The New York Giants need to address their needs at both wide receiver and quarterback at some point in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft. Which position they will take in the first round has been the big question.
Many mock drafts have Big Blue taking a quarterback in the first round as the team continues to be linked to all of the top signal-callers from insider reports. However, as general manager Joe Schoen has pointed out, the Giants have more needs than just quarterback, and this is a good quarterback draft class, “not just at the top.”
Due to the class’s strength and the Giants’ multiple needs to address, they could take the best player available in the first round and circle back for a quarterback later. ESPN’s Mel Kiper had the Giants doing exactly that in his latest mock draft, landing an elite wide receiver prospect in the first round before trading up for a rookie quarterback in Round 2.
Mel Kiper has the Giants drafting an elite wide receiver prospect in the first round
Four quarterbacks were selected in the first five picks in Kiper’s latest mock draft. The only position player selected was Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr, who Kiper had going to the Cardinals at No. 4. This left the Giants to take the second-best position player in the draft, LSU WR Malik Nabers.
Nabers has frequently been projected to land with Big Blue in mock drafts throughout the offseason. Kiper believes Nabers could be the key to revitalizing the Giants’ offense:
“New York also ranked 30th in yards after the catch (1,601), which showed its need for outside playmakers,” Kiper wrote. “Nabers could solve that problem, as he’s ferocious after the catch. He can run any route, creating separation on even the best cornerbacks. This is how the Giants could instantly turn around their offense.”
The LSU pass-catcher racked up 89 receptions for 1,569 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in 2023. The Giants haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since Odell Beckham Jr. in 2018. Nabers could quickly end that drought.
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Giants trade up for Oregon QB Bo Nix in 2nd round of Kiper’s mock draft
Instead of trading up in the first round for a quarterback, the Giants make that bold move in the second round of Kiper’s mock draft. He projected a trade between the Giants and the Carolina Panthers that had New York moving up 14 spots to draft Oregon QB Bo Nix with the first pick of the second round:
“Daniel Jones is locked in as the Giants’ starter in 2024, but the team could part ways with him next offseason, when his guaranteed money drops,” Kiper explained of his selection. “And if general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll are down on Jones after a tough 2023 that ended with a torn ACL in November, now is the time to start thinking ahead at the position… There likely will be a team that falls in love with Nix in this range; why can’t it be the Giants?”
Kiper had the G-Men trading the No. 47 overall pick and a 2025 second-round pick to move up with the Panthers for Nix:
“If that sounds a little steep, remember that there will be competition for this pick — there’s a lot of time for the Panthers to work the phones once Round 1 ends,” Kiper wrote. “New York has just six picks in this draft, so it can’t afford to give up its third-rounder, which is why it would need to look to 2025.”
Nix is an intriguing quarterback prospect who will be among the top signal-callers available if he lasts until day two of the draft. In 2023, Nix threw for 4,508 yards and 45 touchdowns with only three interceptions. He would be an interesting choice for the Giants to target as their future franchise quarterback in the second round of this year’s draft.