The New York Giants have a lot of needs they can address in the 2024 NFL Draft. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to name a position they couldn’t take at any pick throughout the proceedings. Unfortunately, their draft position likely disqualifies them from getting one of the Big 3 quarterbacks this year without a massive trade-up. Still, this Giants draft should be fun for fans as skill position players like Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze and Tennessee running back Jaylen Wright should be on the docket.
Whether the Giants’ 2024 starter is Daniel Jones or a rookie QB, the team needs to put skill position stars around their signal-caller. There is a good chance that Saquon Barkley leaves in free agency after last season’s holdout, and the team still doesn’t have a true No. 1 WR.
If the team can replace Barkley and bring in a true top target in his draft, Brian Daboll’s offense will have a real chance to succeed again, as it did in 2022. This means that several of the Giants’ NFL draft picks this season won’t be obscure linemen, but prominent college football players that fans already know.
With that in mind, here are two sneaky good players the Giants must take in 2024 NFL Draft.
Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
It’s not that Rome Odunze is “sneaky” good. He’s rated as the second- or third-best wide receiver by nearly every scout or draft evaluator. What he is, is sneaky better than LSU wideout Malik Nabers who many mock drafts have the Giants selecting at No. 6.
Odunze is a 6-foot-3, 215-pound pass-catcher who can do it all. He’s got great hands, can create separation, excels at bringing in contested catches, and has the size and strength to be a No. 1 target in the NFL. In short, he can do it all.
Nabers — at 6 feet, 200 pounds — is the latest LSU first-round receiver to enter the draft, following in the footsteps of Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase. Nabers possesses a lot of the skills that those two and Odunze have but hasn’t quite shown them to the level that those other three have.
An AFC personnel executive told NFL.com, “(Ja’Marr) Chase was more of a dude physically and (Justin) Jefferson was already really skilled when he came out, but you can see some flashes of both of those guys with the way [Nabers] plays.”
And that is ultimately why the Giants should pick Rome Odunze over Malik Nabers in the 2024 NFL Draft. While the latter looks like Jefferson and Chase running down the field in LSU colors, it’s Odunze who is actually closer to those two superstars right now.
Jaylen Wright, RB, Tennessee
The Giants franchise tagged Saquon Barkley last offseason before agreeing to an adjusted tag one-year deal. This year, the G-Men have three options for their star running back, with the last one being the most likely.
New York could franchise him again at around $12 million, give him a long-term extension, likely around three years at $10 million a year or so, or let him walk in free agency.
If Option 3 is what the franchise decides, the Giants will have to pick a running back in the 2024 NFL Draft and probably should do so no matter what, with Barkley’s age (27) and injury history.
It is almost certain that there will be no RB in the first round this season, so with two picks in Round 2, the Giants should be in a good position to take one of the top ones on the board.
The most talented running back available is Texas RB Jonathon Brooks. He’s a three-down back who draws comparisons to another former Longhorn runner, Jamaal Charles. However, he is coming off an ACL tear in November, and can the Giants really afford to take a chance on another RB with possible injury issues after their six-year Saquon saga?
Getting a speedy game-breaker who can run and catch the ball does sound like a good deal, though, so the other sneaky good player the Giants must take in 2024 NFL Draft is Tennessee back Jaylen Wright.
Wright is about the same size as Brooks at 5-foot-11, 210 pounds. He is also explosive, with a staggering 25.4 percent of his carries going for explosive plays (10-plus yards) last season. He also caught 22 balls for 141 yards for the Vols in 2023 to go along with his 1,013 rushing yards.
While Jaylen Wright is a little smaller than Barkley, he brings a lot of the same skills on outside runs and catches, plus the element of game-changing speed that Barkley may have once had but doesn’t anymore.
Even if the Giants keep their veteran back or sign a mid-priced one in free agency, Wright would be a great RB to snag in the second or third round.
Follow Us
Subscribe
