Mock Draft Monday: Gene Clemons' Giants-Only Mock Draft

Coach Gene Clemons's newest mock draft gets right to the heart of addressing the New York Giants' biggest draft needs.

2024 NFL Draft / Perry Knotts/GettyImages

The time is upon us for our second mock draft. We once again went to the Pro Football Network's mock draft simulator for this draft. In this draft we didn't engage in any trades.

Hopefully, this tells you who was selected and gives you insight into why the selection was made, especially early on, based on who was being drafted around the pick. Remember, mock drafts are supposed to be fun, so let’s have some fun with it.

For those who wanted to take a quarterback at six, Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels were taken with the first three picks of the draft. Receiver Marvin Harrison Jr was selected by the Cardinals at four, and tackle Joe Alt was taken by the Chargers at five.

With the consensus top three quarterbacks off the board, reaching for Michael Penix Jr. or JJ McCarthy seemed foolhardy with so many elite weapons offensively and defensively still on the board.

The free agent investment along the offensive line and at edge rusher means this asset would be better utilized elsewhere.

Although Olu Fashanu, the tackle from Penn State, and the top three edge rushers (Dallas Turner, Laiatu Latu, and Jared Verse) were still on the board, the two most logical positions based on value and need at this spot in the draft were receiver and cornerback.

The wild card here was Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, who many would consider a big slot receiver. Two blocking tight ends have been added in free agency, and if Darren Waller decides not to return, Bowers could be an extremely valuable addition to the offense. Ultimately, the safest and most profitable selection was adding a premier receiver.

Malik Nabers / Jonathan Bachman/GettyImages

“With the sixth pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the New York Giants select Malik Nabers, Wide Receiver, LSU.”

Nabers was drafted with the hopes of becoming the Giants' first legit WR1 since another former Bayou Bengal, Odell Beckham Jr. Nabers can win at all three levels: the quick game or screens, intermediate routes, and deep routes and 50/50 balls. He has great hands and runs fluid routes. Pairing Nabers with the receivers already in house could produce one of the more dynamic units in the NFL. 

After the Nabers selection, all of the top corners, edge rushers, and offensive linemen were swept up in the first round, along with JJ McCarthy landing in Las Vegas. The Vikings moved to the top spot in the second round to select Bo Nix.

That was followed by the second safety off the board, Minnesota Tyler Nubin, after Iowa safety Cooper Dejean went in Round 1, and the massive defensive tackle from Texas T’Vondre Sweat. By the time the 47th pick arrived, many positions were picked clean of the elite prospects except two.

The highest-rated inside linebacker, Texas A&M’s Edgerrin Cooper, was still on the board with every running back in the draft pool. One of those two would have been a great selection if not for the presence of another high-level prospect at a premium position. 

(Nabers photo by Jonathan Bachman/GettyImages)

Day 2

“With the 47th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the New York Giants select Michael Penix Jr. Quarterback, Washington.”

Penix Jr. has elite arm talent, poise, and underrated athleticism. With the health of Daniel Jones unknown and the need to develop another elite signal caller, drafting Penix just makes sense. He gets a chance to be the Giants version of Jalen Hurts.

A second-round pick who, after a little apprenticeship, was handed the keys to the car, and the program has been moving forward since. The only thing that kept Penix out of the first round of the draft is his injury history, which dates back to before his time in Washington. Since becoming a Husky, he has been in two straight seasons of contests. He could be a steal in round two.

After the Penix selection, round two was highlighted by Cooper being drafted by the Eagles, immediately followed by the Browns taking the first running back off the board, Florida State’s Trey Benson. The third round saw the first splash with the Commanders' selection of Wisconsin’s youthful big back Braelon Allen. 

Braden Fiske / Don Juan Moore/GettyImages

“With the 70th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the New York Giants select Braden Fiske, Defensive Tackle, Florida State.”

Fiske was a talent who really flashed during the Seminoles' undefeated regular season and ACC Championship. He continued his stellar performance during the postseason evaluation bowl season and at the NFL combine.

Fiske displays good size, strength, athleticism, and a high motor as a versatile interior lineman who will now look to terrorize quarterbacks alongside Dexter Lawrence and the three edge weapons the Giants now possess. 

(Fiske photo by Don Juan Moore/GettyImages)

Day 3

The Day 3 reset is very important to a team's board. At this point, you should be looking to fill needs when the value is there and grabbing the best available when the value is not there for need. Two more tight ends went off the board since the Giants' third-round pick. So, the attention turned back to defense, specifically secondary.  

“With the 107th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the New York Giants select Kalen King, Cornerback, Penn State.”

King had to face a lot of targets at Penn State, and he held his own very well. He is not as big as former Nittany Lion cornerback Joey Porter Jr., but he had just as big of an impact. He is aggressive in the run game and coverage. He is not afraid to put his hands on a receiver and uses his athleticism, good technique, and intelligence to win in coverage.

The reason he is still around at this point in the draft is strictly based on size. At 5’11”, he is not short, and truthfully, he is probably closer to the average in the NFL, but the bigger, athletic corners are en vogue in the league. King could be a bigger version of Giants defensive back Darnay Holmes. 

Between picks 107 and 166, there were 59 picks. In that time, six running backs were grabbed off the board, including Clemson running back Will Shipley and Isaiah Davis, a strong back out of South Dakota State.

Also taken one pick before was Florida State tight end Jaheim Bell, who flashed extreme athleticism for the Seminoles and could be a jack-of-all-trades type of end who lines up all over the field. 

Tommy Eichenberg / John Fisher/GettyImages

“With the 166th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft the New York Giants select Tommy Eichenberg, Inside Linebacker, Ohio State.”

Eichenberg provides the Giants with another high-motor guy in the linebacker room. He is a throwback box linebacker who knows how to fill a hole or fit into a scheme. He is willing to sacrifice himself so that his teammates can make plays, but he will also continuously hunt the football.

That is a great quality not only on defense but also on special teams. He is one of those football players who just wills himself onto a roster, and once he's there, he finds a way to be valuable. 

(Photo by John Fisher/GettyImages)

“With the 183rd pick in the 2024 NFL Draft the New York Giants select Qwan’tez Stiggers, Cornerback, CFL.”

Stiggers' road to the NFL is anything but conventional but he is here now. At 5’11” and 202 pounds, he is not the biggest, but what he lacks in size, he makes up for in confidence. Of course, he is confident. He is doing this without ever playing a down of collegiate football.

After a season playing in the CFL, where he recorded 53 tackles and five interceptions en route to being named the Most Outstanding Rookie, he is ready for the big time, and the Giants may have found the stickiest man-to-man cornerback in the draft.  

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