It’s time to turn the page on the disappointing 2023 New York Giants season and begin looking forward to potential additions to a roster that vastly underperformed last year to a 6-11 record.
Free agency will be first up on the roster-building season agenda. Before that, teams will gather in Indianapolis for the scouting combine, where they’ll get their eyes on the 321 players invited to the annual grand scale event from February 26 through March 4.
The Giants, who currently have seven picks in the 2024 draft, including four in the top 70 thanks to an extra second-round pick they acquired from Seattle in the Leonard Williams trade, have needs across the board, with the largest ones being wide receiver, offensive line, defensive line, and quarterback.
Giants general manager Joe Schoen revealed a few weeks ago during an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio that they got a jump start on meeting with quarterback prospects, of which 14 are scheduled to attend the combine, where the medical people will have a chance to add their input into the growing dossier files of each prospect.
With the Giants set to draft sixth, they probably won’t get a realistic crack at USC’s Caleb Williams or LSU’s Jayden Daniels, though it’s thought that maybe UNC’s Drake Maye could slide down the board.
The Giants could also be contemplating adding a quarterback on Day 2, where names like Michael Pratt (Tulane), Spencer Rattler (South Carolina), and J.J. McCarthy (Michigan) could be on the board.
Quarterbacks aside, let’s look at other position groups and corresponding prospects the Giants could be considering to fill roster holes.
Wide Receiver
Thirty-nine of what’s widely regarded as an extremely deep receiver class have been invited to attend the combine. The Giants, who haven’t had a legitimate No. 1 receiver since the days of Odell Beckham Jr, would be smart to add such a receiver to their cache, regardless of what they do at quarterback.
While the Giants probably won’t get a chance at adding Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison, Jr to their receiver corps, some other top names that mock drafts have linked to the Giants in the first round at spot No. 6 are LSU’s Malik Nabers and Washington’s Rome Odunze. Others who could draw the Giants’ attention later in the draft include Washington’s Ja’Lyn Polk, USC’s Breden Rice, UCF’s Javon Baker, Louisville’s Jamari Thrash, and Western Kentucky’s Malachi Corley.
Offensive Line
Many Giants fans would love nothing more than for the team to add more resources to an offensive line that last year allowed 85 sacks, the second most in league history since sacks became a trackable stat.
Schoen has indicated that the plan right now is to stick with Evan Neal at right tackle despite his struggles, which, if the Giants are truly serious about going through with that plan, would probably eliminate any chance of the Giants landing Penn State’s Olu Fashanu, Notre Dame’s Joe Alt, or even Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga.
The Giants could potentially add a veteran interior offensive lineman to fill one of their two guard spots, which would make sense if the player in question also has guard/tackle versatility.
Otherwise, the offensive line class is thought to be a strong one where if the Giants want to add some developmental depth, there should be plenty to choose from at both the tackle and guard spots.
Edge
Much like WR1, the Giants haven’t had a solid one-two punch at edge rusher in years. Last season, it was pretty much Kayvon Thibodeaux and everyone else, as Azeez Ojulari, who was supposed to be Thibodeaux’s bookend, once again had trouble staying healthy.
Outside linebacker could be one of those positions where the Giants might be better off investing in a veteran–no small investment, but it would at least give them a ready-made player with a more developed toolbox.
The team hasn’t necessarily given up on Ojulari, who still has another year left on his rookie campaign. Still, unless he starts spending more time on the field and less time in the trainer’s room, Ojulari is fast on the path to being one of the more disappointing draft picks this team has had in what seems like a string of disappointing premium picks (Rounds 1-3) of late.
So if the Giants are thinking of adding an edge rusher with one of their four top 70 picks, a pair of potential prospects to watch could include Penn State’s Chop Robinson, projected to be a first-round pick, and Utah’s Jonah Elliss, projected as a second-round prospect.
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