The Giants.com crew is presented with four statements and must decide whether they are Fact or Fiction.
The first rookie you will look for when everyone gets on the field for OTAs is LB Abdul Carter.
John Schmeelk: Fact - I was going to with the whole "there are no pads" argument but then I deleted the whole thing and thought better of it. While I have seen Jaxson Dart throw in person at the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine, I haven't seen Abdul Carter up close and in-person. I've worked with the Giants since 2007 and I know what elite speed rushers look like (re: Osi Umenyiora). I want to see how Carter compares to him, and what he looks like next to Brian Burns, who is an upper-echelon rusher in the league right now. The Giants might work Carter in slowly given his recent recovery from injury, but I can't wait to see his get-off, explosion, and bend in person.
Dan Salomone: Fact – Carter is the third defensive player selected by the Giants in the top three in the common draft era (since 1967). The others are Lawrence Taylor (second overall in 1981) and Carl Banks (third overall in 1984). Yes, my eyes will be on him.
Matt Citak: Fiction – I cannot wait to see Abdul Carter out on the field once contact is permitted during training camp. But since it's not allowed during offseason workouts, it's tough to get a good read on the linemen on either side of the ball. Instead, I'm going with Jaxson Dart. Brian Daboll made it clear this past week that Russell Wilson is the team's starting quarterback. Jameis Winston was brought in to be the backup, but the Giants made the move back into the first round to grab Dart in hopes that he will develop into the team's franchise quarterback down the line. OTAs will serve as the first time we get to see him out on the field with his new teammates. Dart is the easy choice here.
The most intriguing pick of the Giants' draft is QB Jaxson Dart.
John Schmeelk: Fact - What's more intriguing than a guy that can develop into the team's future franchise quarterback? Dart can make every NFL throw, but he isn't going to show Josh Allen level arm strength or velocity. But I am excited to see the touch and accuracy he can throw with in the intermediate levels of the field. He has the tools to be a good player, but I am most intrigued at seeing how quickly he adjusts to the Giants offense, and if he can work quickly through the decision-making process in the pocket against an NFL defense. There's nothing more intriguing than that.
Dan Salomone: Fact – Just because they weren't backed into a corner due to free agency, it didn't mean the Giants were going to rule out drafting a quarterback. The value lined up on their charts, and now they get to be patient in bringing him along.
Matt Citak: Fact – As I mentioned in my first answer, the Giants traded up to grab Dart with the hope that he will eventually become the franchise quarterback. The fact that Dart is the first quarterback drafted by Joe Schoen makes him the clear frontrunner as the team's most intriguing pick.
Giants draft picks tour their new home at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.
Edge Abdul Carter
QB Jaxson Dart, Edge Abdul Carter
QB Jaxson Dart
Edge Abdul Carter, Brian Daboll Head Coach
DT Darius Alexander
Edge Abdul Carter
Madelyn Burke, DT Darius Alexander
QB Jaxson Dart
Edge Abdul Carter
DT Darius Alexander
Carl Banks, Edge Abdul Carter
Edge Abdul Carter
QB Jaxson Dart
DL Darius Alexander
Edge Abdul Carter, OLB Brian Burns
Edge Abdul Carter
QB Jaxson Dart, Edge Abdul Carter
Madelyn Burke, DT Darius Alexander
Edge Abdul Carter
QB Jaxson Dart, Edge Abdul Carter
DT Darius Alexander
Edge Abdul Carter
Edge Abdul Carter, Brian Daboll Head Coach
DL Darius Alexander
QB Jaxson Dart
Edge Abdul Carter
QB Jaxson Dart, Edge Abdul Carter
DT Darius Alexander
Edge Abdul Carter
Edge Abdul Carter
John K. Mara, Esq. President and Chief Executive Officer, Board Director, Joe Schoen Senior Vice President and General Manager, QB Jaxson Dart, Edge Abdul Carter, Brian Daboll Head Coach
DL Darius Alexander
Edge Abdul Carter, Joe Schoen Senior Vice President and General Manager
Edge Abdul Carter
QB Jaxson Dart, Edge Abdul Carter
DT Darius Alexander
Edge Abdul Carter, Joe Schoen Senior Vice President and General Manager
QB Jaxson Dart, Edge Abdul Carter
Carl Banks, Edge Abdul Carter
QB Jaxson Dart
Edge Abdul Carter
Carl Banks, Edge Abdul Carter
DT Darius Alexander
Edge Abdul Carter
Edge Abdul Carter
Carl Banks, Edge Abdul Carter
Edge Abdul Carter
Edge Abdul Carter
Edge Abdul Carter
Madelyn Burke, DT Darius Alexander
Edge Abdul Carter
Carl Banks, Edge Abdul Carter
Edge Abdul Carter
Edge Abdul Carter
Madelyn Burke, DT Darius Alexander
Edge Abdul Carter, Joe Schoen Senior Vice President and General Manager
Edge Abdul Carter
Edge Abdul Carter
Edge Abdul Carter
Edge Abdul Carter
Edge Abdul Carter
Edge Abdul Carter
The most underrated pick of the Giants' draft is DT Darius Alexander in the third round.
John Schmeelk: Fiction - I am probably going to regret throwing as much love as I am at tight end Thomas Fiddone II, but I'm all in on the player. Tight ends take time to develop and he only played two years at Nebraska after a pair of ACL tears in his first two years. But there is a reason he was the second ranked tight end in his recruiting class. He is long (34-inch arms), ran a 4.70 40-yard dash with a 1.60 10 yard split, and was in at least the 87th percentile in all his agility drills and jumps. At a position where tools often translate to production, he had the highest RAS score of any tight end in the draft. He can play in-line and is a willing blocker, but can also run the seam vertically as a field stretcher from the slot. His short shuttle and 3-cone also show enough quickness to separate at the top of the route, which was also evident on tape.
Dan Salomone: Fact – The Athletic's Bruce Feldman ranked him No. 53 on his annual College Football Freaks List, highlighting his 400-pound bench press, 30-inch vertical, and 20 mph on GPS. Alexander also notched 28 reps in the bench press at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, second-most among defensive tackles behind Maryland's Jordan Phillips. The Giants already had freaks in the defensive front, and now it's even freakier.
Matt Citak: Fact – It seems like the Giants taking Cam Skattebo in the fourth round, and maybe even Marcus Mbow in the fifth round, somehow overshadowed the selection of Alexander in the third round. The defensive tackle out of Toledo enjoyed success both as a pass rusher and against the run this past season, and is a perfect complement to Dexter Lawrence on the inside. Not only does Alexander have an opportunity to earn playing time right away, but I think he will also succeed pretty early on. Surrounded by some combination of Lawrence, Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter up front, Alexander should face a ton of one-on-one situations this season.
The happiest man in the Quest Diagnostics Training Center right now is defensive coordinator Shane Bowen.
John Schmeelk: Fiction - Shane Bowen is very happy, but I think there is someone that is even happier: Brian Daboll. Daboll gets all the help on defense from free agency and the draft to go along with a quarterback he believes can turn into the team's next franchise quarterback. Don't forget a running back that will bring a whole new energy to the offense. Who's happier than Brian Daboll? No one.
Dan Salomone: Fiction – How about quarterbacks coach/offensive pass game coordinator Shea Tierney? The newcomers to his room are a 10-time Pro Bowler, a former No. 1 pick who threw for 497 in a game just five months, and the 25th overall selection who can learn from them. That will put a smile on your face, especially when you remember Malik Nabers is entering his second year.
Matt Citak: Fact – After putting an emphasis on the defensive side of the ball in free agency, namely with the additions of Paulson Adebo, Jevón Holland, and Chauncey Golston, among others, the Giants used two of their first three draft picks on Carter and Alexander. That is some serious asset allocation towards the secondary and defensive front. On paper, the Giants' defense has certainly upgraded in a major way in terms of the talent compared to last year. Now it's up to Bowen to figure out the best way to deploy all of these new pieces to maximize everyone's skill sets.
The New York Giants' 2025 offseason workout program is underway at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.
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