The New York Giants made an aggressive play for Drake Maye in the 2024 NFL Draft, attempting to trade with the New England Patriots for the No. 3 pick, but were unsuccessful. General manager Joe Schoen then pivoted to picking wide receiver Malik Nabers with the No. 6 pick, deciding to pass on Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy, and NFL insider Mike Garafolo explained the process for the Giants with that decision.
“Back then if you had asked me, I think I even said it on the show, I'd be shocked if two and three stayed put, if one of those teams didn't trade out. Which they wound up not trading out,” Mike Garafolo said on The Rich Eisen Show. “That was the most surprising thing to me. If you had told me back then those teams aren't moving, I would say, ‘Yeah, then it's unlikely the Giants take a quarterback' because are you going to take the fourth-ranked quarterback at that spot once you finally get to six? So that's kind of where it was for them, and they did make their effort to get up and get Drake Maye.”
Joe Schoen eventually decided that it was not worth it to take a quarterback like McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr. or Bo Nix. Those three went in the top 12 of the draft. The Giants ended up with Malik Nabers, who they hope is their next explosive weapon and first true go-to wide receiver since Odell Beckham Jr.
That does leave the Giants in an interesting spot from a quarterback perspective heading into the 2024 season.
Where does Daniel Jones stand with the Giants after the 2024 NFL Draft?
It was obvious that the Giants were trying to move up to get Drake Maye, but now they will go into the 2024 season with Jones under center again. Some believe that Jones is a sitting duck, and the Giants could bench him for Drew Lock at some point this season. Garafolo indicates that the Giants have hope that an explosive weapon like Nabers could “unlock” Jones this season.
“They tried their best, at that point, you take a receiver to help Daniel Jones,” Garafolo said on The Rich Eisen Show. “I know they went into this draft process saying ‘alright, if we can land a guy who we think is going to be a franchise-changing quarterback, we're going to land that guy. If not we're going to try to surround Daniel Jones' who they have had confidence in that his rehab will be on track and is on track, and will be set for Week 1 of the NFL season. At which point, he will be the starter.”
Jones signed a four-year contract worth $40 million a year in the 2023 offseason, but with a potential out for the Giants after the 2024 season, there is pressure on him to perform. If Jones performs as he did before injury last season, his future with the Giants will very much be in question.
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