Mock Draft Monday: Full Pre-Combine Giants-Only Mock Draft
As the NFL prepares to open the 2024 NFL Combine on Tuesday, it seemed like a good time to look at what the New York Giants could do in the draft if there were no combine or other evaluation tools beyond the post-season bowl schedule.
I used Pro Football Network’s draft simulator to put this mock draft together. This early in the process, I was open to trades in the first round and executed a few of them. I did not initiate any trade, but I did listen to all offers on Day 1 and made decisions I believed would assist the Giants in building this team for this season and continually keeping an eye on the future.
Let’s get started.
Day 1, Round 1
Quarterbacks Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels were gone. Daniels was my top target, so with him off the board and understanding that the team is expecting to give Daniel Jones his job once healthy, it meant that for the first time in my mock draft history, I entertained trade offers.
The Titans offered the 7th pick and their 2025 first-round pick, and it was too good to pass up simply to move down one spot, but it did cost me a chance at Brock Bowers, who would have been a dynamic, young, tight end to plug into the offense.
At seven, with Bowers off the board and Washington's Rome Oduze still there, I contemplated going with the talented receiver out of Washington. Ultimately, I decided to maximize the pick’s value to address more needs in this draft. I traded with the Las Vegas Raiders for the 13th, 44th, and 77th picks. They took left tackle Joe Alt with the pick.
I once again traded down, sending the 13th and the 108th picks to the Cincinnati Bengals, who selected Oregon tackle Talese Fuaga and Michigan running back Blake Corum with the picks,
After moving down five picks, I could flip the 108th pick into the 49th one. This gave me five top 50 picks and seven top 80 selections.
“With the 18th pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the New York Giants select Jared Verse, Outside linebacker, Florida State.”
Yes, after all that maneuvering, I grabbed one of the top two edge rushers in the draft pre-combine and team workouts. Verse is a good run defender who plays violently but makes no mistake; he is a quarterback who has elite-level explosiveness.
He is expected to walk into the locker and go into a three-man rotation on the edges. There are possibly times you may see all three on the field together.
Day 2, Rounds 2 and 3
On Day 2, it's time to reset the board to attack needs. There was no thought of moving and shaking on Day 2 with six draft picks in the tuck. The idea was to come away with contributors now and into the future.
“With the 39th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the New York Giants select Kamren Kinchens, Safety, Miami.”
The versatility of Kinchens makes him a perfect fit for a team with questions in their defensive backfield. He thrives in coverage as well as in the run game. He can be an instant factor at the second and third levels.
If Xavier McKinney returns, he could be a great complement. If McKinney moves on, then Kinchens can be the replacement for him. Regardless of the defensive structure, Kinchens is the most adaptable.
“With the 44th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the New York Giants select Byron Murphy II, Defensive Tackle, Texas.”
Murphy is a short and wide defensive tackle who is explosive and violent at the point of attack. He can potentially be a destructive one-gap penetrator as a pass rusher and demand a double team in the run game, allowing second-level defenders to chase ball carriers.
His low center of gravity makes it difficult to out-leverage him in the run game. Pairing him inside with Dexter Lawrence will give the team another interior moveable chess piece.
Feb 1, 2024; Mobile, AL, USA; National quarterback Michael Penix Jr of Washington (9) talks with National quarterbacks coach Israel Woolfork of the Arizona Cardinals during practice for the National team at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports
“With the 47th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the New York Giants select Michael Penix Jr, Quarterback, Washington.”
I love Tyrod Taylor’s willingness and ability to push the ball downfield, and I believe it is the key to a more productive, wide-open offense. Penix has a similar profile, and he is sneaky athletic. Yes, his past is littered with injuries, which may scare Giants fans, but the investment is low for where they are selecting a possible franchise guy.
His upside is far more exciting: a cannon for an arm and the willingness to unleash it, a former basketball and track athlete with legitimate explosive numbers, and he's comfortable in his own skin. He’s been through adversity, he is cool under pressure, and it should not take long before he has Big Blue Nation wearing his signature head scarf.
Sep 23, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (45) sacks Auburn Tigers quarterback Payton Thorne (1) during the first half at Kyle Field.
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
“With the 49th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the New York Giants select Edgerrin Cooper, Linebacker, Texas A&M.”
The addition of Bobby Okereke was great for the defense; he upgraded the linebacker position, but there were still issues. Micah McFadden showed improvements but still missed a lot of tackles, and Isaiah Simmons was used in unconventional ways, but there were too many missed tackles from the linebacker position.
Cooper is a long and rangy inside linebacker who has elite athleticism. He is aggressive to the ball carrier but also plays well in coverage. Above everything else, he is a sure tackler. That will help the team on defense and special teams. Getting a guy believed to be a top-20 talent in the second round is a great grab.
“With the 70th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the New York Giants select Xavier Legette, Receiver, South Carolina.”
The Giants receiving corps has all the types you would look for in a diverse group of pass catchers except a big, physical specimen. That is solved with the addition of Xavier Legette.
He is a physical freak who has the size to win with position in the short and intermediate areas and high-pointing jump balls down the field. He might remind people of the Seahawk's DK Metcalf, who can play bully ball in most situations.
Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen (0) runs for a first down during the second quarter of their game Saturday, November 25, 2023, at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
“With the 77th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the New York Giants select Braelon Allen, Running Back, Wisconsin.”
If Saquon Barkley is back, he needs a legitimate running mate with a role carved out for him. If Barkley leaves, the team needs a new identity at running back, and Allen should provide just that. He is a physical freak like Legette, but he is only 20 years old and has managed not to amass a ridiculous amount of carries on his body like many of the backs that have come through Wisconsin.
He will be a battering ram who can slip tackles and elegantly navigate blocking schemes. Allen represents an understanding of shared dynamics in the backfield and the need for other dynamic players there.
Day 3, Rounds 5 and 6
“With the 140th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the New York Giants select Christian Mahogany, guard, Boston College.”
The interior of the offensive line needs massive upgrading, and fortunately for the Giants, guards are constantly undervalued until your team cannot block a 3-tech or nose guard consistently.
Mahogany has the size and athleticism to make him a very valuable guard in the NFL. He has been playing right tackle, so that would be the likely place to put him to get him up to speed as fast as possible.
“With the 185th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the New York Giants select Mason McCormick, Guard, South Dakota State.”
I am confident that McCormick will be a starting guard in the NFL. Yes, we just took a guard with our previous selection, but it is time to clear out some dead weight at the position, and McCormick will help do just that.
He comes to the NFL with much collegiate experience and championship pedigree. He is big and very athletic for the position while also possessing a nastiness about his game. He wants to thoroughly dominate his opponent. His mentality will make him an instant fan favorite and help solidify an offense in flux.
