The New York Giants head into the 2024 NFL Draft with a lot of question marks. Can Daniel Jones return to his 2022 form? Even if he does can the offensive line protect him? Can the team finally find a No. 1 wide receiver? Will the defense survive losing Wink Martindale? We’ll try to answer these questions and more in his Giants' seven-round mock draft.
Round 1, pick No. 6: WR Rome Odunze, Washington
The Giants haven’t had a No. 1 WR since Odell Beckham Jr. left in 2019 and they desperately need one in 2024.
If Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy is there at six, there will be a temptation to pick him. But without a true WR1, McCarthy would run into some of the same roadblocks that Jones did over the last two seasons.
With the way the 2024 NFL Draft will likely unfold, the Giants could have their choice between two of the top three wideouts in the class. Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. will likely be off the board (and if he’s not, New York should pounce), but LSU’s Malik Nabers and Washington’s Rome Oduze will probably both be there.
Nabers is definitely more athletic overall, and the last two big-time LSU pass-catchers — Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase — quickly became NFL superstars. However, Nabers isn’t nearly as accomplished or polished coming out of Baton Rouge as Jefferson and Chase were, so expecting immediate stardom from him is a lot.
Odunze, on the other hand, is bigger (6-foot-3, 212 pounds to Nabers’ 6 foot, 200 pounds) and has slightly better numbers. In the last two seasons, Odunze has 167 catches, 2,785 receiving yards, and 20 receiving touchdowns to Nabers’ 161/2,586/17.
The former Husky is also a team captain, leader, and incredibly hard worker. Despite the school similarity, Odunze is actually the WR who is closer to Jefferson than Nabers.
Round 2, pick No. 47 (via Seahawks): S Jaden Hicks, Washington State
A lot of this Giants mock 2024 NFL Draft will involve replacing players the team lost in free agency this offseason. One of the underrated players who walked out the door (to the Green Bay Packers) in NFL free agency this offseason is safety Xavier McKinney.
Washington State safety Jaden Hicks would be an excellent replacement who has the size, athleticism, and skills to start in place of McKinney right away. The 6-foot-2, 211-pound former Cougar can bang in the box like a hybrid linebacker and cover opposing tight ends and running backs. Hicks does a little bit of everything, racking up 155 tackles, eight tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, three interceptions, 10 passes defended, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble, and an INT returned for a touchdown in college.
Round 3, pick No. 70: G Christian Haynes, UConn
Big Blue is actually looking pretty good when it comes to the offensive line. Yes, last year they were absolutely horrendous, but the unit has a lot going for it this offseason. Left tackle Andrew Thomas should come back at full health and rookie center John Michael Schmitz should look better in year two.
The team also signed solid veterans Jon Runyan and Jerome Eluemanor to come in at guard and tackle, respectively. There is talk that right tackle first-round bust Evan Neal could slide over to guard, but the Giants will still want to grab some insurance along the line in this draft.
UConn guard Christian Haynes won’t have to move far, as Storrs is only a few hours north of East Rutherford. He was a four-year starter and a team captain for the Huskies, and while he’s not going to blow you away in one area, he does pretty much everything well.
Taking Haynes in Round 3 will give you a guaranteed rotational lineman for years to come, and if the Giants develop him right, he could become a legit starter.
Round 4, pick No. 107: RB Braelon Allen, Wisconsin
The biggest name the Giants have to replace this offseason is Saquon Barkley, and they have to do a good job of it because he is now just a short way down I-90 in Philadelphia.
New York will take a running back in the 2024 NFL Draft, and in this Giants mock draft, that running back is Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen. Allen is a 6-foot-1, 235-pound sledgehammer who just looks like a Wisconsin back.
Before Giants fans get Ron Dayne flashbacks, though, Allen is a solid player who had over 1,200 yards in each of his first two seasons under head coach Paul Chryst. The coaching change for the Badgers stifled him a bit, but if the Giants use him well to pair with Devin Singletary, this could be an excellent selection.
Seeing Singletary and Allen in the backfield will absolutely give Big Blue fans Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs vibes.
Round 5, pick No. 166 (via Panthers from 49ers): QB Joe Milton III, Tennessee
Just because the Giants don’t take quarterback JJ McCarthy in the first, or Michael Penix Jr. in the second, or Spencer Rattler in the third doesn’t mean that the Giants can’t/won’t take a signal-caller at some point in the 2024 NFL Draft.
There aren’t a ton of interesting back-of-the-draft QB prospects this year, and there certainly isn’t a Brock Purdy, who seems like he could be ready to play as a rookie. What there is in the later rounds is one wildly athletic — and even more wildly inaccurate — QB in Tennessee’s Joe Milton III.
The 6-foot-5, 235-pound Milton is a cross between Anthony Richardson and Josh Allen, if neither one of them could hit the broadside of a barn. Both the aforementioned QBs had some accuracy issues coming out of college, but Milton is on another level.
In six seasons at Michigan and Tennessee, Milton only through 650 total passes and completed just 61.4% of them. This year, he completed 64.7% but he seemingly has little control over or feel for his rocket arm.
Milton wouldn’t be ready to be an NFL QB for several years, and maybe he never will be. That said, Brian Daboll is the guy who took an incredible athlete with accuracy issues and turned him into the Josh Allen we know today, so taking a shot at developing Milton is worth a Day 3 pick.
Round 6, pick No. 183: WR Anthony Gould, Oregon State
There are several sub-5-foot-10 wideouts in the 2024 NFL Draft class who should write a thank-you note to Houston Texans WR Tank Dell. The former Houston speedster made a huge mark for the Texans as a rookie, and now teams seem more willing to take a chance on diminutive pass-catchers.
Anthony Gould is just 5-foot-8, 174 pounds, but he can fly, running a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the combine. He can take the top off the defense and operate as a slot receiver with his quickness. At worst, Gould is an excellent punt returner who will absolutely upgrade the special teams, which isn’t the worst outcome for a sixth-round pick.
The NFL.com scouting report on Gould says his NFL player comp is Isaiah McKenzie, a player we all know Brian Daboll loves after bringing the little WR with him from Buffalo to New York. So, he’ll surely love a younger, faster McKenzie on this year’s squad.
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