Three Draft Scenarios New York Giants Must Avoid

We'll soon find out what the New York Giants were thinking when it comes to the draft, but let's hope these three things aren't part of the process.

Since he was hired, New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen has always been about doing whatever is in the franchise's best interest.

But sometimes, decisions get made or don't get made that call into question what Schoen is thinking. And with an all-important draft coming up this week, we have a few thoughts on some draft developments that we would personally find disappointing.

Not Drafting a Quarterback

We know what Schoen said about being comfortable heading into 2024 with the trio of Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, and Tommy DeVito at quarterback--we were there when he said it live and with a straight face. But what else was he supposed to say without tipping his hand?

That said, if Schoen really does feel that they could skip drafting a quarterback—and we question if that's how he feels given the amount of work the franchise has reportedly done on the class, which if accurately reported, all but points to an incoming quarterback—that would be a glaring mistake.

Jones's injury history is the biggest issue clouding his future with the team as its starter, but another factor has to be his regression last year.

While his defenders will say it was due to not having Andrew Thomas, Saquon Barkley, and Darren Waller at various times during his six games played, if Jones couldn't function without those guys, then how does anyone expect him to function now that Barkley is in Philadelphia and Waller is believed to be leaning toward retiring?

The offensive line, you say? No, they wouldn't be blameless, but neither would Jones, who, according to Pro Football Focus, in 80 dropbacks under pressure, was directly responsible for 16 of the pressures against him, or a team-leading 20 percent.

(For comparison purposes, Tyrod Taylor was under pressure in 72 dropbacks, bearing responsibility for 13.9 percent of those, while Tommy DeVito, in 90 such snaps, was responsible for 11.1 percent of the pressures he absorbed.)

The injury history and regression are just too much to overlook when it comes to Jones, who, by the way, has a $12 million injury guarantee. And then there is the matter of how much of the rehab is cutting into Jones's time to train.

With a sparser talent pool at the position next year, this adds another reason to the growing list of why the Giants need to prioritize drafting a quarterback at some point in the first three rounds and why it would be a disappointment if they didn't.

Drafting an Offensive Lineman with a "Premium" Pick

The offensive line hasn't been very good for the last several years. We also know about this year's class and how it's a strong one at tackle (where the Giants have some question marks) and along the interior. But at what point do we look at the Giants' young offensive line talent and question if the reason it hasn't borne fruit is due to the coaching?

The situation almost reminds one of having an electronic gadget that keeps breaking. Instead of trying to identify and fix the problem, one goes out and continues investing in new devices.

The Giants have devoted four draft picks (three of whom were selected by the end of Day 2) to the offensive line over the last two years: OT Evan Neal (R1), IOL John Michael Schmitz (R2), IOL Joshua Ezeudu (R3), and G/T Marcus McKentha (R5).

All four of those picks have had varying degrees of struggles. After the 2023 season, Schmitz was the most promising of the bunch, the center who, if he can become more consistent, would be a big plus.

If coaching wasn't a factor in this equation, would head coach Brian Daboll have fired Bobby Johnson, one of his good friends, after two years? Probably not.

This isn't to say the Giants should ignore the offensive line--grabbing a Day 3 developmental prospect is a good idea.

But should we consider first- or second-round picks on an offense line? That would be disappointing if it were to happen.

Trading Away 2024 Draft Assets

Schoen was being honest in saying the Giants aren't one quarterback away from having a complete roster. And in saying as much, it's certainly worth considering whether it makes sense to entertain the thought of giving away any draft assets this year—and yes, this would be for a quarterback—when you have a talent pool that's so deep.

The Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders, and New England Patriots are all looking to draft quarterbacks. The Arizona Cardinals, at No. 4, and the Los Angeles Chargers, at No. 5, are all thought to be potential trade candidates for any team looking to take a quarterback.

The question is, what price will get it done? Based on the NFL Trade Value Chart, the Cardinals' pick is worth 1800 points, the Chargers' 1700, and the Giants' 1600. Any trade would include an exchange of first-round picks plus either a third (240 points) or a second (430), depending on which teams would be willing to trade.

If you're the Giants, do you really want to give away your other second-round pick and have to wait until No. 70 to go on the clock when you have glaring needs at receiver, cornerback, safety, and interior defensive line?

Probably not, at least not if you want to build up more of your roster's foundation so that things are more solidified if you do decide to make a change at quarterback. This was a mistake the Giants made with Daniel Jones back in 2019 when they rushed him into the starting lineup despite things not being settled around him.

While he had some initial success, it's fair to wonder how things might have gone had the same issues that an experienced quarterback such as Eli Manning couldn't overcome had been smoothed out beforehand.

If there will be any trades this year, it probably makes sense to dip into next year's haul for some of the compensation, where the Giants have eight picks and stand to get a comp fourth round pick for having lost Xavier McKinney.

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