The 2024 NFL Draft has concluded, and the six newest New York Giants are Malik Nabers, Tyler Nubin, Andru Phillps, Theo Johnson, Tyrone Tracy Jr, and Darius Muasau.
With the team needing help on both sides of the ball, it should come as no surprise that general manager Joe Schoen used three of his draft picks on offense and three picks on defense.
Schoen firmly believes that his draft picks will make valuable contributions to the team for years to come. In addition to the confidence he has in his newest players, four things were revealed about the team during the three days of the draft.
The Giants were never that high on J.J. McCarthy
There are always rumors swirling around every draft, and one of the biggest rumors surrounding the Giants was that they were high on Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
That rumor proved to be false as New York was actively looking to trade up to the number three pick with the New England Patriots so they could take Drake Maye. When their attempt to move up to the third pick failed, they decided to take Malik Nabers with the sixth overall pick with McCarthy still on the board.
“We’re excited to get Malik. He’s a guy who’s been on our radar for quite some time, explosive playmaker, can play multiple spots.” Schoen said shortly after taking the LSU wideout.
A good general manager never reveals their intent, and the rumors about McCarthy were nothing more than smoke and mirrors, as Nabers was clearly the player they wanted.
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New York Giants confident that free agency fixed the offensive line
In somewhat of a surprise, the team did not use any of their draft picks on an offensive lineman. The line has been the biggest issue with the team for the last decade, and some felt New York would draft at least one interior lineman from this draft class.
Schoen did address the offensive line on the first day of free agency by acquiring Jon Runyan and Jermaine Eluemunor. He would also sign guards Aaron Stinnie, and Austin Schlottmann, plus tackle Matt Nelson.
The 44-year-old general manager seems confident that the five veteran linemen he acquired in free agency and the addition of new offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo, will finally fix the team’s Achilles heel once and for all.
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The team is ready to move on from Darren Waller
With tight end Darren Waller still contemplating retirement, Schoen used his fourth-round pick (107th overall) to draft Penn State tight end Theo Johnson. Even if Waller wasn’t considering retirement, Johnson may have been in play here as Waller is often injured and in the final year of his contract.
The 6-foot-6, 264-pound Johnson has a promising career as he’s fast, athletic, and a good blocker. Despite playing in a run-heavy offense, Johnson was productive, catching 54 passes for 669 yards and 11 touchdowns.
“We had to take that into account for sure. But you know, Theo was the top player on our board.” Schoen said when asked if taking a tight end was a priority due to the possible retirement of Waller.
Now that he’ll be playing in a wide-open NFL offense, the 23-year-old tight end could be more effective than Waller.
Related: New York Giants ‘operating’ as if Darren Waller retires from NFL
They’re satisfied with their quarterback room
The top three quarterbacks on New York’s depth chart are Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, and Tommy DeVito. Those outside the organization might view this as a concern and thought at some point New York would take a quarterback. But the team seems confident in what they have, and plan to have Jones as the Week 1 starter.
The team passed on taking a quarterback numerous times during the course of the draft, including bypassing Spencer Rattler who was eventually taken by the New Orleans Saints with the 150th overall pick.
“I said it in January after the season. Our expectation was Daniel would be our starter, and we brought Drew Lock to be his backup and Tommy is a backup, so that’s where we are and that’s how we’ll move forward this season. Daniel is still under contract for three more years. As it sits today, that’s where we are.” Schoen said after the draft.
The roster is far from complete as Schoen will continue to add undrafted players to their roster and have them compete for a roster spot in training camp. But for right now, the Giants are satisfied with the decision they made in the 2024 draft.
