The final New York Giants draft predictions began to trickle in on April 22, and there appear to be three major schools of thought in round one.
- The Giants would like to trade up for Drake Maye but might not have the firepower to do so after the Brian Burns move.
- The Giants want J.J. McCarthy to be their next quarterback, whether at No. 6 or earlier.
- Or the Giants will end up drafting the top wide receiver that falls to them at No. 6, with the two favorites being Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze.
Yes, other narratives exist. A potential trade down has been discussed. Some also believe offensive tackle Joe Alt and tight end Brock Bowers are still candidates in round one.
At the end of the day though, all evidence supports that Big Blue is interested in adding a quarterback at some point in the top two rounds of the draft. And many have shifted to a belief that general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll could target Bo Nix or Michael Penix Jr. in a day two trade, rather than Jayden Daniels, Maye or McCarthy early on.
Having said all of that, a new April 22 update from ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter impacts those potential backup plans at QB. During a spot with the Pat McAfee Show on Monday afternoon, Schefter confirmed that Nix and Penix could be drafted in round one, based on what he’s been hearing.
“I think there’s a very good possibility that Michael Penix and Bo Nix both go in the first round..
There’s just too many teams that need Quarterbacks and there’s not enough of them”
“I view Penix and Nix as ones, I do,” Schefter told the Pat McAfee Show. “And so, I think there’s a real possibility [that both are drafted in the first round].”
The veteran insider added that he “would almost guarantee” that five quarterbacks come off the board in round one this year, meaning Caleb Williams, Daniels, Maye, McCarthy and either Penix or Nix. “The question is whether the sixth one makes it in, and I would think yea,” Schefter concluded.
Giants Have a Ton of Competition at QB in 2024
While starting quarterback jobs are mostly wrapped up around the league, there are several teams that could stash and develop a rookie signal-caller in 2024. Those are the franchises that could foil the Giants’ chances of landing Penix or Nix in round two.
During his chat with the Pat McAfee Show, Schefter discussed the Los Angeles Rams as a “sleeper team” that could be looking for a quarterback this draft to learn behind Matthew Stafford for a year. Stafford just turned 36 in February.
The insider also noted that the Seattle Seahawks brought in Nix for a visit. Seattle just traded for Sam Howell with Geno Smith as their current starter, but neither is considered a top-tier QB going forward.
Of course, there are organizations with more pressing needs at the position too. The Denver Broncos just traded for Zach Wilson, but they’re expected to be in the market for a rookie as well as they attempt to contend with the Kansas City Chiefs inside the division.
Speaking of the AFC West, the Las Vegas Raiders could use a new franchise quarterback after signing Gardner Minshew as a veteran stopgap.
Of course, there’s also the Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders and New England Patriots at the top of the draft, who are all favorites to select new passers. Not to mention the QB-hungry Minnesota Vikings, or perhaps the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets — who both could be looking ahead at a world without Dak Prescott and Aaron Rodgers in 2025.
Even the New Orleans Saints could theoretically look to the future at quarterback after Derek Carr’s struggles in 2023.
“There’s too many teams that need [quarterbacks] and not enough of them,” Schefter voiced on April 22. And that could cause problems for the Giants.
Should Giants Draft QB Late If Top Options Are Gone?
Needless to say, if the Giants want one of the top six QB prospects in this class, they probably won’t be able to get one of them at No. 47 overall and they might not even get the chance to trade up for one in round two if Schefter’s latest update proves factual.
Instead, Big Blue could be looking at Spencer Rattler as their best option when pick No. 47 rolls around.
At that point, the Giants might prefer to spend their remaining draft capital on alternative positions, entering the year with a quarterback trio of Daniel Jones, Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito.
Other QB names behind Rattler include Michael Pratt, Jordan Travis, Joe Milton III, Sam Hartman and Devin Leary — but are any of these collegiate signal-callers any better than what they have?
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Emerging QB Update Could Crush Giants’ Draft Plans