With the 2024 NFL Draft approaching fast, a lot of eyes will be on the New York Giants, who hold the No. 6 pick in the first round and could go in a bunch of different directions. Ahead of the event, we’ll be making our Giants 2024 NFL Draft predictions.
After a surprising run to the playoffs in the 2022 season, the Giants regressed and disappointed in 2023, posting a 6-11 record overall. After giving Daniel Jones a long-term deal, franchise tagging Saquon Barkley and making a significant move to bring in tight end Darren Waller, it was a massive disappointment. Jones regressed and suffered two significant injuries, Barkley did all he could but was limited due to the play of the offensive line, and Waller suffered injuries, as he did the previous few years with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Now, the Giants let Barkley go to the division rival Philadelphia Eagles, while Waller is heavily considering retirement. Jones is still on the roster, but it is unclear how committed the Giants and general manager Joe Schoen are to him, as there is an out for them in the contract after the 2024 season.
Sitting with the No. 6 pick, the Giants and Joe Schoen’s path forward in the upcoming NFL Draft is very uncertain, and very much will be determined by the actions of the five teams in front of them. That makes New York one of the most intriguing teams to watch in the first round. With that being said, let’s move on to our Giants 2024 NFL Draft predictions.
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Giants find running back in later rounds
After letting Barkley walk, the Giants signed Devin Singletary, who is a solid running back, but would be the main running back in a committee. The good news is that the Giants should be able to find a running back late on day two or on day three. Players like Blake Corum, Jaylen Wright or Trey Benson could be names to watch out for. It would form a good trio in the backfield with Singletary and Eric Gray.
The Giants only have five picks after the first round due to the Brian Burns trade that was made with the Carolina Panthers earlier in the offseason. The Giants might have to find some diamonds in the rough on days two and three in the draft, especially if this next prediction comes true.
Giants make blockbuster trade with Patriots for quarterback of the future
It seems unlikely that the New England Patriots will trade the No. 3 pick in the draft, but the organization seemingly has not closed the door on the possibility. That is not the case with the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders, who hold the top two picks in the draft.
The Bears are expected to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick, which is a no-brainer in the eyes of pretty much everyone. The Commanders are not as set in stone as the Bears with their pick, but the majority of reports indicate that they will select LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels. That leaves two other quarterbacks who could go with the No. 3 pick in North Carolina’s Drake Maye and Michigan’s JJ McCarthy.
Schoen has a background and history in being aggressive to move up to get his guy, whether it is being in the Buffalo Bills’ front office and playing an integral part in trading up to get Josh Allen in 2018, or moving up a spot last year with the Giants to select Deonte Banks. Drake Maye is a quarterback who fits the archetype for the Giants, especially for head coach Brian Daboll. He has a big arm and is a good athlete.
It will be very expensive for the Giants to trade up from No. 6 to No. 3, but it would be a shock if Schoen does not make a very competitive offer. Something like No. 6, the second-round pick (No. 47), a 2025 first-round pick and a 2025 third-round pick would be a haul, but could get a deal done. It would be very hard for another team looking to move up for a quarterback, like the Minnesota Vikings or Denver Broncos, to beat that offer.
A lot of the reports this offseason indicate that the Giants are not going to continue to bet on Daniel Jones. Expect Joe Schoen to be very aggressive and make it very hard for the Patriots to say no to a trade that would have Drake Maye landing in New York.