Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft for the New York Giants was relatively quiet, at least compared to all of the noise they made on Day 1. Between drafting an elite edge prospect in Abdul Carter and trading back into the first round for quarterback Jaxson Dart, Thursday was a much more eventful day than Friday.
New York entered Rounds 2 and 3 of the draft with just one pick after having sent their second-rounder (No. 34) and a compensatory third (No. 99) to the Houston Texans in the Dart trade. Thus, the Giants had to wait until No. 65 to get back on the board. Once on the clock, they selected Toledo defensive tackle Darius Alexander, continuing to solidify their defense.
The Giants won’t have to wait very long to get back on the clock once the draft resumes for its final day. They’ve got four remaining picks, starting with No. 105 — the third pick of the fourth round. After tackling the defense, there’s still room to add offensive line depth and maybe even a running back complement for Tyrone Tracy Jr. Here’s a look at some of the top remaining names, accompanied by their ranks on Dane Brugler’s top 300 big board.
Note: An * means they completed a pre-draft visit with the Giants.
84. *Marcus Mbow, G, Purdue (6-4, 302 pounds)
Mbow’s best position is unknown, but that’s no problem for a Giants team with plenty of questions about their future offensive line. Greg Van Roten may be the starter now, but the 35-year-old certainly isn’t the long-term answer. And at right tackle: What are the Giants’ plans for Jermaine Eluemunor, a free agent in 2026?
Mbow started 32 games at right guard and tackle over his college tenure, including 12 at right tackle last year. Brugler wrote that Mbow has the athletic body control and skilled hands of someone who can compete for starting snaps. That sounds like a fit for the Giants.
112. *Cam Skattebo, RB, Arizona State (5-9, 216 pounds)
This is a deep running back class, which means teams can find plenty of value in the later rounds. While the Giants found a solid starter in Tracy, last year’s fifth-rounder, they could add Skattebo as a physical complement. Skattebo “competes with tremendous resolve and understands how to rely on his pad level and contact balance to get the most out of every carry,” Brugler wrote.
136. *Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State (6-1, 226 pounds)
The explosive Gordon is a threat any time he touches the ball, but he “must improve his decision-making and physicality as a finisher to be a consistent down-to-down runner,” Brugler said. What will help Gordon’s draft stock is his abilities on passing downs, as he is a solid blocker and pass catcher out of the backfield.
143. Jalen Rivers, OT/G, Miami (6-6, 319 pounds)
Rivers has played left guard and left tackle throughout his career and has shown improvement every season. While there’s an injury history that forced Rivers to miss time throughout his college career, he has starting potential at guard, according to Brugler. The Giants have Jon Runyan Jr. locked down at left guard through 2027, but that doesn’t mean Rivers couldn’t switch to the right side if needed — he seemed to say as much in his NFL Scouting Combine availability.
166. Jo’Quavious “Woody” Marks, RB, USC (5-10, 213)
If the Giants want to take advantage of the deep running back class, perhaps Marks would fit the bill. Although he will turn 25 years old as a rookie, Marks brings a “low-to-the-ground run style and sharp run angles, (which) make him tough to get on the ground,” Brugler said. Plus, he has the potential to play on third down due to his solid pass-catching skills.
173. Jared Ivey, Edge, Ole Miss (6-5, 274 pounds)
We know GM Joe Schoen believes it’s a deep edge group, so even after drafting Carter, we should mention at least one Day 3 candidate. And why not a three-year starter from the SEC who boasts length and a versatile skill set? Even better for the Giants is that Ivey could contribute in sub-package downs as a rookie, according to Brugler, before eventually pushing for a more meaningful role as he develops more consistency.
175. Arian Smith, WR, Georgia (6-0, 179 pounds)
Smith could slot in as the replacement for Jalin Hyatt, who has struggled in his first two seasons in New York as a deep threat. Smith has track-star speed (4.36 40-yard dash) and “rare acceleration,” Brugler noted. While Smith didn’t miss a game the past two years, injuries were “nonstop” throughout his first three collegiate seasons, so that’s something to consider for a prospect who could help add a vertical element to the Giants’ offense.
176. Craig Woodson, S, Cal (6-0, 200 pounds)
After a tough start to his college career (redshirt, COVID-19 and a knee injury), Woodson got better in each of his final three years, which Brugler said didn’t go unnoticed by scouts. That development might be promising to a Giants team that should want to add some depth to its ranks at safety.
187. Jake Briningstool, TE, Clemson (6-5, 241 pounds)
As a rookie, Theo Johnson played 84 percent of the team’s offensive snaps before going down with an injury in late November, so the Giants clearly like him. However, there isn’t a ton of upside behind him on the depth chart. Daniel Bellinger is entering the final year of his rookie deal, while Chris Manhertz is a 33-year-old blocking tight end. If New York wants some more potential at TE, Briningstool is “a tall, lean athlete who understands how to maximize his catch radius and offers enough competitiveness as a blocker to fight for playing time once on an NFL roster,” according to Brugler.
189. *Korie Black, CB, Oklahoma State (6-0, 192 pounds)
Black was a bright spot as an outside corner this season at Oklahoma State, according to Brugler, and is a “rangy cover man who can work underneath routes in zone or squeeze receivers outside in man-to-man.” While he needs to improve eye discipline to better stay in phase, Brugler said, Black’s physicality, attitude and length are appealing. For the Giants, adding depth to the cornerback room beyond Cor’Dale Flott makes sense.
225. *Collin Oliver, LB, Oklahoma State (6-1, 240 pounds)
The Giants have Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden as starting linebackers, but Oliver wouldn’t need to start — at least not right away — to make an immediate impact. Brugler said Oliver projects best as a “nickel rusher with long-term potential as a developmental off-ball linebacker.” The medicals will be important, as Oliver missed the final 10 games of his collegiate career with a foot injury.
266. Jackson Woodard, LB, UNLV (6-2, 230 pounds)
Woodard might have trouble being as “dynamic in the NFL as he was in college, but his play recognition, toughness and intangibles are traits that keep players on NFL rosters,” Brugler wrote. Woodard could be another depth piece for the Giants’ linebacker room (which added Chris Board and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles in free agency) and, at the very least, be a special teamer.
268. Jay Higgins, LB, Iowa (6-0, 224 pounds)
Higgins would add depth to the linebacker room, but he has the potential to make an immediate impact on special teams. Brugler mentioned that he earns credit for his instincts and toughness with a play style akin to Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Anthony Walker Jr., who is entering his ninth season in the league after being a fifth-round pick in 2017.
269. Ajani Cornelius, OT, Oregon (6-4, 312 pounds)
Cornelius played his entire college career at right tackle, but Brugler said he could prolong his career by moving inside to guard. Brugler noted that Cornelius has a “mean streak to him” and “won’t shy from burying an opponent once he gets the upper hand.” Also of note when it comes to the Giants’ recent run of bad luck in the health department: Cornelius didn’t miss a game because of injury the last four seasons.
273. Carson Bruener, LB, Washington (6-1, 227 pounds)
Bruener has an NFL pedigree — his dad, Mark, was a 14-year NFL veteran and a current scout for the Pittsburgh Steelers. While that Pittsburgh pairing feels like a movie waiting to happen, Bruener could offer the Giants solid depth at linebacker while bringing the “speed and mentality of a core special-teamer,” Brugler wrote.
284. Mello Dotson, CB, Kansas (6-0, 183 pounds)
Dotson doesn’t have a lot of special-teams experience outside of field goal coverage, which isn’t great for a later-round prospect. But as Brugler wrote, Dotson “shows a good feel for what the offense is trying to do and reacts accordingly,” and he could be a target for a zone-heavy team. Again, if the Giants are looking to add depth to the secondary, Dotson could be an appealing prospect to develop.
Unranked: Andres Borregales, K, Miami (5-11, 202 pounds)
A kicker? I know it seems unlikely, but it makes some sense with Giants’ kicker Graham Gano’s injury struggles the past few seasons. Borregales is technically unranked on Brugler’s top 300, but his list didn’t include any specialists. Borregales is the top-ranked kicker in “The Beast,” with Brugler giving him a sixth-round grade. If the Giants want to add some competition, beyond bringing back Jude McAtamney in the International Player Pathway slot, perhaps they could go with Borregales, who made 94.7 percent of his field goals last season.
Unranked: Jordan Clark, CB, Notre Dame (5-9, 184 pounds)
Clark has an NFL pedigree — his dad Ryan played 13 years in the league and is now an ESPN analyst. “NFL teams speak highly about his interviews and intangibles,” Brugler said, and he doesn’t look out of his depth with man-coverage duties. He could be a depth piece in the CB room while he starts his career as a contributor on special teams.
(Photo of Gordon: Brian Bahr / Getty Images)
