The pressure is on for NY Giants general manager Joe Schoen to knock things out of the park in the upcoming NFL Draft. After speaking at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Schoen left the door open for anything to happen in late April too.
Many believe this could be Schoen’s chance to spring for a rookie quarterback, choosing Daniel Jones’ eventual replacement through either trading up, or the luck of the draw. On the other hand, there’s the option of getting Jones some help, specifically focusing on the Giants receiving corps with three talented pass-catchers near the top of the board.
In the latest 2024 NFL Mock Draft from CBS Sports, the duo of CBS’ Ryan Wilson and former Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman combined to alternate making each pick of the first round, and they have New York going in a fascinating direction. Evidently, Wilson believes the Giants will select Penn State offensive lineman Olu Fashanu with the No. 6 overall pick.
Olu Fashanu to the Giants could make sense for a lot of reasons
For some added context, Spielman selected LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers with the No. 5 overall pick for the Los Angeles Chargers, and Wilson responded, “With Rick stealing his Malik Nabers pick, Ryan makes Olu Fashanu the first OL off the board.”
Additionally, the quarterback trio of Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye were picked No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Afterwards, Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. was selected with the No. 4 overall pick, followed by the aforementioned Nabers, leaving the Giants with the choice of Washington’s Rome Odunze, or pivoting to a different position.
Evidently, Wilson and Spielman aren’t too high on the former Huskies wideout, as he fell to No. 17 overall. On the other hand, Joe Alt, Fashanu’s biggest competition to be the first offensive lineman off the board, was picked No. 7 overall by the Tennessee Titans in the mock draft.
By selecting the former Penn State offensive lineman, the Giants would be essentially committing to moving Evan Neal to guard, as Fashanu would slide in as the team’s starting right tackle. With John Michael Schmitz as the team’s center, four of the five positions along the line would (hopefully) be solidified for the foreseeable future, leaving the question of who plays next to Andrew Thomas. It was a revolving door last season, but one has to think former North Carolina Tar Heels offensive lineman Josh Ezedu would be the team’s top choice in-house, as he returns from an injury he suffered while filling in for Thomas at left tackle.
While the Giants would still have glaring holes at wide receiver and quarterback, there’s always the possibility of finding one later in the draft. The class is deep for pass-catchers in 2024, and there are a bevy of fascinating names at quarterback currently pegged for Day 2, such as Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr and perhaps even South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler.
If the Giants opt to fix their hole at wide receiver in free agency, and they can’t land one of the top three quarterbacks, Fashanu would be a fascinating pivot, and it could pay off in spades for the franchise. However, that doesn’t take into account the wild card of the 2024 NFL Draft in former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who’s being mocked all over the first and second rounds at the moment. He was selected No. 13 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in this mock draft.
While in Happy Valley, Fashanu consistently proved why he’s one of the best offensive tackle prospects in recent memory, playing against the best competition the Big Ten had to offer. Penn State may have never broken through and become Big Ten champions like they wanted over the last two seasons, but it certainly wasn’t due to his play.
Alas, it remains to be seen what direction the New York Giants go in when the 2024 NFL Draft rolls around, and although Fashanu wouldn’t be the sexiest pick for the team, it could be the one Schoen has to make if the board falls the way it did in CBS’ latest mock draft.