As the last week of the NFL regular season approaches, teams are battling for playoff seeding within conference matchups where there is no love lost. Believe it or not, nearly every team is playing for something in what will either be the end of the season for some or just the beginning for others — that includes the Giants.
For the teams whose seasons are guaranteed to end without a playoff berth, other than the Carolina Panthers — who have secured the worst record and the No. 1 pick for the Chicago Bears — every team on the Tankathon board is jockeying for draft position. A win or a loss could drastically affect the franchise’s future in Week 18, similar to the 2021 draft where the Jets missed out on Trevor Lawrence because of a late-season winning run.
This upcoming draft features an even greater group of talent that the Giants can take advantage of if they are ready to move on from Daniel Jones. Jones is technically under contract for the next three seasons, but the Giants can opt out after next year. Given the inconsistency and struggles at the position this season, it could be wise for New York to take a swing on a future franchise quarterback.
It’s largely assumed that USC’s Caleb Williams will go No. 1 in the draft, although the talent behind Williams is immense. North Carolina’s Drake Maye has been at the top of mock drafts all season, throwing for over 3,600 yards and 24 touchdowns. Maye is the prototypical pocket passer who saw his numbers take a dip after throwing for 4,300 yards and 38 touchdowns in the 2022 season. This can certainly be attributed to the talent surrounding Maye as the individual flashes he has shown are that of a future franchise QB.
Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels has cemented himself as a top prospect too, coming off a strong showing in the SEC for LSU where he threw for over 3,800 yards and 40 touchdowns. He has an affinity for throwing the deep ball and stretching a defense out, something the Giants are in desperate need of.
All three of these quarterbacks will certainly cost a premium with their draft position, something that Big Blue may not feel addresses their other needs at such a high-value spot in the draft. If they want to wait until later int the first round or for the second and third days in the draft, there will be options for them there too.
Later in the first round would likely be Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix, two seasoned veterans of college football. Penix has dazzled on the national stage, leading his Washington Huskies to a National Championship berth on Monday night. Throwing for over 400 yards against the Texas Longhorns, Penix is quickly shooting up the mock draft rankings. The only concern with Penix is his age. The 23-year-old is older than CJ Stroud, Bryce Young, and Anthony Richardson, all of whom just completed their first year in the NFL.
The same goes for the 23-year-old Nix, who just wrapped up his fifth season of college football. Nix was the early season favorite for the Heisman before ultimately coming up short to Daniels and Penix.
Into the later rounds of the draft, the Giants will have options such as Shadeur Sanders, son of Deion Sanders, who is coming off a rollercoaster year at Colorado. Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy has proven to be a game manager who will go in the second day, as well as Texas passer Quinn Ewers.
No matter what direction the Giants want to go, there is QB depth in nearly every aspect of this draft. New York chose not to move on from Jones before, but this draft class allows them a re-do.
