In a recent 7-round mock draft from Matt Miller of ESPN, he has the New York Giants addressing several of their top needs.
Overall, the Giants only have six picks in this year’s draft, with only two teams having fewer. However, with just about all of those picks coming towards the top of each round, the Giants do rank 12th in total draft capital value, which should result in them finding some immediate help.
The Giants were fairly active in free agency, but still have a big need to fill at wide receiver, not to mention continuing to build their offensive line depth with long-term solutions, as well as adding to running back, the secondary, and potentially exploring the quarterback position as well.
Here is a closer look at who Miller had the Giants selecting and what you need to know:
1.6: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
Jan 2, 2023; Orlando, FL, USA; LSU Tigers wide receiver Malik Nabers (8) runs past Purdue Boilermakers defensive end Nic Caraway (5) during the first half at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports
Height: 6-0
Weight: 200
RAS: N/A (incomplete testing)
PFF rank: 4th
Takeaway: Understandably so, Nabers is a very popular pick for the Giants in these mock drafts. He is widely considered the second-best receiver in this class and the Giants are in need of a true No. 1 target at the position. Nabers had a huge 2023 season, totaling almost 1,600 yards at 17.6 yards per catch with 14 touchdowns. He ranked top 10 among all receivers in total yards, yards after the catch, yards per route run, and touchdowns. Right away, Nabers can be that go-to target, able to win in all parts of the field and in a variety of ways.
2.47: Michael Penix, QB, Washington
Mar 2, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Washington quarterback Michael Penix (QB08) during the 2024 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Height: 6-2
Weight: 216
RAS: N/A (incomplete testing)
PFF rank: 46th
Takeaway: The Giants have been fairly firm in their commitment to Daniel Jones as the team’s starting quarterback this season once he returns from injury. However, Jones was struggling in 2023 before his season ended, so there is some unknown around what to expect from him in 2024. Also, the Giants are able to get out of his contract after this season. Drafting Penix with Jones and Drew Lock on the roster would provide him with time to develop. Penix has been one of the most effective passers over the last two seasons, completing 65 percent of this passes, while throwing for almost 10,000 yards during that span, with 67 touchdowns to 19 interceptions. Penix has shown the ability to take care of the football, while still being willing to push the ball downfield and make what PFF refers to as “big time throws.”
3.70: Christian Haynes, IOL, UCONN
Jan 30, 2024; Mobile, AL, USA; American offensive lineman Christian Haynes of Uconn (63) faces off against American offensive lineman Christian Jones of Texas (70) during practice for the American team at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports
Height: 6-3
Weight: 317
RAS: 9.31
PFF rank: 64th
Takeaway: The Giants bolstered their interior offensive line in free agency, but the addition of Haynes will provide competition, improve the overall depth, and give the Giants a long-term answer at the guard position. Haynes is an experienced player with 3,319 career snaps, almost all of which came at right guard. Over the last two seasons, he has allowed only one sack and 15 combined pressures. He ranked top-eight both seasons in PFF’s run-blocking grade as well.
4.107: MarShawn Lloyd, RB, USC
Nov 18, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans running back MarShawn Lloyd (0) runs during the second quarter against the UCLA Bruins at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports
Height: 5-9
Weight: 220
RAS: 8.58
PFF rank: 105
Takeaway: In free agency, the Giants lost Saquon Barkley to Philadelphia. They would in turn sign Devin Singletary to a three-year deal. However, behind Singletary on the depth chart is a lot of inexperience. There are currently four other running backs on the roster and combined the group has 155 career carries. Lloyd spent 2023 with USC after transferring from South Carolina. There he continued to be a big play threat, averaging 7.1 yards per carry and 13.2 yards per catch. Relatively speaking, Lloyd doesn’t have as much mileage as some other running backs with only 289 career carries. He was very good at picking up yard after contact and forcing missed tackles. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com called Lloyd a “chunk play slasher.”
5.166: Tyler Davis, IDL, Clemson
Feb 29, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Clemson defensive lineman Tyler Davis (DL03) works out during the 2024 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Height: 6-2
Weight: 301
RAS: 7.64
PFF rank: 154th
Takeaway: While the Giants do have Dexter Lawrence in the middle, depth at this position group is incredibly important because of how heavily rotated it is, with four or sometimes even five defenders seeing snaps each week. Last season, the Giants allowed 4.7 yards per carry, which ranked 31st in the NFL. Davis doesn’t have the prototypical size of a nose tackle, but he has the strength to plug up the middle. During the last two seasons at Clemson, he was one of PFF’s highest graded run defenders and ranked 34th in run-stop rate this past season. While helping out in the run game is where Davis can make the biggest impact, he also recorded 58 pressures the last two years as well.
6.183: Willie Drew, CB, Virginia State
Jan 31, 2024; Mobile, AL, USA; National defensive back Willie Drew of Virginia State (0) signals on defense during practice for the National team at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports
Height: 5-11
Weight: 191
RAS: 8.59
PFF rank: N/A
Takeaway: The secondary is always a position group that can be added to, but especially at this stage of the draft, positional need takes a back seat to a degree, and teams are in search of traits that they believe will translate to the NFL level. This then hopefully increases the likelihood that a player can stick around. With Drew, he has good length, ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash, and displayed tremendous ball skills, totaling 11 interceptions and 39 pass breakups the last two seasons.
