The main candidate for the franchise tag is running back Saquon Barkley.
This season, Barkley played for the tag salary of approximately $11.1 million. If Schoen is going to tag Barkley a second time (a move that would not sit well with the star running back) it will cost him a bit more — around $12.4 million for one season.
The alternative would be to allow Barkley to test the free-agent waters. That could go either way for both Barkley and the Giants.
Then there is the possibility they lose Barkley to another team altogether. Barkley did not attend his year-end exit interview with management, deciding to just walk out of the building.
“They did it last year. So I’m numb to it,” he said. “I don’t have any feelings toward that at all. If you’re gonna do it, just don’t wait until March 5. Just get it over with. If not, let me go. Simple.”
The speculation is the New York Giants will select a quarterback in next April’s NFL draft.
Big Blue (4-8) will likely be selecting in the top 10 (or higher) and, as we all know, this is a fairly rich quarterback class.
Retired Giants great and future Pro Football Hall of Famer, Eli Manning, doesn’t believe the team should turn the page on his successor, Daniel Jones, just yet.
“Well, they have to make those decisions. I believe in Daniel. I think he’s got a lot of talent,” Manning told Giants Wire. “Unfortunately, (he got) injured this year and he’s got two injuries, one being the ACL, which I know is frustrating.
“They were expected to have a big year and it hasn’t worked out that way. That’s sports, that’s football, that’s what happens. So, I think with where they stand, they could use that draft pick to fill some other areas. But hey, that’s why they have general managers and scouts to make those decisions.”
Manning had forged a close relationship with Jones and believes with an improved offensive line, DJ could continue to be an effective starter.
“Football is one of the great team sports and so, everybody has their responsibilities. It’s one of those things that all 11 guys have to be doing their job and doing it at a high level in order to be successful,” Manning said. “If there’s a slip-up, if there’s a miscommunication and someone gets beat then there is a less likely chance of being successful. So, it’s about everybody coming together and getting open in a timely fashion and staying on their assignments.”
Jones is rehabbing from the surgery he underwent last week on his torn ACL and should be ready for the 2024 season. The Giants are locked into him for at least next season and, if anything, could select a quarterback to develop behind Jones as insurance.
Whether they will use a first-round pick on one is the question. This week, general manager Joe Schoen spoke about the team’s plans at quarterback.
“I think we’re going to have to do something on the quarterback, whether it’s free agency or the draft,” he said. “I mean, just where we are, (quarterback) Tyrod (Taylor)’s contract is up, (Tommy) DeVito is obviously under contract, and Daniel, we don’t know when he’s going to be ready.
“So, just from an offseason program standpoint, I think that’ll be a position that we’ll have to look at. There are different avenues — free agency or the draft — but we’ll have to address it at some point.”
The New York Giants may still be in the NFC Playoff hunt, as hard as that is to believe, but most are already looking ahead to the 2024 NFL draft.
Just two short weeks ago, the Giants were projected to receive a top-3 pick and many assumed they would take one of the top quarterbacks available. However, two wins and a Joe Schoen commitment to Daniel Jones later, that perception is beginning to change.
Although many mock drafts still have the Giants targeting a secondary quarterback option, some have begun to trend in a different direction.
Our friends over at Draft Wire continued that trend by mocking Florida State wide receiver Keon Coleman to Big Blue at No. 6 overall.
The Giants need top-shelf talent more than they need any one position. Coleman has ascended into potential top-10 status for his playmaking and his growth as an all-around player in his one year at Florida State. I had Brock Bowers here in pencil for a long time…
The selection of Coleman comes with quarterbacks Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix still on the board.
The 6-foot-4 Coleman is an intriguing prospect and would provide the Giants with a true outside threat they haven’t had in many years. His ability to box out defenders and win contested catches would help put the Giants over the top, assuming they can also shore up their offensive line.
The New York Giants have won back-to-back games, improving their record to 4-8 on the season. Those consecutive wins have cost them potential 2024 NFL draft positioning as they are currently slated to select sixth overall.
At No. 6, the Giants are likely out of the Caleb Williams and Drake Maye sweepstakes unless general manager Joe Schoen decides to trade up.
In most early mock drafts, trades are avoided. Accordingly, projecting who the Giants select has begun to vary greatly. Some are still sticking to quarterbacks but not all — we’ve seen wide receivers and offensive linemen creep in.
Here’s a round-up of the most recent mock drafts and who they have the Giants selecting.
SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK
Over the past month, I think Nabers separated himself for several teams as WR2 in this draft. The only FBS pass catcher with 1,500-plus receiving yards in 2023, he also leads the country with 34 receptions of 20-plus yards. The only other college receiver with that many explosive catches over the last five years? Another LSU receiver, Ja’Marr Chase, who had 34 in 2019.
The Giants obviously still have high hopes for Jalin Hyatt and Wan’Dale Robinson, but adding Nabers gives the offense a legitimate No. 1 threat.
Daniels is my pick for largest riser during the pre-draft process. Big recruit, super athletic, strong arm, two big seasons in the SEC. Yeah, it checks out.
The Giants have plenty of needs, but nothing matters without the right quarterback. Yes, they just gave Daniel Jones a big contract extension, but he’ll be coming off a torn ACL, and his dead cap number will be manageable if they move on after 2024. Daniels has been the most dynamic player in all of college football this season, and his growth as a passer this season has launched him into the top-10 conversation.
I think the Giants would draft one of the top two quarterbacks in this class, but if both are off the board once they’re on the clock, they’d probably find some help for Daniel Jones.
Brian Thomas Jr. is a huge receiver with great athleticism and upside.
SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK
LSU QB Jayden Daniels has stormed into the top-10 conversation with a Heisman-worthy performance in 2023. Showing the ability to win with his arm and his legs, Daniels has been one of college football’s most exciting quarterbacks and someone the New York Giants should consider. Daniels does not have the track record that Caleb Williams or Drake Maye has, so he likely won’t be considered ahead of them, but he has been more impressive than either of them in 2023.
Fashanu is the top offensive tackle in the upcoming draft class and boasts elite size-movement skills. Drafting him to play opposite Andrew Thomas while kicking Neal inside could be the best vision for this New York offensive line.
The loss in Dallas dropped the Giants to 2-8 on the year and into the No.2 overall spot in next year’s NFL draft order behind 1-8 Carolina.
The Panthers’ pick, of course, is held by Chicago, who will likely take a quarterback with the pick. The Giants, after watching Daniel Jones succumb to not one, but two injuries this season, will almost have to take a QB as well.
USC quarterback Caleb Williams is projected to be the top pick in the draft. Right now, he’s got to be thrilled to be heading to one of the country’s two biggest cities.
Or is he? Both the Giants and the Bears are hot messes. If you think he’s doing a lot of crying now, wait until he gets to one of these teams.
The New York Giants fell to 2-6 with a Sunday loss to the New York Jets, and that essentially triggered their need to sell at the NFL trade deadline.
With precious little cap space remaining and no hope at the playoffs, the Giants have agreed to trade defensive lineman Leonard Williams to the Seattle Seahawks.
In exchange for The Big Cat, the Giants will receive a 2024 second-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick.
Meanwhile, other representatives and scouts from within the organization kept up with their daily routines. Many were spread out across the country over the past few days, taking in as many college games as they could.
Here’s a quick look at the Giants’ reported scouting attendance since Friday evening, which provides a little insight into what they may be thinking for the 2024 NFL draft.
Note: Giants scouts attended far more games than just those reported below.
Scouts from the Seahawks, Giants, Browns, Titans, and Falcons are in attendance at Rice-Eccles Stadium for today’s UCLA-Utah game.
There are supposed to be NFL reps from the Raiders, Texans, Bears, Broncos, Bills, Vikings, Steelers, Dolphins, Patriots, Giants, Saints and Colts in attendance for the Arizona State and USC game.
NFL training camps open this week, so hopefully this will be the end of 2024 mock drafts. But until the 2023 regular season news cycle kicks off, we will continue to entertain these exercises.
In a recent seven-round 2024 mock draft from Pro Football Network, one in which has the New York Giants selecting 20th overall (which means they qualified for the postseason this year), Big Blue is expected to continue to augment their passing attack.
20) New York Giants: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
The Giants have assembled a respectable weapons corps for Daniel Jones. Darren Waller and Jalin Hyatt, in particular, should be very important additions from the 2023 offseason. But Parris Campbell is on a one-year deal, Isaiah Hodgins could be prone to a regression, and Wan’Dale Robinson hasn’t proven himself effective at the NFL level just yet. New York could use a true three-level threat to underpin the unit, and Malik Nabers fits the bill.
Though he weighs under 200 pounds, Nabers is one of the most effusive three-level threats in the 2024 NFL Draft WR class. Before the catch, he can offset and stack DBs with his combined lateral agility, foot speed, and explosiveness. At the catch, he’s a bird of prey with his reach, flexibility, and coordination. And after the catch, he has the speed and unnatural size-relative contact balance to consistently extend plays.
The analysis is pretty much spot on. The Giants do have a group of unprovens at the wide receiver position and if none of them can earn the respect of the team, they’ll likely be looking elsewhere for solutions.
With their second pick (No. 53 overall), PFN predicts the Giants will go back down to Maryland for another defensive back in safety Beau Brade.
Brade is another riser to keep an eye on as the 2024 NFL Draft progresses. Already, his strong 2022 tape has gone under the radar, but the 6’0″, 201-pound safety is an incredibly dynamic and versatile defender. He’s very natural roaming in coverage, explosive and energized when attacking downhill, a willing blitzer, and can make plays on the ball.
Not out of the realm of possibility given they could walk away from Xavier McKinney if he cannot overcome his hand injury and/or grasp the mantle as the leader in the secondary this year.
In the third round, PFN has the Giants taking Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams.
Williams is a unique prospect. He’s 6’3″, 320 pounds, and has the strength to encumber blocks and prevent displacement, but he also shows flashes of surprising one-on-one pass-rush proficiency. The Giants like those types of larger interior linemen.
The rest of the draft unfolds as follows:
Round 4, Pick 116 — Darian Chestnut, DB, LSU
Round 5, Pick 148 — Walter Parks, G, Clemson
Round 6, Pick 180 — Cedrick Gray, LB, North Carolina
The New York Giants are currently focused on solidifying their plan for 2023 as the season fast approaches. While they do that, it’s never too early for the rest of us to look into the future and wet our palates with potential draft picks in the 2024 NFL draft.
ESPN’s Jordan Reid released his 2024 mock draft this week, and he predicts the Giants will select wide receiver Rome Odunze out of Washington.
Scouts are excited about Odunze. At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, he’s sure-handed and has experience with every branch of the route tree. He is the top option in what’s expected to be among the most explosive offenses in the country this upcoming season, so he will have plenty of opportunities to prove that he’s a first-round-worthy prospect. Odunze had 75 catches for 1,145 yards and seven scores last season.
The Giants have done a lot of work on their skill positions during the offseason, with a focus on offensive weapons for Daniel Jones. If they all remain healthy and play well this season, then the Giants may go a different direction with their first pick next year.
Odunze needs to have another solid season this fall as well if he wants to be considered a first-round draft pick in 2024. There are a lot of variables to consider, variables that will continue to change until the day of the draft.
For now, the Giants will continue to focus on winning with the guys they have and will worry about the draft after the season is over.
The 2023 NFL draft is barely in the books and none of the players selected have hit the playing field in earnest as of yet, but that doesn’t mean we can’t turn our attention to next year’s draft.
The folks at Pro Football Network did just that recently as analyst Cam Mellor released his way-too-early 2024 mock draft.
Mellor has the New York Giants selecting 20th overall, which means he’s predicting they’ll be back in the playoffs this year. With that pick, he forecasts Big Blue further solidifying their secondary.
20) New York Giants: Andrew Mukuba, S, Clemson
The New York Giants make the sensible pick, tightening up their coverage unit with the selection of Andrew Mukuba. The Clemson safety has terrific range and can arguably play either free or strong safety for the Giants. With versatility, Mukuba has the flexibility to land in any number of roles throughout his journey as a professional.
You can rarely go wrong with a safety or corner in the middle of the first round. Along with wide receivers and running backs, defensive backs are the most NFL-ready players coming out of the draft these days.
The 20-year-old Mukuba was born in Zimbabwe and moved to the U.S. with his family at the age of nine, settling in Austin, Texas. The 6-foot, 185-pound Mukuba was named the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2021 as well as an All-ACC Third-Team selection.
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