New York Giants’ Biggest Takeaway From 2024 NFL Draft

Heading into the 2024 NFL Draft, there was a lot of discussions about what direction the New York Giants could go in. There were several needs up and down the team’s roster, as Year 3 of the Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll era is a bit of a reset.

There will certainly be pressure on those two, as this could be a make-or-break year. But, hopefully, ownership can cut them some slack as they are still cleaning up the mess left behind by the previous regime.

Quarterback remains a major question mark for the team. Daniel Jones, who signed a massive four-year deal in 2023, was a disaster in the first season of that contract. The New York Giants have said he will be their starter when healthy, but long term, he does not look to be the answer.

Alas, regardless of who is under center in 2024 and beyond, New York has made a concerted effort to upgrade the supporting cast around them. The offensive line has been revamped, from the coaching staff to the depth chart.

Better results where will improve the defense as a whole. But, none of the team’s draft assets were used on players in the trenches on offense or defense. With their first-round pick, No. 6 overall, the Giants added a new weapon offensively in LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers.

In Round 4, raw but highly talented tight end Theo Johnson was selected out of Penn State. Running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. was selected in the fifth round out of Purdue. That leads to the biggest takeaway from the 2024 NFL Draft for New York; they are going to be young at the skill positions.

“Offensively, Malik Nabers, the FBS leader in receiving grade in 2023, will immediately step in as their top threat. Fourth-rounder Theo Johnson is a size-speed weapon at tight end who was underutilized at Penn State. If Darren Waller retires this offseason, Johnson could push for the starting job with a good training camp showing. Former Purdue running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. could also compete for touches in a running back room that is thin behind Devin Singletary.

New York’s top defensive picks, Tyler Nubin and Andru Phillips, could both start immediately. Nubin, especially, fills a massive void left at safety after the departure of Xavier McKinney. The Giants needed a haul of potential starters in this draft, and they very well may have gotten it,” wrote Dalton Wasserman of PFF.

It was refreshing to see the New York Giants commit to improving from the inside out during free agency. They brought in established players along the offensive line to help improve depth and made a huge splash defensively acquiring star pass rusher Brian Burns in a trade with the Carolina Panthers.

The foundation is being put into place for long-term success. Whoever they tab as their long-term answer at quarterback will be entering a much more stable situation than the one Schoen and Daboll took over.