For a little while now, there's been plenty of buzz that the Top 3 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft will all be quarterbacks. Yup, Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels figure to hear their names called pretty darn quickly. However, not everyone thinks that's going to happen.
In a new mock draft for The Athletic, Diante Lee believes things are going to go quite differently. While he does have Williams and Maye going No. 1 and No. 2, to the Bears and Commanders, he predicts that the Patriots will pass on Daniels and take Marvin Harrison Jr.
That's not the only surprise. Lee also has the NY Giants passing on Daniels at No. 6 overall and going with LSU's Malik Nabers, which would give Daniel Jones a true WR1 for the 2024 campaign and beyond. Could general manager Joe Schoen actually pass on Daniels if he's still available?
Countless 2024 NFL Mock Drafts have the Giants selecting Malik Nabers
"This team needs something defenses will respect at all levels of the field, and that’s the sales pitch for Nabers. The LSU receiver ranked third in yards per route run in 2023, and he had a 55-45 split between targets in the slot and on the perimeter — evidence of his effectiveness no matter where he lines up. Nabers’ raw speed is still an understated part of his game, but don’t be surprised to see a 40 time around 4.40 seconds or faster.The Athletic's Diante Lee
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In his mock draft, Lee has Daniels falling to No. 8 overall, eventually landing with the Atlanta Falcons. This is a bit of a stunner - again, plenty of analysts think Daniels will go No. 3 to the New England Patriots, a team also in desperate need of a new signal-caller.
The Giants very well could end up going with a new QB in late April, but perhaps Schoen will decide to wait for either Day 2 or Day 3 of the draft to bring in a new face. From the moment the offseason arrived, Schoen and head man Brian Daboll have said they're sticking with Daniel Jones as the starting QB for this team.
Jones, who signed a $160 million extension last offseason, finished the 2023 campaign with two touchdown passes and six interceptions in six games played. He suffered his torn ACL in Week 9 against the Raiders, bringing an end to a forgettable campaign.
Despite Jones' struggles, Schoen made a massive investment in him last offseason and he may not be ready to throw in the towel after one rough year. If that turns out to be the case, then maybe Schoen and the Giants indeed will pass on Daniels at No. 6 even if he is there for the taking.