Projecting the Giants’ first-round pick

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — It’s impossible to know what the New York Giants are going to do with the No. 25 overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft (8 p.m. ET on ESPN, ABC, ESPN App) on Thursday. They don’t even know exactly what they are going to do.

“I wish I knew,” general manager Joe Schoen said last week. “I’m trying to figure it out. [Pick] 25, it’s a little bit harder than [picks] five and seven to come up with names.”

Naturally, the later the selection in the first round, the more difficult the task of locating the actual target. There are just so many different scenarios that can unfold before the Giants are on the clock.

For the sake of this exercise, we’re going to completely eliminate the top two cornerbacks, Devon Witherspoon and Christian Gonzalez, as well as wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba from contention. Forget all quarterbacks, offensive tackles and the top edge rushers, too. But everything else is on the table.

So here goes. These are the prospects most likely to be selected by the Giants this year at pick No. 25:

CB Deonte Banks, Maryland: A team source confirmed this is a player the Giants like a lot. And why not? He has the size (6-2, 205), strength and speed to thrive as a man-coverage cornerback in Wink Martindale’s blitz-heavy scheme.

“He’s got everything you want. He’d fit them real well, no doubt,” a different league source told ESPN.

The biggest question seems to be if Banks makes it to 25.

WR Jordan Addison, USC: It would be foolish to ignore all the meetings between the Giants and the draft’s top wide receivers. Schoen and coach Brian Daboll didn’t randomly pick to have dinner with some of these players before their pro days. They are legitimately interested in adding to the position, and Addison is a player they are believed to be especially high on.

“Really refined, really complete,” an NFL executive who studied Addison said. Another source put his range at pick Nos. 12-25, so, again, there is no guarantee he’ll be there for the Giants.

WR Quentin Johnston, TCU: Johnston is a bigger wide receiver who would give the Giants a more well-rounded group. Johnston (6-foot-3, 208) is the deep vertical threat who can add big plays to an offense that produced a league-low 28 pass plays of 20-plus yards last season. Schoen and Daboll had dinner with Johnston before watching him at his Pro Day, according to multiple sources. Again, follow the breadcrumbs.

CB Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State: Forbes is an interesting prospect in that he was 166 pounds at the combine, but he’s the type of playmaker — he set an FBS record with six interceptions for TDs — that this Giants defense needs.

DL Myles Murphy, Clemson: We can’t completely discount the defensive line. Schoen and Daboll believe in building teams through the lines. Murphy has the ability to rush from anywhere on the defensive line, which could come in handy in Martindale’s defense.

WR Zay Flowers, Boston College: Flowers is this low only because it seems unlikely he’s available at pick No. 25. One source believes his floor is pick No. 17 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. There is only a 35% chance he’s not selected before pick No. 25, according to ESPN analytics. But if Flowers is there, there’s a good chance he’s the Giants’ selection. The Giants are believed to be very high on Flowers and his ability to make yards and plays after the catch.

CB Joey Porter Jr., Penn State: Most projections have Porter being selected before pick No. 25, but there are scenarios where he makes it to the Giants. He might not be their top choice at the position, but it seems within the range of outcomes that he is the highest-ranked player on their board when they pick.

Just missed: CB Julius Brents, DB Brian Branch, WR Jonathan Mingo, DL Bryan Bresee, OLB Lukas Van Ness, DL Mazi Smith