After leading the New York Giants to their first winning season since 2016, GM Joe Schoen wisely stepped up to extend starting quarterback Daniel Jones on a four-year, $160 million contract extension. More extensions are expected to be on the way for the G-Men, with both Saquon Barkley and Dexter Lawrence looking for long-term financial security entering contract years.
Aside from retaining franchise cornerstones this offseason, the Giants also have the 2023 NFL Draft to prepare for, with April 27 approaching fast. The Giants hold the 25th overall pick on Day One and selections 57 and 89 on Day Two.
Like every year, the Giants could approach the draft in a number of ways. But one area most would expect the team to ignore would be QB, with Jones still just 25 and now under contract through the 2026 season.
But that’s not the case at all.
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports the Giants are actually set to visit with Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker on Wednesday. Hooker, who is viewed as one of the top quarterbacks in the 2023 draft class, tore his ACL back in November and is unlikely to be ready any time near the start of the regular season. He’s also 25 years old, four months younger than Danny Dimes.
Hooker’s draft projection is all over the place, from anywhere in the first round to the third round, with scouts seemingly unable to agree on the former Volunteers QB’s ceiling and NFL floor.
Teams routinely do some homework on at least a few of the incoming QB prospects, no matter who their signal-caller is. But for the Giants to do so, having just locked up Jones for four seasons while choosing to research one of the top NFL Draft prospects is certainly interesting.
Yet, the Giants could be seeking a backup with high upside behind Jones, with soon-to-be 34-year-old backup Tyrod Taylor as the only other QB on the roster. The only question is, would investing a premier pick in Hooker be worth it, if he’s only ever going to be a backup in the Big Apple behind Jones?
Related: 3 logical New York Giants targets with first 3 selections in NFL Draft