Let the NFL mock drafts begin. This week the godfather of mock drafting — ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. — released his first pass at the 2025 NFL mock draft. The New York Giants hold the third overall selection in the upcoming draft and are desperately searching for their next franchise quarterback.

Kiper isn’t the only person who’s predicted the Giants to pick the 22-year-old Colorado product. His own father, Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, said he knew “for a fact” that New York would be picking his son in the 2025 Draft in an interview on “The Pac Man Jones Show” in December — at the time, Deion thought the Giants would have the No. 1 pick.

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr is out with his first mock draft of 2025, and his selection for the New York Giants might make more than a few Giants fans happy if it comes to fruition. Kiper’s self-described “best-case scenario” for the Giants has the team selecting quarterback Shedeur Sanders out of Colorado with the third overall pick.

The NFL Draft is just over three months away, but the mock draft season is in full effect. The New York Giants own the No. 3 overall pick after finishing the 2024 season with a disappointing 3-14 record.

In his debut mock draft for the 2025 class, Kiper has Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders dropping to the Giants at No. 3. This is a dream scenario for Giants general manager Joe Schoen, who has scouted Sanders plenty and might need to take a quarterback to save his job.

The NFL Draft is held in April every year, and with the playoffs going on, it might feel like a long way away. For fans of teams that aren’t in the playoffs and currently hold a high draft pick, however,

Kiper has Sanders’ teammate, cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter, as the No. 2 pick to the Browns. The Giants hit the reset button at quarterback earlier this season, releasing Daniel Jones after six seasons and turning their eyes to the 2025 draft.

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN – AUGUST 31: Colston Loveland #18 of the Michigan Wolverines celebrates a second half touchdown with Tyler Morris #8 while playing the Fresno State Bulldogs at Michigan Stadium on August 31, 2024 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

In the latest mock from our Christian D’Andrea — a top-five mini-mock — he had the Browns taking Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders at quarterback. But in Mel Kiper Jr.’s first mock of the year for ESPN, he had Sanders’ teammate Travis Hunter going to Cleveland and Sanders going to the New York Giants at No. 3.

The New York Giants are projected to receive a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft as compensation for losing safety Xavier McKinney in free agency. Per Over The Cap, the Giants lost four qualifying free agents -- Saquon Barkley,