We are still more than three months away from the 2024 NFL Draft getting here, but speculation continues to grow on who the NY Giants will take with their No. 6 overall pick. There are several different directions Joe Schoen can go in, while we also can't rule out him trading up to No. 1.
However, if the Giants stay put at No. 6, there are plenty of top targets for Schoen to focus on. Unfortunately, both Caleb Williams and Drake Maye should be off the board. Having said that, these three names keep popping up in mock drafts and fans sure would love seeing one of these guys make their way to East Rutherford this spring:
3. LSU QB Jayden Daniels
Will a replacement for Daniels Jones be on the way? This is something that countless Big Blue supporters are hoping for, as Danny Dimes didn't live up to the hype during the 2023 season after signing a four-year, $160 million extension. He also suffered a torn ACL in the Week 9 loss to the Raiders, making things worse.
Because of that, Jayden Daniels, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner, could make a ton of sense for the Giants in the first round. However, will the LSU standout still be on the clock by the time it's Schoen's turn to send his top pick in? That's the hope, but that may not be the case because of how needy some teams are for a new leader for their offense.
At the top of the draft, the Bears, Cardinals AND Patriots all could look to take a new signal-caller. There's been more buzz of late that the Pats could rock with Daniels at No. 3 overall. However, who knows how things will end up going. If Daniels is still on the clock at No. 6, it could be way too tough for Schoen to pass on him.
2. LSU WR Malik Nabers
If the Giants do go all-in on Jones as the starter for 2024, then goodness, it's time for Schoen and Co. to bring in some superstar talent at receiver for him. That's why a speedy pass-catcher at No. 6 is something to monitor moving forward and plenty of draft analysts agree. LSU's Malik Nabers is a guy you've probably heard about several times in recent weeks and he's a primetime talent.
Nabers has been mocked to the Giants at No. 6 overall quite a bit and it wouldn't be a stunner at all for him to be the guy who Schoen rocks with. The 6-0, 200-pounder is coming off another strong season for the Tigers, finishing 2023 with 89 receptions for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns. He averaged 17.6 yards per receptions, which was fantastic. Nabers and Daniels were rockstars in the SEC together.
The Giants haven't had a phenomenal WR1 on the team since the days of Odell Beckham Jr. Everyone was hoping that Kenny Golladay would fill that void, but his $72 million deal proved to be one of the worst decisions from the nightmare Dave Gettleman era. Nabers is oozing with potential and he'd be able to make an immediate impact for this team and Jones.
1. Washington WR Rome Odunze
Another receiver option for the Giants? Yup, that'd be Washington's Rome Odunze, who just helped the Huskies go 14-1 this season. UW made it all the way to the National Championship Game, but the Pac-12 side suffered a rough loss to Jim Harbaugh and Michigan with the title on the line. Despite that, no one can deny that Odunze is one of the top WRs for this class.
On the year, Odunze and quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (a QB the Giants will have eyes on this offseason too) were one of the best receiver/quarterback duos in the nation. Odunze hauled in 92 balls for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns. In a new 2024 NFL Mock Draft, The Athletic's Dane Brugler has Odunze going to NY and becoming the WR1 this team has been missing for a long time:
"With his size/speed profile and ability to play through contact, Odunze is a quarterback-friendly target with the tools to be a legitimate No. 1 option. The Giants haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since 2018, but Odunze might change that as a rookie."Dane Brugler
After going 6-11 this past season, the Giants obviously have a ton of needs to try and turn things around. Some help is needed for the offensive line, on the edge in terms of pass-rushers and more. However, Daniels, Nabers and Odunze are the three guys we're seeing the most. If Schoen goes with any of these guys, it's safe to say people will be quite happy with the decision.