Getty The New York Giants could wait until Round 2 to draft their QB of the future, the way the Philadelphia Eagles did with Jalen Hurts in 2020.
Fixing their uncertainty at quarterback doesn’t have to mean the New York Giants select a passer in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft. In fact, one reporter believes the Giants might try “to hit a Jalen Hurts-esque home run” in the second round next April.
Trying to replicate what their NFC East rivals the Philadelphia Eagles did when they drafted dual-threat signal-caller Jalen Hurts in 2020 won’t be easy. Yet, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post believes the Giants have some advantages, including “2 picks” in the second round, as well as having “Daniel Jones in reserve.”
For me, Joe Schoen’s thoughts on #Giants QB situation can be summed up in these quotes:
“The expectation is when Daniel’s healthy that he will be our starting quarterback.”
“I think we’re going to have to do something on the quarterback, whether it’s free agency or the draft.”…
While Daniel Jones is the presumptive starter once he recovers from the torn ACL he suffered in Week 9, general manager Joe Schoen hardly provided a convincing endorsement, per Dunleavy: “The expectation is when Daniel’s healthy that he will be our starting quarterback. I think we’re going to have to do something on the quarterback, whether it’s free agency or the draft.”
If Jones won’t be ready for Week 1 or if the Giants find a QB they can’t pass on after the opening round, the depth chart would surely change. Some may want the Giants to go quarterback first, especially if they are holding a top-five pick.
Dunleavy sees it differently, rating drafting “a top non-QB in RD1” as the “most likely scenario.”
Looking at a different position will be a sound strategy if it meant the Giants bolstering talent at other key spots, with offensive line the most obvious.
Jalen Hurts Strategy Gives Giants More Options in Draft
Hurts has provided a handsome return on the 53rd pick. He led the Eagles to a Super Bowl appearance last season and has maintained this year’s team as the class of the NFC at 10-1.
It’s more than the Giants have gotten from Jones, who cost the sixth-overall pick in 2019 and received a four-year, $160-million contract last offseason. Turnovers and injuries have prevented No. 8 from improving as expected, while progressing through reads and getting rid of the ball quickly remain issues for Jones, even in his fifth year in the pros.
The easiest solution would be for the Giants to select Jones’ replacement in Round 1. Currently holding the fifth pick, per NFL.com’s Chad Reuter, puts some of the top passers in the class within Schoen’s range.
Schoen was even in attendance when USC’s Caleb Williams took on Washington and Michael Pennix Jr. on Saturday, November 4. So it looks like the Giants are already running the rule of first-round-rated QBs.
There’s more benefit to the Giants looking elsewhere to use their primary pick. Like fixing a porous offensive line, something Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus believes selecting Penn State tackle and Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year Olumuyiwa Fashanu would solve.
Having Fashanu replace Evan Neal makes sense, but the Giants could also look for help at wide receiver. A true playmaker on the outside is still missing, even after this year’s third-round pick Jalin Hyatt enjoyed a breakout game against the New England Patriots in Week 12.
LSU star Malik Nabers is identified by Dane Brugler of The Athletic, as the best pick for the Giants: “The Giants obviously still have high hopes for Jalin Hyatt and Wan’Dale Robinson, but adding Nabers gives the offense a legitimate No. 1 threat.”
Nabers can stretch the field, but he’s also dynamic underneath. He’s at his best in the red zone, evidenced by his 13th touchdown catch this season, per LSU Football.
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@JayD__5 ➡️ @whyguard13
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Drafting Nabers would finally gives Jones a marquee playmaker on the perimeter. That would leave the QB out of excuses for not making the grade.
Giants May Find QB Class Too Tempting to Ignore
Using a second-rounder on a passer is the smart play, but Schoen may find it tough to wait. Especially when the 2024 QB class is loaded at the top.
Aside from Williams and Pennix Jr., there’s North Carolina’s Drake Maye and Nabers’ teammate Jayden Daniels. The latter is the “largest riser during the pre-draft process” and a suitable pick for the Giants, according to Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports.
Daniels’ rising stock was confirmed when he threw a quartet of scoring passes against Texas A&M, per PFF College.
Jayden Daniels in the regular season finale vs Texas A&M:
🐯 16/24
🐯 355 Total YDS
🐯 4 TDS
🐯 0 INTS
Daniels is also the pick for The 33rd Team’s Connor Livesay: “Showing the ability to win with his arm and his legs, Daniels has been one of college football’s most exciting quarterbacks and someone the New York Giants should consider.”
Schoen has options, but drafting a QB in the opening round would be a tacit admission he got it wrong by paying Jones big last offseason. The smarter play is to wait for the second round, where prospects could like Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders could available.