded up to grab Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart and more.
The New York Giants made significant moves in the 2025 NFL Draft, selecting a diverse group of players to bolster their roster. To be honest, I was extremely pissed off with the Giants trading back into the first round for Dart, (Daniel Jones 2.0), but I will try my best to be positive about the QB. On the other hand, Abdul Carter and Cam Skattebo are intriguing picks to me. Here’s a detailed look at each draftee, including their college positions, statistics, records, and accolades
Round 1, Pick 3: Abdul Carter (21 Years Old) – EDGE, Penn State
With the third overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Giants selected Abdul Carter, a dynamic edge rusher out of Penn State. To be honest, I hated the pick at first but in life you will not get everything you want and desire, sometimes god gives you what you deserve. Standing 6’3” and weighing 250 pounds, Carter ran an impressive 4.47-second 40-yard dash, showcasing the elite athleticism that made him one of the draft’s top prospects. Carter spent three seasons at Penn State, appearing in 42 games and posting 104 total tackles, 41 tackles for loss, 23.0 sacks, 13 passes defended, five forced fumbles, and one interception.
In 2024, after transitioning from linebacker to defensive end, Carter delivered a dominant season that put him among the nation’s elite defenders. He totaled 44 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, and led the country with 23.5 tackles for loss. His pass rush win rate of 22.6% ranked fourth in the FBS, while his 18.5% pressure rate placed third. He added 61 total pressures and a 7.6% run stop rate, proving he could disrupt both the run and pass game at a high level. According to Pro Football Focus, Carter finished the season with a 91.4 grade — the second-highest among all edge rushers, behind only Mike Green. The fact that he played both linebacker and defensive end in college helps bold well for the NFL, Giants can use him in multiple schemes. 3-4 4-3 literally the Giants can mix it up, we was literally top 5 in sacks last season.
Carter’s performance earned him Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors and his second consecutive First-Team All-Big Ten selection. His decision to switch to defensive end midway through his college career, after discussions with defensive coordinator Tom Allen and head coach James Franklin, turned out to be a game-changing move. Carter not only boosted his draft stock but helped lead Penn State to a College Football Playoff semifinal appearance. In doing so, he carved out a place alongside Micah Parsons as one of the legendary players to wear the Nittany Lions’ iconic No. 11 jersey. His selection marks the third time in Giants history they’ve used a top-five pick on a defensive player, joining the ranks of Carl Banks and Lawrence Taylor.
Round 1, Pick 25 (Trade Up): Jaxson Dart – QB, Ole Miss
The Giants made a bold move on Day 3, trading up to select Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, a talented and experienced signal-caller with legitimate NFL upside. To be honest, I hate the pick. I deadass hate the pick, and it has nothing to do with Dart. It has everything to do with Dragon Mara, I won’t put the word that starts with a G infront of it because it’s offensive, but you get where I’m going. For a team that has never drafted a black quarterback or minority in 100 years of existence is insane. At the end of the day, I won’t destroy Dart the human being because of my personal feelings towards the owner so I prefer to go the mature route and root for the squad.
Dart had a standout 2024 season, throwing for 4,279 yards with 29 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions. He completed 69.3% of his passes, averaged 10.8 yards per attempt, and posted a 180.7 passer rating, earning First-Team All-SEC honors. Dart also contributed 495 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground, showing off the mobility today’s NFL often demands.
One of Dart’s strengths in 2024 was his deep ball. On throws traveling 20 or more yards downfield, he completed 42.0% of his passes (37-for-88) with a 47.7% adjusted completion rate (a stat that accounts for drops and throwaways). He led the nation with 1,517 yards on deep throws and posted a strong 17-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio in those situations. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), he logged 25 “Big Time Throws” (high-difficulty, NFL-caliber passes) against only 6 “Turnover Worthy Plays” (passes that had a high chance of becoming interceptions).
When facing blitzes in 2024, Dart threw for 12 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions, completing 66.2% of his passes. When not blitzed, he threw 17 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, with a 70.9% completion rate. His turnover-worthy play rate — 1.1% when blitzed and 2.8% when not blitzed — was better than highly touted quarterback prospect Cam Ward’s, a strong sign of his ability to protect the ball under pressure. Dart’s average depth of target (how far downfield he threw per attempt) was 11.9 yards, showing he consistently pushed the ball vertically instead of relying on short, easy completions.
There are concerns, however. Nineteen of Dart’s 29 touchdown passes came against weaker opponents like Furman, Duke, Arkansas, and Georgia Southern. Against top-tier defenses (South Carolina, Oklahoma, and Georgia), Dart combined for just two touchdowns and one interception, suggesting he still needs to perform better against elite competition. He had some rough stretches too — for instance, he struggled against Florida before a late collapse, and while he played through injury versus Georgia, he completed only 13 of 22 passes.
Another point to note: Dart operated heavily in a structured system at Ole Miss. His play-action rate was 52.2%, his RPO (run-pass option) usage was 23.3%, and screen passes accounted for another 10.1% of his throws. That left only about 14.4% of his attempts as true “dropback passes,” where he had to diagnose a defense without the help of pre-designed reads. To succeed in the NFL, he’ll need to grow beyond being a system quarterback and show he can make tougher reads from the pocket.
Still, Dart brings legitimate NFL traits. His 77.7% adjusted completion percentage and 7.1% big-time throw rate reflect real playmaking ability. He also showed strong efficiency: a 75% touchdown conversion rate in the red zone, a 75% third-down conversion rate, and only a 55% sack rate per passing attempt — all promising numbers for his future development.
There’s already some buzz around whether Dart could be the Giants’ next hidden gem, similar to how Eli Manning blossomed from a college star into a franchise quarterback. For comparison, Eli’s college career from 2001 to 2003 at Ole Miss featured a 23-13 record as a starter, 9,984 total yards, 86 total touchdowns, and 35 interceptions. In Dart’s first two full seasons at Ole Miss (2022–2023), he went 18-7 as a starter, posting 7,343 yards, 52 touchdowns, and only 16 interceptions. After his big 2024 season, some wonder: will Jaxson Dart be the next Ole Miss quarterback to rise to stardom in New York?
Round 3, Pick 65: Darius Alexander – DL, Toledo
With their third-round selection, the Giants added muscle to the interior defensive line by drafting Darius Alexander from Toledo. Standing 6’4” and weighing 305 pounds, Alexander ran an impressive 4.95-second 40-yard dash, showcasing rare athleticism for a player of his size. His combination of quickness and lower body strength made him one of the most disruptive defensive tackles in the 2025 draft class.
Alexander had a dominant 2024 season at Toledo, finishing with 40 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, 4 passes batted down at the line of scrimmage, and 37 quarterback pressures. His 27 “STOPs” — which are tackles that result in a negative play for the offense — ranked tied for 8th among all FBS defensive tackles. In simpler terms, a STOP means Alexander didn’t just make tackles — he consistently made plays that killed offensive momentum.
His production earned him a 90.6 Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade for the 2024 season, the third-highest among all interior defensive linemen (IDL) nationally. His 90.3 run defense grade ranked third as well, highlighting his ability to clog gaps, shed blockers, and disrupt running plays at a high level. Alexander also showed he could get after the quarterback: his 37 pressures ranked tied for sixth among defensive tackles, and he finished fourth in both quarterback hits and sacks among draft-eligible players at his position.
Advanced metrics further highlight his value. He ranked third among all interior defenders in pass rush win rate during “true pass sets” — situations where blockers aren’t aided by quick passes, play action, or screens — showing he could consistently beat his man one-on-one. He also ranked seventh in pass rush productivity on those true passing downs. His average depth of tackle (where he made stops on ball carriers) ranked 10th, meaning he met runners closer to the line of scrimmage than most, limiting yards gained.
Physically, Alexander’s traits are everything NFL teams covet. He explodes off the snap with fast hands and heavy leverage, using his thick lower body like a battering ram to push offensive linemen backward. He played primarily at the 3-technique position — lining up on the outside shoulder of the guard — which maximized his ability to both rush the passer and defend the run. Alexander also displayed surprising range for a 300-pounder, showing the ability to chase down stretch plays and screen passes outside the tackles.
The Giants hope Alexander’s combination of power, quickness, and versatility will allow him to contribute immediately in a variety of defensive fronts. With proper development, he has the tools to become a long-term force in the middle of the Giants’ defensive line
The Giants added a dynamic weapon to their backfield with Cam Skattebo. The 22-year-old running back is coming out of Arizona State after a historic 2024 season. He finished second in the FBS in rushing yards (1,711) and missed tackles forced (117), trailing only Ashton Jeanty in both categories. Skattebo became just the second FBS player ever to post 1,600+ rushing yards and 600+ receiving yards in a season, joining Christian McCaffrey (2015)
Across his college career, Skattebo averaged 135 scrimmage yards per game, just behind Jeanty’s 141. In 2024, he raised that number to 178 scrimmage yards per game. His career rushing success rate was 50%, better than Jeanty’s 46%, and his career avoided tackle rate was 35%, close to Jeanty’s 38%.
Skattebo played 11 of his 13 games in 2024 against Power-4 schools, topping 100 scrimmage yards in all 11 games and averaging 197 yards per game. In five games against ranked opponents, he averaged 185 scrimmage yards and scored two touchdowns per game.
Among 2024 draft-eligible players, Skattebo ranked:
6th in yards after contact per attempt
2nd in missed tackles forced
98th percentile in missed tackles forced per attempt
4th in runs of 10+ yards
8th in yards per attempt
2nd in yards per route run
For the season, Skattebo totaled 1,711 rushing yards, 21 rushing touchdowns, and 5.8 yards per carry. He also added 605 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns through the air. He averaged 3.8 yards after contact per rush (second among all FBS and FCS players). 36% of his career carries resulted in either a first down or a touchdown, while only 10% of his carries were stuffed at or behind the line of scrimmage.
Although Skattebo’s 4.65-second 40-yard dash hurt his draft stock, it did not show up on film. He had 20 plays of 20+ yards in 2024 — more than one per game — showing that functional game speed matters more than a timed sprint.
The Giants are getting a tough, dynamic, and highly productive running back in Cam Skattebo.
Kaden Mbow (DL, Indiana)
Kaden Mbow played defensive line for Indiana. He had a quiet start to his college career but showed flashes of real potential by his final season. In 2024, he totaled 28 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks. Mbow showed strong athleticism for his size (6’4”, 280 pounds) and was effective against both the run and pass in limited snaps. His strength and motor helped him earn playing time even though Indiana rotated several players on the defensive line. Scouts view him as a developmental player who could improve with better coaching and experience.
Notable Stats:
28 tackles (2024)
4 tackles for loss
2 sacks
Thomas Fidone II (TE, Nebraska)
Thomas Fidone II played tight end at Nebraska and was one of their top pass-catching threats by the end of his college career. After dealing with injuries early on, Fidone had a breakout season in 2024. He finished with 41 catches for 502 yards and 7 touchdowns. Fidone showed strong hands, good route-running, and a nose for the end zone. At 6’6” and 250 pounds, he was a mismatch for defenders, especially in the red zone. He was a top tight end recruit coming out of high school, and in 2024 he finally showed why.
Notable Stats (2024):
41 receptions
502 receiving yards
7 receiving touchdowns
12.2 yards per catch
Korie Black (CB, Oklahoma State)
Korie Black was a steady cornerback at Oklahoma State who brought leadership and experience to the defense. Across his college career, he played in over 45 games and started the majority of them. In 2024, Black posted 35 tackles, 8 pass breakups, and 2 interceptions. He was known for being reliable in coverage, especially against bigger receivers. Black also played a role on special teams. He does not have elite speed, but his instincts and football IQ helped him stay in position and make plays.
Notable Stats (2024):
35 tackles
8 passes defended
2 interceptions
Allowed just 1 touchdown in coverage during the 2024 season
The Giants focused on finding tough, productive players who fit their long-term vision. Cam Skattebo, Kaden Mbow, Thomas Fidone II, and Korie Black all bring proven production, physicality, and room to grow. These are the types of players who may not make headlines right away but have the tools to become important pieces over time. If they develop the way the Giants expect, this draft class could quietly turn into one of the best value groups in recent years.
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