New York Giants fans can be forgiven for entering the symptoms for “whiplash” into WebMD and wondering if that's what they are suffering from.
Week 17 of the 2022 season saw the Giants clinch a playoff spot in head coach Brian Daboll's first season at the helm. Not content with just making an appearance at the dance, the Giants went on to knock off the third-seeded Minnesota Vikings before having their season ended by their NFC East rival the Philadelphia Eagles.
For Daboll and GM Joe Schoen, the successful season and playoff win were enough to validate Daniel Jones' status as starting quarterback. Jones was rewarded with a healthy contract extension, and the Giants got to work surrounding him with more talent in an effort to build on 2022.
Fast forward to today, and last season seems as distant as the Tom Coughlin era. The Giants are heading towards a top-five draft pick. There are more questions marks on offense than there were last offseason. Tommy Cutlets made for a fun story, but this is a team with a lot of holes to fill.
With that in mind, what might the Giants do with another high draft pick? Here are some potential targets for the Giants in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
This one feels a bit like cheating. We know the Giants are going to add to their quarterback room this offseason. How? Schoen said as much when discussing Jones and his status for next season.
There are currently four teams with a 90+ percent chance to be picking in the top five of the draft. The Giants are at a mere 73 percent. If we work off Big Blue picking fifth or later, we will rule out Caleb Williams and Drake Maye under the assumption they will be off the board.
If that's the case, do the Giants pull the trigger on the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner?
Pairing Daboll with a dual-threat quarterback has worked once in the NFL to some success. If some combination of Daniel Jones' play and inability to stay healthy are enough to worry the Giants, using a high pick on their QB of the future makes sense.
Daniels could even sit for one season behind Jones before the Giants cut bait on his contract. But his 50-touchdown season, deep ball ability, and versatility as a runner make him the perfect fit for Daboll. That should be too much for the Giants to pass up.
Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
It must be said that Jones inked his extension with the Giants after Year 1 under Daboll and Schoen, so it wasn't that long ago that the brain trust felt comfortable making a substantial commitment to the former Duke QB.
So what if they decide that Jones isn't the problem and he simply needs more help?
Of the five leading receivers for the 2023 Giants, two of them are tight ends and one is a running back. That should just about sum up the state of the receivers room.
If Jones is truly the preferred QB1 option for 2024, he'll need a big target to win 50-50 balls and make his life easier, as Stefon Diggs did for Josh Allen in Buffalo.
Enter Odunze. He's 6'3 and 215 lbs. with speed. But he's not just a projection guy. He's hauled in a combined 156 passes for 2,573 yards and 20 touchdowns the previous two seasons. He has the productivity to match his physical skills.
If Odunze can step in and fill the no.1 receiver role in this offense, it would free up incumbent wideouts Jalin Hyatt and Wan'Dale Robinson while giving Darren Waller more room to navigate as teams are less able to focus on the athletic tight end.
Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State
It's a bummer to think the Giants might have to spend another high pick on an offensive lineman. But it's certainly in the realm of possibility.
Entering Week 17, New York's o-line ranks 25th in pass block win rate and 29th in rush block win rate, per ESPN Analytics. Evan Neal has not proved himself to be a capable tackle. It's OT Andrew Thomas and C John Michael Schmitz and not much else along the line.
Again, in a world where Jones is given another chance to pilot this offense, upgrades elsewhere might make him a more viable starter. Perhaps teaming Thomas with Fashanu as the team's tackles makes sense.
Fashanu is viewed as a plug-and-play starter with upside. Many thought he'd had been a top-10 pick in 2023. Instead, Fashanu opted to return to Penn State and is now the top tackle prospect in the draft. He moves well for a 6'6, 320-pounder and will only be 21 years old on draft night.
Jones is a capable dual-threat quarterback. If he and RB Saquon Barkley are afforded better blocking up front, does that improve the offense in substantial ways?
This option makes sense if the Giants don't believe they've gotten a full picture from which to evaluate Jones. Would it enrage the fan base? Probably. But after cycling through three quarterbacks (so far) this season, addressing the offensive line is a must. Using a premium pick to do so is far from the worst idea in the world.
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