Giants Pass On Quarterback In Mel Kiper Jr. 2024 NFL Mock Draft

The 2024 NFL offseason is a massive one for the New York Giants. General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll have had a tough start to Year 3 with the fall out from the situation with former defensive coordinator Wink Martindale.

His position is one of several the team had to fill on the coaching staff and his exit was an ugly one. Daboll has some work to do to get on the same page with his new staff members to ensure nothing like what occurred with Martindale happens again.

For Schoen, this offseason could be the one he makes a splash to try and acquire a quarterback. Daniel Jones was not good in 2023 after signing a four-year, $160 million deal before the franchise tag deadline. Being outplayed by Tyrod Taylor and undrafted rookie free agent Tommy DeVito certainly wasn’t ideal.

Armed with the No. 6 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Schoen could get aggressive and make a trade up the board to select the team’s quarterback of the future. However, that kind of move would need to be approved by ownership, who sounds as committed to Jones as ever.

The Giants would also need some luck when it comes to the draft board falling their way. There is a chance the first three picks in the 2024 NFL Draft are quarterbacks, which is the case in Mel Kiper Jr.’s recent mock draft.

With Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye being selected 1-2-3, the Giants have to go in a different direction. Kiper believes they will add another weapon to their offense, selecting LSU star wide receiver Malik Nabers.

“The Giants got just six games out of quarterback Daniel Jones on the way to a lost season that showed some cracks in the foundation. Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale resigned after the season, and the offense under coordinator Mike Kafka struggled with Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito under center. New York’s quarterbacks were sacked a whopping 85 times, the most in the league, and the offense ranked 30th in yards per play (4.5). The Giants used top-10 picks on offensive linemen in 2020 (Andrew Thomas) and 2022 (Evan Neal), but I absolutely could see them doing it again, as tackles Joe Alt (Notre Dame) and Olu Fashanu (Penn State) are still available in this scenario.

Still, I keep coming back to getting Jones more help, as he has never played with a true No. 1 wide receiver. Nabers could be that. He’s coming off an 89-catch, 1,569-yard season catching passes from Jayden Daniels, and he has a rare combination of speed and route-running ability. He led the FBS with 17 catches of 30-plus yards. The Giants had just 15 total 30-plus yard receptions last season, five of which were from rookie third-rounder Jalin Hyatt,” wrote Kiper.

The draft board falling this way would be seen as lucky in the eyes of some Giants fans. The Los Angeles Chargers, who pick fifth, could be in the market for wide receiver help with the futures of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams being up in the air. Given how 2023 first-round pick Quentin Jonhston performed, wide receiver is on the table for them at their position.

If Nabers is on the board and all of the top quarterbacks are gone, he certainly fills a need for the Giants. He was a record-setting receiver at LSU and would provide the offense with a No. 1, go-to option in the passing game.

The addition of tight end Darren Waller wasn’t as impactful as the Giants had hoped it would be and the team needs more weapons on the boundary. However, they can make all the additions they want at wide receiver; if Jones isn’t willing to cut it loose through the air, it won’t matter who is at wide receiver for the team.