It is no secret the New York Giants would benefit from drafting a quarterback at the top of the first round and resetting their rookie window with Daniel Jones coming off an ACL tear and headed into a year that will likely define his future.
From the perspective of General Manager Joe Schoen and Head Coach Brian Daboll, it is in their best interest to draft a quarterback, buying them more time to continue constructing the roster and building a foundation.
Continuing to invest their faith in Jones long-term would be a recipe for disaster, considering he’s one neck injury away from his career potentially ending, and the Giants have an out in his contract after the 2024 season. They would save a significant amount of money by taking the out in the deal after 2024, but that would also indicate having a young passer waiting in the wings.
Drafting Dynamics and Opportunities
Anything could happen with the first three picks in the NFL draft, which are owned by the Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders, and New England Patriots, in that order.
Jordan Reid of ESPN believes that the Patriots could trade out of the third overall pick, especially if a quarterback remains that doesn’t necessarily fit their mold and they see value in acquiring more draft capital.
The most likely scenario would be either LSU standout passer Jayden Daniels or UNC quarterback Drake Maye falling to the third pick, which could open up a door for a team like the Giants looking to move up and not spend multiple first-round picks.
Theoretically, the NFL Draft value board suggests there’s an 800-point difference between the third and sixth pick, which would essentially amount to both Giants’ second rounds this year. Still, they could decide to send a 2025 first-round pick in exchange, giving the Patriots plenty of ammo to re-tool for the future — QBs always come with a premium.
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Giants’ Quarterback Strategy
This would allow Schoen to get his quarterback and reset the rookie window, opening up substantial salary space for the future in hopes of continuing to add talent.
Sending just one first-round pick in exchange for a top quarterback would be an easy decision for the Giants, especially if it’s a player they hold in high regard.
The Patriots are in desperate need of talent across the board, and a rookie quarterback may develop bad habits, given the state of that roster. They may want to continue building and use a bridge quarterback to round things out, with Jerod Mayo taking over as the team’s head coach.
The Giants may be able to benefit, and ownership should be willing to give Schoen and Daboll a chance to develop their own quarterback instead of inheriting Jones and giving him a long-term extension.
Fortunately, Schoen built an out in the deal for this reason, and the worst-case scenario unfolded in 2023. After all, the Giants hired Daboll because of his ability to develop quarterbacks, and giving him his player of choice should’ve always been a priority.