NFL insider Ian Rapoport gave some insight into the potential draft strategy for the New York Giants prior to the team's Week 17 contest against the Las Vegas Raiders.
As the 2025 NFL regular season begins to wind down, the buzz surrounding the New York Giants and the franchise’s potential moves this offseason continues to grow with two weeks left.
Prior to the team’s Week 17 contest, NFL insider Ian Rapoport gave some insight into the Giants’ potential draft strategy, claiming that the organization will “evaluate all options, including looking at Fernando Mendoza” if New York lands the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
"Expect [the Giants] to evaluate all options, including looking at Fernando Mendoza, before they make a decision of how they're going to proceed if they have [the No. 1 pick],” Rapoport stated on Sunday morning.
Mendoza, who was recently named the 2025 Heisman Trophy Award recipient, is coming off an incredible regular season with the Indiana Hoosiers. This year, the talented quarterback has thrown for 2980 passing yards and 33 touchdowns, while also completing 71.5 percent of his attempts. His dominant stretch of games has led the Hoosiers to a perfect 13-0 record and the No. 1 seed in the 2025 College Football Playoffs.
The rumors surrounding the Giants potentially taking Mendoza and trading away Dart are not new to the fanbase, as FOX Sports talk show host Colin Cowherd made this suggestion earlier this month.
“The Giants right now would have the number one pick. You trade Jaxson Dart," Cowherd said. “You take the 6-foot-5 Fernando Mendoza. Absolutely. I think Mendoza is about as good a prospect as you’re going to get.”
While Mendoza’s hype continues to grow heading into the offseason, Dart has still managed to show flashes of promise despite the franchise’s recent woes this season. Through 12 games played this season, Dart has thrown for 1,835 yards and 13 touchdowns, while also tallying 407 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.
Looking back at the last time a franchise moved off their first-round quarterback after one season, the Arizona Cardinals were the most-recent team to do this back in 2019 with Josh Rosen. The Cardinals landed the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, which they used to select quarterback Kyler Murray.
However, Dart’s stats throughout his rookie season thus far have been far better than Rosen’s first season, which makes it hard to believe the Giants would truly move off Dart in favor of Mendoza.
Depending on how New York finishes the regular season, the organization has a real chance to land the No. 1 pick. But first, the Giants must take on the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 17, with the loser of the matchup owning the top pick before Week 18.