The New York Giants 2023 season has been an unmitigated disaster. They’ve started this season with a 2-7 record after making the playoffs a year ago. The team has dealt with numerous injuries, including on Sunday when quarterback Daniel Jones tore his ACL and is now out for the remainder of the season. The season is all but over for the Giants, as they must now start to look ahead towards the future. The 2024 NFL Draft brings much optimism, as there is much talent in the pool that could change a franchise’s luck. For the Giants and general manager Joe Schoen, they will most likely be picking very high in the draft. Which means some of the best have to be on their radar.
A New QB in Town?
After signing Daniel Jones to a 4 year, $160 million contract extension back in March, the Giants are in a weird spot. When healthy this season, he wasn’t the type of player that we saw a year ago. He threw for only two touchdowns and six interceptions in six games. He suffered a neck injury in Week 5 that kept him out a couple of games, and then when he returned this past Sunday, Jones tore his ACL which will keep him out the whole season. It’s a strange and unfortunate turn of events, however, the Giants must look ahead. Even with the contract extension, if they wanted to, they could get out of the contract after the 2024 season by eating some money. In that case, the Giants should be looking at the QBs in this draft, and there are some really good ones.
USC quarterback Caleb Williams is the name that comes to everyone’s mind when it comes to next April’s draft. He’s been the best player in college football for the last two seasons, winning the Heisman trophy award a year ago. Williams makes plays that one simply doesn’t coach. He moves very well and can make throws anywhere on the field. Williams has a game that is very similar to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He loves creating plays and exploiting the defense whenever he has a chance. Williams’s accuracy and deep ball ability make him a legitimate top QB the second he enters the league. The one concern is the fumbles, as he leads college football since 2021 with 30. That issue shouldn’t be overlooked, but his generational talent should be looked into greatly by the Giants.
Additional quarterback options
Another name that is floating a bit under the radar in the public it seems is North Carolina QB Drake Maye. He has all the intangibles that make a top quarterback in the NFL. He has the size, the pocket mobility, the accuracy, and the deep ball that will make him one of the league’s best. In 2022 at North Carolina, he threw for 4,321 yards, 38 touchdowns, and only seven interceptions. His 2023 campaign has seen a slight dropoff, which can be attributed to his weapons from a season ago leaving the school. If the Giants are seriously considering moving on from Daniel Jones, then they must seize on this draft to find their next guy. It’s a discussion that must be had all of this offseason, and a decision that will take plenty of time to make.
Maserati Marv Has Arrived
Going back to the days of Odell Beckham Jr., Plaxico Burress, and Victor Cruz, the Giants have had their fair share of number-one receivers. However, since the departure of OBJ, that has been lacking in the Giants offense. The team did trade for tight end Darren Waller, but that still doesn’t fit the whole of a dominant receiver on the outside. Enter Marvin Harrison Jr. The son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, Harrison Jr. was a top recruit coming into college football and chose to play for Ohio State. Last season with CJ Stroud, he caught 77 passes for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns.
This season, with Stroud in the NFL and Kyle McCord now the starter at Ohio State, Harrison Jr. hasn’t dropped off in production. Through nine games, he’s had 52 receptions for 912 yards and ten touchdowns. Harrison Jr’s ability to create separation in coverage through his speed and route running makes him a special prospect. His hands are also some of the best in the country, although against Purdue earlier this year, he did have three drops. He holds himself to a high standard and wasn’t pleased at all with that uncommon performance. If Harrison Jr. was available in the draft for the Giants, they should heavily consider selecting him. He’s a game-changer the Giants desperately need on the outside and someone any QB would love having as their WR1.
Much-Needed Protection Coming to Big Blue
For the better part of a decade, the Giants’ offensive line hasn’t been great. They’ve tried to invest in it but they have fallen short mostly every time. Their one spot through this time has been Andrew Thomas, who for the last couple of seasons has proven to be one of the best tackles in the league when healthy. That is why the Giants decided to give him a monster 5-year, $117.5 million extension this past offseason. Other projects, including right tackle Evan Neal haven’t shaped up how the team expected. Now it looks like there’s a real shot the Giants will be looking in the draft for some help.
Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu would certainly bring a lot of support to the offensive line if the Giants were to go in that direction. A three-star recruit coming out of high school, Fashanu has made for himself at Penn State as one of if not the best offensive lineman in college football the past two seasons. He returned to college last offseason for his senior season and has further solidified himself as a top prospect in this year’s draft. Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt is another name that could build some momentum at the top of next year’s draft. If the Giants were to go with either, they could kick Evan Neal inside to guard, to help out his production. Either way, this offensive line needs some changing, and the Giants should definitely be looking in this direction this offseason.
Main Photo: [Stephen R. Sylvanie] – USA Today Sports
