Giants seven-round mock draft: A new QB is in play — if there’s one available

National Football League

Published Mar. 26, 2024 2:39 p.m. ET

There wasn’t a moment during the early years of Eli Manning when John Mara — or anyone in the New York Giants organization — publicly acknowledged they were looking at other quarterback options. And there hasn’t been a moment in the first five years of Daniel Jones‘ career when any of them publicly admitted it either.

Until now.

That’s how the world can be sure that the Giants are serious about at least considering drafting a quarterback with the sixth overall pick in this NFL Draft. Even Mara is willing to say it out loud.

“Listen, everybody in the building wants Daniel to succeed,” Mara said on Monday at the NFL owners meetings in Orlando. “But you can never let that get in the way if you make a judgment that there are people coming out in the draft that have a chance to be really good franchise-type players.”

That is an astonishing admission for an owner who has never uttered anything but complete faith in the quarterback the Giants drafted sixth overall in 2019. It has been just 13 months since Mara greenlighted a four-year, $160 million contract for Jones that included $82 million in guaranteed money. Now, after Jones played in just six games last season, Mara is willing to entertain a draft pick that would make it clear that the massive contract was a mistake.

Not only that, he’s willing to let general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll make that decision — even though they’re the ones who sold him on the idea that Jones was a franchise quarterback worthy of enormous investment. It’s rare that anyone in the NFL gets a chance to make up for that kind of mistake.

Of course, the Giants aren’t exactly saying the deal for Jones was a mistake. Mara and Schoen have now both said their “expectation” is that Jones will be the starting quarterback this season, and Daboll said on Monday that if Jones is healthy “he’ll be the guy” for the Giants. And Mara certainly understands that Jones’ miserable and short performance last season — 909 passing yards, two touchdown passes and six interceptions with a 1-5 record in six starts — wasn’t necessarily an indictment of his ability.

“I know a lot of you killed Daniel for his performance this year, but we had the perfect storm,” Mara said. “Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong. Guys got hurt. The wrong guys got hurt. Let’s face it, for a while we couldn’t block anybody, and Daniel was getting hit all the time.

“I still have every confidence in the world in Daniel. Let’s put a better team around him. Hopefully, he’ll get healthy, and I think the real Daniel Jones is the one that played in 2022, particularly down the stretch in the playoffs.”

It’s his health, though, that has pushed the Giants to the edge. Jones has had two neck injuries over the last three seasons and he’s currently rehabbing from a torn ACL, with no guarantee that he’ll be ready by Opening Day. There is increasing worry in the Giants organization that Jones is a long-term injury risk, according to multiple sources, which is why they are considering hedging their enormous bet.

Will they do it? Maybe. They’re certainly open to the possibility. So knowing that, here’s a look at what the Giants might do in this year’s NFL Draft:

First round, 6th overall: Washington WR Rome Odunze

Here’s the biggest problem with the Giants’ quarterback plans: There’s a pretty good chance that none of the top four quarterbacks fall to them at 6. And the cost of trading up is likely to be way too high for the still-rebuilding Giants, especially with multiple teams (most notably the Vikings) expected to try to move up, too.

But that’s not exactly a worst-case scenario, either, because it leaves the Giants to find a true No. 1 receiver for the first time since they traded Odell Beckham away five years ago. In fact, they might have their choice of a couple. But here, they grab a dynamic, 6-foot3, 212-pounder with 4.45 speed and eye-popping production. He had 92 catches for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns in 15 games last year.

Jones has had mostly middling (at best) receivers to work with during his career. Odunze would be his first real weapon and could transform the Giants’ offense as soon as he steps on the field. He’s a big, strong target who is great on contested catches — the kind of receiver that allows a quarterback to just throw a ball up, knowing he’ll likely come down with it.

And yes, Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. and LSU’s Malik Nabers could be in play too, if they’re available. For what it’s worth, there are at least some NFL evaluators who believe Odunze is the best of the bunch.

Could Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze be taken over Marvin Harrison Jr.?

Second round, 47th overall: Oregon QB Bo Nix

If the Giants really are worried about Jones’ long-term health and are determined to hedge their bets against his future, this is the road that makes the most sense. They give Jones a weapon in Round 1, then give themselves some insurance in Round 2.

The 6-2, 214-pound Nix is a rare, five-year starter who really blossomed into a top prospect after he transferred from Auburn for his final two years. He’s got all the tools and had some ridiculous production for the Ducks. He completed 77.4 percent of his passes and threw for 4,508 yards and 45 touchdowns with just three interceptions last year. He can run a little, too.

There’s a chance he could go in the first round, though there is some worry that he’s a production of Oregon’s offensive scheme. He didn’t look nearly as good during his three years at Auburn. Some scouts think he’ll need a year or two to adjust to an NFL offense — which is something the Giants can afford to give him.

Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. might be an option too, especially if Nix is gone. But Penix has a long history of injuries — including two torn ACLs. It’s just hard to see the Giants backing up one injury-prone quarterback with another.

Bo Nix shares how loud SEC and Pac-12 environments prepared him for NFL

Third round, 70th overall: Miami S Kamren Kinchens

The Giants tried to keep Xavier McKinney before he left for the Green Bay Packers, which shows they do value the safety position (at least to a financial point). And they know they have to replace him in their secondary. They do like Jason Pinnock and they did sign veteran Jalen Mills (who turns 30 in April), but they still could use a young playmaker back there.

The 5-11, 203-pound Kinchens would definitely qualify. He had 11 interceptions in 22 games over the last two seasons, including two he returned for touchdowns. He’s tough and strong and can play the run well, but it’s his ability to make a play on the ball that really jumps off the film. He only ran a 4.65 at the combine, which one scout said was “very disappointing.” However, he improved that to 4.57 at Miami’s Pro Day. Plus, it’s his instincts that earn raves, not his speed.

Fourth round, 107th overall: Notre Dame OT Blake Fisher

The Giants have loaded up on veteran offensive linemen this offseason, so there is depth in the trenches that they haven’t had in years. But there are still questions about their line that they must address — both for this season and for the future.

The 6-6, 310-pound Fisher gives them depth and some options. Schoen insisted on Monday that Evan Neal will remain the Giants’ starting right tackle, but if he struggles again there’s at least a chance he could eventually be moved to guard. In that case, Fisher could become their top right tackle prospect. He also gives them some insurance in case left tackle Andrew Thomas‘ injury woes continue. Fisher actually won the left tackle job at Notre Dame in 2021 over likely top-10 pick Joe Alt, before a knee injury ended his freshman year.

Joel Klatt and Daniel Jeremiah discuss the QB-heavy 2024 NFL Draft

Fifth round, 166th overall: Pittsburgh CB M.J. Devonshire

Once the Giants get beyond Deonte Banks, their 2023 first-rounder who had a strong rookie season, their cornerback corps is filled with journeymen and question marks. Cor’Dale Flott and Tre Hawkins could become good starters at some point. But it’s not a bad idea to give them some competition.

The 5-11, 186-pound Devonshire has some impressive physical traits — long arms (a 6-foot-6 wingspan) and long speed (4.45). He also intercepted seven passes the last two seasons at Pitt and broke up 18. He’s athletic and disruptive enough that he could start out as a nickel corner before eventually moving outside.

Sixth round, 183rd overall: Baylor DT Gabe Hall

Even with a monster like Dexter Lawrence in the middle, the Giants need rotational depth in their defensive line. And while they can plug in a cast of veterans, like Rakeem Nunez-Roches, they could use more young bodies to compete with D.J. Davidson and Jordon Riley.

The 6-6, 291-pound Hall brings impressive size and he had plenty of success as a pass rusher for the Bears (11.5 sacks over the last three seasons). He’s probably best suited for a situational interior pass rusher — at least at first.

Ralph Vacchiano is the NFC East reporter for FOX Sports, covering the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. He spent the previous six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.