Now that the New York Giants are back to their losing ways — which by no means is a good or celebratory thing — the one positive that can be extracted is their shot at a top quarterback prospect in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft.
At 5-11, the Giants currently own the No. 5 pick, which Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus sees the Giants taking UNC’s Drake Maye with, saying:
“For as bad as it looked with Daniel Jones to start this season, if the Giants have a chance to draft Drake Maye, I’d do it. Maye had by far the most big-time throws of any quarterback in the FBS over the last two seasons and would be the perfect new investment for Brian Daboll’s offense,” Sikkema asserted.
Maye Has Bright Spots That The Giants Could Extrapolate
Maye has generally been viewed as the second quarterback who will be taken off the board after USC’s Caleb Williams, and if projections come to life, he may not be available for the front office to snag at their current positioning.
When looking at his performance as a junior, Maye did not rank in the top 20 in passing yards per attempt among all quarterbacks in the nation. He did, however, muster up an impressive 3,608 passing yards on the season, which is an encouraging peripheral for the G-Men to weigh in the balance.
Factoring in his 2022 numbers in concert with those of 2023 shows that Maye completed 83 passes of 20 or more yards.
The Giants currently have three quarterbacks on their roster who sport sufficient completion percentages and find ways to generate total yards of offense with their arms and legs.
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How Much Pressure Are The Giants Under & What Options Do They Have Outside of Maye?
Their first-round pick needs to be a home run and not a whiff if they aim to contend next season and beyond. Maye’s availability is the biggest question mark for where the Giants currently stand.
Should he be taken prior to New York getting on the clock, LSU’s Jayden Daniels would be an amped-up version of what all three Giants quarterbacks offer, be it a dual threat that led the nation with 13.8 adjusted passing yards per attempt and 8.4 yards per rush.
The Draft will kick off on April 25 giving the Giants plenty of time to evaluate Maye and set their mind on how to proceed with the pick they’re given.
