Will Johnson named an ‘intriguing prospect’ for Giants

The New York Giants, by nature of their 3-14 finish this season, hold the third overall selection in the 2025 NFL draft.

With that pick, they can do many things. They may get the opportunity to select their next franchise quarterback, but one thing is certain: they will end up with one of the best players in this year’s class.

Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus recently named the top three “intriguing prospects” for each team selecting in the top 10 this April.

For the Giants, naturally, both top quarterbacks (Colorado’s Shadeur Sanders and Cam Ward of Miami) were mentioned along with Michigan cornerback Will Johnson.

Sikkema’s mock draft has Tennessee taking Ward first overall and Cleveland bypassing Sanders for his Colorado teammate — the versatile two-way threat, Travis Hunter.

That leaves Sanders for the Giants, who Sikema believes they will likely select.

Like the Titans (and the Browns and several other teams), the Giants find themselves in dire need of a quarterback. While they could explore options in the pro market, the most plausible outcome seems to be targeting one in the draft. Unfortunately, they don’t control their own fate in this regard, as they’re positioned behind two teams that could easily select Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward before their turn.

If the Giants cannot secure a quarterback or address the issue before draft weekend, cornerback will likely become a primary focus, given their struggles in that area this season. Their cornerbacks combined for a 62.6 coverage grade, allowing the fourth-highest EPA per pass. Both Travis Hunter and Michigan’s Will Johnson could provide the caliber of talent needed to stabilize the position and anchor the secondary.

Since free agency opens six weeks before the draft, it is very likely the Giants, who currently have zero quarterbacks under contract for 2025, will have at least two quarterbacks in the fold.

If they do and don’t see Sanders as a fit, they could — and should — go cornerback. It could be Johnson, a 6-foot-2, 202-pound speedster with ball-hawking abilities.

The Giants currently have Deonte Banks as their No. 1 and he has been challenged to live up to his draft pedigree in more ways than one. Andru Phillips is promising but is seen as more of a slot and package option.

The Giants need a top corner almost as much as they do a quarterback. They play in the NFC East where CeeDee Lamb, Terry McLaurin, A.J. Brown, and DeVonte Smith need to be countered.

Johnson is a physical corner with top speed who returned two passes for touchdowns this season for the Wolverines. And if anyone disputes the need for a sticky corner, remind them of this: The Giants’ secondary had only four interceptions this season and did not record their first until Week 14 when backup Tre Hawkins III picked off New Orleans’ Derek Carr.