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As the 2025 NFL free agency period looms, teams are already making moves that could significantly impact the draft. One of the most unexpected developments came Friday night when the Seattle Seahawks traded quarterback Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders.
The move immediately fills a crucial gap for Las Vegas, but it also creates ripple effects across the league, particularly for the New York Giants, who are strategizing their next steps for the No. 3 overall pick in the draft.
The quarterback market is evolving rapidly, forcing the Giants' front office to adjust their draft plans. With this shift, their path to selecting a franchise quarterback may have become clearer-or more complicated, depending on Seattle's next move.
How the Giants' draft strategy changes
Before acquiring Smith, the Raiders were widely believed to be in the hunt for a quarterback, possibly trading up in the draft to secure a top prospect like Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders. By addressing their quarterback situation through trade, Las Vegas is likely no longer a contender to move up, which affects the Giants in multiple ways.
If the Giants were hoping to use the No. 3 pick to draft a non-quarterback prospect, such as Colorado's Travis Hunter or Penn State's Abdul Carter, their chances of doing so without interference have improved.
Without the Raiders as a competitor in the quarterback market, fewer teams will be vying to jump ahead of them, reducing the likelihood of a bidding war for a top-tier defensive or offensive playmaker.
However, if New York was considering trading up for Cam Ward, who is now widely viewed as the best quarterback in this draft class, the trade slightly alters the equation.
With Las Vegas stepping back from the quarterback race, the Giants may face fewer roadblocks in negotiating with the team holding the No. 1 overall pick, but they may also have fewer trade partners if they were hoping to move down the board.
Another intriguing possibility is that New York could on a quarterback at No. 3 and try to move back into the first round later to grab someone like Jaxson Dart.
This approach could be problematic, though, as the Seahawks now hold the No. 18 pick and are suddenly in the market for a quarterback. If Seattle prioritizes a young signal-caller in the draft, it could force the Giants to give up more assets than anticipated to trade back into the first round for their desired quarterback.