Buckle up, folks! The 2025 NFL Draft is all set to pull up the curtains. Out of all the other positions, right now, the 2025 QB Draft class has all the attention. Why wouldn’t it be? After all, the rankings went all topsy-turvy. While Cam Ward was hailed as a top pick, he is glued to the position. Whereas Shedeur Sanders goes on wooing the NFL suitors as another competitor comes in his way. That’s none other than Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart. While analyst Kirk Herbstreit makes a comeback with GOAT Nick Saban for the NFL Draft coverage, he picked up his favorite quarterback from the list. Alongside Herbstreit, the 8,555-yard quarterback has already found a special place in the New York Giants’ scouts’ hearts. 

We have to rewind back to 2023. Since then, Herbstreit has been following quarterback Kyle McCord very minutely. Back then, the quarterback played for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He wanted Ryan Day to make the most out of McCord. The analyst stated, “A guy by the name of TreVeyon Henderson, you want to know how you help Kyle McCord? You get the ball to TreVeyon Henderson.” By then, the quarterback had spent three seasons in Columbus and came up with some amazing stats. 416 yards and 2 touchdowns in season 1, followed by 190 yards and 1 touchdown in season 2. But McCord’s real glow-up came in 2023 when he racked up 3170 yards and 24 touchdowns! However, time flowed by.

On December 17, 2023, McCord announced that he would be transferring to Syracuse. The quarterback wanted to be a starter, which Day’s program failed to assure. Plus, NIL too, had a major role to play. And maybe, McCord today thanks the universe for taking the risk to swap wagons. Last season in Syracuse, the quarterback gifted 4779 yards and 34 touchdowns. Truly unimaginable! However, amidst all the Cam Ward-Shedeur Sanders hype, McCord went in the backseat. That’s when Herbstreit came with a reminder. On the April 16th episode of The Pat McAfee Show, the analyst picked his favorite: “I think a guy that’s a little bit forgotten is a guy by the name of Kyle McCord out of Syracuse.”

Herbstreit did not shy away from mentioning how Will Howard became “the guy” in Ohio State after leading them to the national championship. But we have to give kudos to McCord for some of his historic moments in Syracuse. He maintained a seven-game streak of throwing for 300 yards despite the loss and a career-high five interceptions. McCord turned heads, throwing for 453 yards, five touchdowns, and no interceptions in the Orange’s 52-35 victory against Washington State. He also broke Deshaun Watson’s eight-year-old record, connecting with Darrell Gill Jr. for a 50-yard completion on the first play of the second half. Even though Herbstreit sees McCord as a second-round pick, he has some USPs that are going to give him a smooth ride to the NFL.   

As Herbstreit noted, “He’s got as big a arm as anybody, he’s a gunslinger mentality, he kind of has a chip on his shoulder because of the experience in Columbus.” Well, the Giants did not wait for Hebstreit to come up with a clean chit and landed early in their Mission McCord. 

Kyle McCord’s redemption arc

He has what a team is looking for. One of the scouts said,  “For Kyle, here’s a kid who was a 5-star [recruit], plays well at Ohio State, but fans turn on him after losing one time to Michigan. Then he goes to Syracuse and wins 10 games — at Syracuse.”Kudos go to McCord. After all, despite a rough ending to his time in Columbus, McCord redeemed himself in his lone season at Syracuse. That’s why he got tagged as the “sleeper pick.” 

As FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd noted,  “He’s shown he can guide and manage a hyper-talented roster [at Ohio State] … and he’s shown that he can carry a franchise [Syracuse] to new heights. I think he’s the sleeper in the draft.” Maybe that’s why the New York Giants no longer want to delay wooing McCord. The Syracuse quarterback is set to visit the Giants at their East Rutherford, New Jersey headquarters on Tuesday, April 22. Now, if the interest is mutual, in which round will McCord go with the Giants?

On April 16, Chat Sports reporter Marshall Green came up with a clear take on the situation. “SOURCES: The New York Giants have expressed interest in Syracuse QB Kyle McCord. Word is that they’re interested in taking him in the 3rd round if he’s still on the board and would consider trading into the 2nd round if there’s a run on QB’s.” Giants general manager Joe Schoen has addressed his empty quarterback room this offseason. They added veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston and also re-signed Tommy DeVito. But Schoen’s one wish went unfulfilled. That’s to add a rookie to the mix. Will Kyle McCord pass the quality check?