NFL Draft 2025: Grading Giants’ Abdul Carter, Jaxson Dart picks | Did Joe Schoen get it right?

Grading NFL Draft picks right after they are made is silly.

But who cares?

The Giants on Thursday night drafted edge rusher Abdul Carter at No. 3 and then traded away two third-round picks (including one in 2026) to move up nine spots for quarterback Jaxson Dart at No. 25.

Here’s how we grade those picks — with the caveat that assessments can (and will) change once a player actually begins playing in NFL games:

Abdul Carter: It’s hard to argue with the “best player available” approach, after Travis Hunter went second to the Jaguars, who pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Browns. This is a weak quarterback draft. Reaching on a non-Cam Ward quarterback like Shedeur Sanders (who didn’t even go in Round 1) or even Dart at No. 3 made no sense. Yes, the Giants already have Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux at edge rusher. But it’s not like Thibodeaux has proven himself as a consistent star.

Grade: A-

Jaxson Dart: Joe Schoen twice passed on Sanders in this draft — first at No. 3 and then at No. 25. Is Dart a better prospect than Sanders (or Jalen Milroe or Tyler Shough)? Who really knows? But Schoen badly needed at least a potential quarterback of the future in this draft. And he went with Dart, while parting with those two third-rounders — one of which (this year’s pick) is a borderline fourth-rounder (No. 99).

Remember, Schoen could’ve had J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix and Michael Penix last year. He passed on them all. So Dart will be compared to all of these guys (McCarthy, Nix, Penix, Sanders, Milroe and Shough) in the years to come. And yes, it’ll be at least a couple years before this all shakes out.

Grade: B+

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Darryl Slater may be reached at [email protected].

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