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Giants Now: Lance Zierlein changes Giants' pick in new mock draft

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Lance Zierlein changes Giants' pick in new mock draft

The 2025 NFL Draft officially kicks off three weeks from tomorrow.

Over the next 22 days, draft analysts from all over the media landscape will be releasing their predictions for the first round of this year's event.

The latest to update their projections is NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, who changed his pick for the Giants.

After projecting Miami quarterback Cam Ward to the Giants in his last mock draft nearly a month ago, Zierlein now has Ward going to the Titans with the first overall pick. He then has the Browns following that up with the selection of Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter, which leaves the Giants with several options at No. 3.

Zierlein has the Giants forgoing a quarterback and selecting cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter with their first pick.

"It seems likely that the Giants will get phone calls from teams looking to move up into this spot, but sitting tight and taking a player who could impact Brian Daboll's team on either (or both?) sides of the ball is the play," Zierlein wrote.

The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner put together a special season with the Buffaloes.

As a cornerback, Hunter finished the season with four interceptions, 11 passes defensed, one forced fumble and 36 tackles (25 solo). According to Pro Football Focus, the 21-year-old allowed just 22 receptions for 212 yards and one touchdown in coverage across 13 games, which earned him a passer rating against of just 38.8.

Not only did Hunter serve as a shutdown corner at Colorado, but he also thrived as a full-time wide receiver. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound athlete caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and a whopping 15 touchdowns. While the receptions and yards finished within the top five in the nation, his 15 receiving touchdowns were the second-most.

In addition to winning the Heisman Trophy this past season, Hunter was also named the AP College Football Player of the Year, the Fred Biletnikoff Award winner (given to the nation's top wide receiver), the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, and Unanimous All-American, among numerous other accolades.

After projecting Ward to the Titans with the first pick, Zierlein doesn't have the next quarterback being selected until No. 24, where he has the Browns trading back into the first round to select Colorado's Shedeur Sanders. Additionally, he has the Saints trading back into the end of the round to No. 32 to select Mississippi's Jaxson Dart.

View photos of 2025 NFL Draft prospect Travis Hunter, cornerback/wide receiver out of the University of Colorado.

View photos of the newest members of the Giants touring the Quest Diagnostics Training Center for the first time.

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