The New York Giants are doing their due diligence at the quarterback position this off-season, especially with Daniel Jones coming off an ACL tear and projected to have a $46 million salary hit for the 2024 season. The Giants have the option to take the out in his contract after this year, freeing up a maximum of $30 million in available free-agency funds for the 2025 off-season.
Given Jones has struggled to maintain consistency over the first five years of his career and has suffered through a number of serious injuries, it is no surprise the Giants are considering drafting a quarterback at the top of the first round, but it will likely require a move up to the top three picks.
Exploring Top Quarterback Prospects
The Giants already have a formal meeting set up with Jayden Daniels of LSU and now Caleb Williams out of USC, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
To land Williams, the Giants would have to move up to the first overall pick, swapping with the Chicago Bears and giving up a significant amount of capital in return.
Williams is 22 years old and coming off an inconsistent season with USC, but he possesses elite traits that should translate to the NFL. His abilities off script and out of structure make him extremely exciting, not to mention a generational arm that can send a ball flying 65 yards with the flick of a wrist.
READ MORE: Giants GM Joe Schoen: ‘I have faith in Daniel as our starting quarterback’
Giants’ Draft Strategy and Roster Implications
Williams finished with 3,647 yards in the air last season, including 30 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also added 356 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns but fumbled 16 times, which is certainly a jarring number.
Of course, the Giants would love to have a player with Williams’ raw attributes, but they’re also looking at Daniels, who has the best deep ball in the draft class and electrifying running qualities. There haven’t been reports of any official meeting with Drake Maye just yet, but it’s safe to assume the Giants will certainly set up a meeting to gauge his personality and character.
Despite the Giants’ clear interest in the quarterback class, they have several needs, suggesting they could stick and pick at six overall, taking a blue-chip playmaker like Malik Nabers out of LSU or Rome Odunze out of Washington. The draft is chock-full of tremendous playmakers, and the Giants have the draft capital to reinforce the roster around Daniel Jones, but it would certainly be a risk given his financial allocations and the fact he’s coming off a torn ACL.