Mel Kiper offers emphatic defense of New York Giants QB Daniel Jones

While many draft experts are advocating for the New York Giants to select a quarterback with the sixth overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, one expert is offering a different path.

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. believes the Giants should rally around current quarterback Daniel Jones and surround him with more weapons.

“I’m a Daniel Jones fan and I think you get a big-time receiver,” Kiper told Field Yates on ESPN’s First Draft, adding that he views Jones’ ceiling as higher than J.J. McCarthy’s.

“You’re getting a guy who certainly could be, you can make a strong argument, he could go a little higher than this with the Chargers being a possibility there. You mention Marvin Harrison Jr., you think Malik Nabers is right there, I think Rome Odunze is very close. I’m a big Rome Odunze fan coming out of Washington.”

Many naturally disagree. Jones has been oft-injured and inconsistent. If a viable replacement — especially one seen as an upgrade — to Jones is available to the Giants, they may not have a choice but to take it.

Kiper doesn’t think Jones is the Giants’ issue and cites their other roster shortcomings, which led him to double down on adding weapons in the draft.

“I get it, there’s an offensive line issue there as well. But the wide receiver position for Daniel Jones, they get a guy like Odunze. To me, that’s where I would go, that’s my pick here is Odunze for the New York Giants,” Kiper said.

“He has the size (6’3″ 215), he has the ability with that catch radius to out-dual cornerbacks for the football, he’s so smooth, he’s so deceptive with how he runs his routes, he’s very difficult to handle in those situations. You go to the national championship game, he was open, Michael Penix Jr. wasn’t able to get him the ball. Look at the consistency in terms of week in and week out.”

Kiper believes Odunze could raise Jones’ level of play and get the Giants back on the path they deviated from last year. That is, if Jones can stay healthy. That is a huge if.