With the NFL Draft less than two weeks away, there has been wide speculation on what the New York Giants intend to do with the sixth overall pick.
Some believe they may attempt to move up and take one of the top three quarterback prospects in the draft. Others believe they will try to trade back and accumulate draft capital. But there’s a saying, sometimes the best move is not to make a move, and New York might be content to stay at six and take the highest player on their draft board.
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One thing that everyone seems to agree on, is that they will either take a quarter or one of the top pass catchers. General manager Joe Schoen has several viable options to choose from, but we’ll rank the top five choices for who New York should take in Round 1.
5 players New York Giants will target with top pick in 2024 NFL Draft
Malik Nabers, WR LSU
The Giants are in desperate need of a true number-one wide receiver. The lack of an explosive wideout is a major reason why the Giants passing game has ranked 29th, 31st, 26th, and 31st in the last four seasons.
Fortunately for Big Blue, they might be able to draft perhaps the most explosive receiver in this draft class in Malik Nabers. Last season, Nabers had nine games where he had over 100 receiving yards including a 13 catch 239 yards receiving performance, and two touchdown performances against Mississippi State.
The 6-foot 200-pound wideout is poised to be the number one receiving threat from the start of training camp. It worked out well for Big Blue when they took an LSU Tiger receiver ten years ago in Odell Beckham Jr, maybe lightning will strike twice.
Rome Odunze, WR Washington
For similar reasons why Nabers is number one on this list, are the same reasons why Odunze is number two on our list. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Odunze may not be as explosive as Nabers, but he adds size and physicality that is sorely missing from the receiver room.
In his final two seasons at Washington, he was sensational catching 167 passes for 2,785 yards, and 20 touchdowns. In 2023 he had 10 games with at least one hundred receiving yards while helping the Huskies reach the National Championship game.
Playing four years in college and being a team leader have always been important to New York’s brass which is why he’s high on their draft board and second on our list. His presence would be a huge benefit for Daniel Jones and for whoever is the quarterback of the future.
J.J. McCarthy, QB Michigan
There’s no position in the NFL more important than quarterback and if the speculation that the team is high on J.J. McCarthy don’t be surprised if he’s the player they select. Some feel taking him with the sixth pick would be a reach based on the fact that he didn’t put up prolific numbers in Michigan’s heavy run offense.
Although he only threw the ball 332 times last season, 240 of them were completed (72.3) for 2,991 yards with 22 touchdowns and four interceptions. More importantly, he led the Wolverines to their first National Title since 1997.
There are a few intangibles in favor of the 21-year-old quarterback. His 27-1 record as a starter shows that he’s a winner and that fact that he played under Jim Harbaugh for three years, bodes well for his NFL outlook. The hope is that his production will vastly increase when he’s in a wide-open NFL offense.
Brock Bowers, TE Georgia
Anytime you’re able to draft the best player at their position it’s a huge plus for your franchise. That’s what the Giants can do if they take two-time John Mackey Award winner Brock Bowers.
With Darren Waller contemplating retirement, selecting Bowers becomes a viable option for Schoen. In his three seasons with the Bulldogs, the 6’4 240-pound tight end caught 175 passes for 2,538 yards and 26 touchdowns.
We saw last year that rookie tight ends can make an immediate impact with what Sam LaPorta did with the Lions, and what Dalton Kincaid did for the Bills offense. There’s no reason to believe that Bowers can’t have a similar impact with the Giants. It might be ideal for New York to trade back a few spots and then take Bowers, but it wouldn’t be shocking if they take him with the sixth pick.
Michael Penix Jr., QB Washington
Some feel Penix Jr is the best pure thrower in this draft class, and if watch him over the last two seasons, you understand why. He threw for 9,544 yards with 67 touchdowns to just 19 interceptions and was named Second-Team All-American in 2023.
His ability to throw the ball downfield would help maximize the potential of Darius Slayton and Jalin Hyatt and make the passing game more explosive.
He did suffer two ACL tears early in his collegiate career, which he’s not considered a top-ten prospect. But with the Giants in dire need of a quarterback, and Penix showing he could stay healthy over the last two years, Schoen might look to make a move where Big Blue takes him in the middle of Round 1.
The biggest concern if New York takes the 23-year-old quarterback, is that since he’s a lefty, his blindside would be protected by Evan Neal as opposed to Andrew Thomas.
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