The New York Giants made the fanbase's collective head explode when they retained head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen despite a 3-14 season in which they missed out on earning the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Keeping Schoen, in particular, was a head-scratcher.
Schoen's first two drafts, which featured 18 picks, yielded a whopping three starters (Kayvon Thibodeaux, John Michael Schmitz, Micah McFadden), none of whom have made a Pro Bowl. Evan Neal is an all-time bust, and Deonte Banks is trending toward bust territory after a tough 2024.
Things started to turn around for the Giants in 2024, oddly enough, as every member of their six-man 2024 NFL Draft class appears to be either a quality starter or a high-end budding star like Malik Nabers. Schoen may have saved his job by seemingly knocking it out of the park in 2024.
Pro Football Focus is very complementary of what Schoen did this offseason, giving him the No. 4 overall NFL Draft class this year. The only ones ranked above the Giants in this exercise were the Chargers, Jayden Daniels-boosted Commanders, and Rams. Maybe Schoen still has some of his magic touch?
Giants GM Joe Schoen's 2024 NFL Draft class ranked No. 4
Pick | Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|---|
Round 1, Pick 6 | Malik Nabers | WR | LSU |
Round 2, Pick 47 | Tyler Nubin | SAF | Minnesota |
Round 3, Pick 70 | Andru Phillips | CB | Kentucky |
Round 4, Pick 107 | Theo Johnson | TE | Penn State |
Round 5, Pick 166 | Tyrone Tracy Jr. | RB | Purdue |
Round 6, Pick 183 | Darius Muasau | LB | UCLA |
Nabers was an obvious pick, as any GM could see his talent from space. Beyond that, Nubin appears to be a long-term starter at the safety position, and Phillips will likely be locked in as a 2025 starter in the slot, even if the Giants add some secondary talent around him.
Even though Johnson caught just 28 passes, the fact he emerged as the starting tight end as a rookie is a tremendous use of a fourth-round pick many teams will often light on fire. Tracy has been a revelation, as the former college wide receiver tallied over 1,100 yards from scrimmage and took Devin Singletary's starting job. Muasau started seven games and looked respectable.
The question the Giants have to wrestle with is how much 2024 is representative of Schoen as a drafter. If they are going to get more 2024 classes in the near future, Schoen is the right guy to lead them out of the doldrums.
If this was a fluke year, much like Joe Douglas with their crosstown rivals, the decision to bring him back will only look more foolish. The Giants had better hope there are a few more Nabers picks in their future.