While the New York Giants sit at 3–8 on the season, most are thinking about the 2024 NFL Draft and whether the front office will look to acquire a new quarterback.
It is safe to say that the Giants have seen the capabilities of Daniel Jones, who they signed to a four-year, $160 million extension. In hindsight, it looks like a massive mistake. Coming off a playoff appearance and a win in the Wild Card over the Minnesota Vikings, letting Jones go would’ve been met with a negative response.
The Giants were cornered into extending him, but they built in a safety net with an out after the 2024 season that would provide them with some salary relief in 2025 and beyond. They can spread the $22 million and dead money over the following two seasons after 2024, lessening the impact of his contract.
The Giants Could Shake Up The QB Position
With that being said, the front office may not want to tie themselves to a quarterback who has underperformed at times due to various factors and will be coming off an ACL tear. General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll may want to invest in a new quarterback solution that will lock themselves into their positions for the next two seasons at least and present the Giants with a future that may reward them.
While we are months away from the draft, the Pro Football Network has the Giants trading up to the 2nd overall pick from the fifth selection to draft USC quarterback Caleb Williams, an “elite playmaker” who has had his fair share of struggles this season.
Over 12 games, Williams has thrown for 3,633 yards, including 30 touchdown passes and five interceptions. Last year as a sophomore, he threw for 4,537 yards, 42 touchdowns, and five interceptions across 14 games.
What makes William so special is his off-script qualities and ability to make things happen when a play breaks down. He needs a bit more development regarding his game balance and staying composed in the pocket instead of trying to take off immediately.
If he can find his comfort as a pocket passer and utilize his hero ball qualities only when needed, he could become a superstar talent. He has all the raw attributes you want in a quarterback, including a quick release, the ability to throw off platform, and generally good fundamentals.
There are some red flags regarding his personality and the involvement of his father and his business relations, but the Giants will likely get to the bottom of those cautionary variables during pre-draft meetings and workouts. They need to know their quarterback will be committed to winning and not pose outside threats that will hurt the process. There’s no question that Williams is dedicated to the game, and he’s certainly an emotional player who wants to win, so any negatives will likely be squashed.
For Giants fans, it is easy to recall Kayvon Thibodeaux and the fact that many believed he was lazy and wanted the spotlight, but he has developed into a quality player who focuses on the team.
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A Position In Flux
Nonetheless, the quarterback position for the Giants is in serious flux, and there’s a great chance they try to draft a quarterback to compete with Jones in 2024. The worst-case scenario is that the rookie sits behind Jones and develops for a season, taking over promptly in 2025. They will have a new rookie window to exercise and plenty of salary space to work with. It seems to be a preferable strategy over committing to Jones, and his salary hit will reach $41.6 million in 2025 and $58.6 million in 2026.
What the Giants can do with an additional $40 million in salary space should excite fans, and one might ask themselves how much better Jones would be than Williams or Drake Maye — probably marginal at best, if not worse. The signs certainly point toward a change of the guard under center, but it all ultimately boils down to how the draft unfolds and if the Giants have a chance to trade up or sit still and take the best quarterback on the board.