Draft expert has bold take about future of Giants' Daniel Jones

ESPN NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. explained on the latest edition of the ESPN "First Draft" program why he believes the New York Giants should spend the sixth overall pick of the 2024 draft on a top-tier playmaker who would play alongside quarterback Daniel Jones. 

"I’m a Daniel Jones fan and I think you get a big-time receiver," Kiper said about the situation, according to Kaiden Smith of On3 and Michael Lee of Fan Nation's Giants Country. "I’m a big Rome Odunze fan coming out of Washington."

Jones impressed while playing without a true No. 1 wide receiver during the 2022 season en route to earning a four-year contract he signed in March 2023. However, he performed poorly this past fall before he suffered a torn ACL on Nov. 5. Jones has also missed nine games since the start of the 2021 season because of worrisome neck injuries, and the Giants could escape his deal as soon as after the 2024 campaign. 

In a mock draft posted on Tuesday, The Athletic predicted that quarterbacks will be taken with the top three picks of this year's player-selection process. That outlet also forecasted that Odunze could be available for the Giants at choice No. 6.

"He has the size," Kiper said about Odunze. "He has the ability with that catch radius to out-dual cornerbacks for the football. He’s so smooth, he’s so deceptive with how he runs his routes. He’s very difficult to handle in those situations." 

Meanwhile, Kiper added that he thinks Jones is a better option than Michigan Wolverines signal-caller J.J. McCarthy. Some have suggested the Giants could "reach" for McCarthy in the first round of this year's draft assuming the advertised top-three quarterback prospects go off the board before the sixth pick. 

"Daniel Jones has already shown he can be a winning NFL quarterback, a really good quarterback," Kiper said about the 26-year-old who guided the Giants to a road playoff victory in January 2023. "He needs help...The Giants get more help, stay healthier, get guys healthy, get it together, maintain some consistency, and Daniel Jones is the right man for the job." 

Giants general manager Joe Schoen told reporters Tuesday he still has "faith" Jones can be the club's long-term answer at the sport's most important position. For what it's worth, it was previously reported that Schoen would have to package the sixth overall pick this year along with three second-round selections to move up in the draft for a quarterback.