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, Tyrod Taylor, A’Shawn Robinson, and Ben Bredeson — last year that were canceled out by the subsequent signings of Devin Singletary Jon Runyan Jr., Jermaine Eluemunor and Drew Lock.
This draft, the Titans, Browns, and Giants finished tied for the worst win-loss records in the league. The order of their picks in each round alternates; by the time the rotation makes it to the 8th round, Cleveland would be first in order, thus it is projected to get the Mr. Irrelevant pick. If additional supplemental comp picks are needed, the next one would be awarded to the Giants, and then the Titans.
The pick for McKinney is currently projected as the first compensatory pick of the fourth round.
Most of the questions this draft center around standard guesswork as to where the cutoffs on which round are. One question that remains is if the NFL Management Council will continue to oddly view restructured contracts as new contracts. If it no longer does this, it could be good news for the Giants and Dolphins.
Xavier McKinney had an outstanding season in Green Bay, with postseason honors boosting his contract very close to the 3rd round. Christian Wilkins, on the other hand, had a disappointing season in Las Vegas that was marred by injury, dropping his contract down to the 4th round. But if there’s a change, there’s a chance either or both could deliver a 3rd round comp pick instead.
The McKinney loss had no matching signing to offset it. The list of projected compensatory selections does not include picks awarded as per 2020 Resolution JC-2A, a policy that awards a club picks for losing minority candidates to other clubs in executive or head coaching positions.
Giants assistant general manager Brandon Brown has had two interviews with the Las Vegas Raiders for their general manager vacancy. Should he be hired away, the Giants would receive a compensatory third-round selection in each of the next two drafts.
Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, who is drawing head coaching interest, would also factor in under Resolution JC-2A.
