Mistakes and the New York Giants are two peas in a pod. For the most part, the team has routinely made the wrong decisions on draft day and failed to find competent free agents. Aside from a few individual hits, the Giants remain a poorly constructed roster that needs substantial development and coaching support.
Reflecting back on the 2021 NFL draft, when former general manager Dave Gettleman traded back to the 20th overall pick, that move was catastrophic. The Chicago Bears traded the 20th overall pick, 164th overall pick, and a 2022 first and fourth-round pick to the Giants to move up ten spots to acquire Justin Fields at number 10 overall.
The Consequences of Passing on Elite Talent
However, the Giants accepted the draft haul and passed on two of the most exciting and promising players in the entire draft class. Of course, they missed out on Micah Parsons and Rashawn Slater, both of whom have developed into All-Pro level starters.
Sometimes, gathering a significant amount of draft capital is a good thing, but passing on elite talent to take an injury-prone wide receiver with personality red flags indeed represents a massive risk. It is always possible for the Giants to decide to move back and prepare for the future, but the Giants need to win now, and passing on an elite talent like Malik Nabers, Romeo Odunze, or a top offensive tackle is a choice.
Some have floated the idea of moving back and targeting Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, a 20-year-old signal-caller with solid tools to develop over time. Unfortunately, the Giants don’t have much time before Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen are officially on the hot seat. They need to win games in 2024, not focus on developing a young quarterback who likely needs at least a year on the bench.
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The Giants Need to Focus on Immediate Success
With that being said, the Giants shouldn’t get cute, looking to move back and target a competitive date down the road, but instead, landing an elite playmaker who could reinforce an offense that struggled to get anything going in 2023.
Even if the Giants do end up sticking with Daniel Jones, giving him a top receiver should give the front office all the information they need to determine whether they should take the out in his contract following next season or retain him term and continue to build a foundation.
Unfortunately, Jones is coming off of a torn ACL and is a neck injury away from his career-ending. The Giants know that they likely need to overturn the quarterback position with a youngster on a rookie deal, but that is easier said than done with three teams ahead of them that need a new passer.
It is unlikely that Schoen is able to trade and secure his quarterback of choice, but nothing is impossible, especially if the Bears decide that Fields is their future and continuing to reinforce the roster around him is their path to success.