Is this the late-round steal that NY Giants fans were hoping for? With their final pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, the G-Men and Joe Schoen have decided to add some depth at inside linebacker, bringing in UCLA's Darius Muasau with the No. 183 overall pick.
With the Giants on the clock, there was some buzz that maybe, just maybe, they'd end up going the quarterback route by taking Joe Milton III. Instead, Schoen decided to give Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden some backup in the form of Muasau, who led UCLA in tackles the past two campaigns.
The #Giants sixth and final pick: UCLA LB Darius Muasau at pick 183 overall in the sixth round. He led UCLA in tackles each of the past two seasons.
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) April 27, 2024
The NY Giants selected Darius Muasau in the sixth round of the NFL Draft
Checking in at 6-0, 225 pounds, Muasau was a solid player for the Bruins in recent seasons. In 2022, the new Giants LB finished with 91 total tackles and he followed that up with 75 more in 2023. He also recorded four sacks this past season.
I’m sorry I just think there were better darts to throw than an undersized unathletic Off-Ball LBer. It’s the 6th Round and I’m sure this is a Special Teams add but I’m swinging on upside at this point in the draft. https://t.co/YJRMdCBaZ5
— Monte (@MONTECRI5TO) April 27, 2024
A quick look on social media shows that fans aren't too thrilled with this pick and we don't really blame them. Muasau is a fine tackler, but he wasn't overly special for the Bruins, a team that struggled to find success in the Pac-12.
A major issue people have with the final two picks of the draft is that Schoen and Co. didn't address either the offensive line or the defensive line. The interior OL still has a lot of questions and more depth is needed at defensive tackle to back Dexter Lawrence.
Muasau could prove to be a solid special teams contributor too, but he feels a bit undersized at 'backer. Similar to the Tyrone Tracy Jr. pick, this one feels a bit questionable from Schoen and the front office. We'll have to wait and see how it pans out, but seeing this guy go undrafted wouldn't have been a major shock either.