The New York Giants hold the sixth overall selection in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.
Many mock drafters are predicting Big Blue grabs a stud wide receiver with the pick as the top four quarterbacks could be off the board by the time they are on the clock.
But, if by some chance, one of those four players — USC’s Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels of LSU, Drake Maye of North Carolina, and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy — fall to the Giants, Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus believes Maye would be the best fit for general manager Joe Schoen’s Giants.
I still have Maye as my QB2 in this class, but even then, I can recognize that he needs to hone his fundamentals, make his throwing motion more repeatable and consistent and not put the ball in harm’s way as much as he did in 2023.
Brian Daboll is the ideal coach to get that done with Maye. He did so with Josh Allen when he was the offensive coordinator in Buffalo for four seasons. He allowed Allen to still be who he is as a quarterback while limiting his mistakes.
The scenario is becoming more and more unlikely as the teams selecting first and second — Chicago and Washington — are expected to take Williams and Daniels, respectively, and New England is asking for a king’s ransom for the pick in a trade.
If a team does not meet the Patriots’ price, they are expected to take either Maye or McCarthy, as is any team acquiring the pick.
The Giants trading up to No. 3 would likely entail them sending No. 6 and No. 47 in this year’s draft plus next year’s first-round pick to the Pats.
If the Giants do end up with Maye, he may not be the starter on Day 1. Daniel Jones is still the starter, depending on the status of his knee, and Schoen inked Drew Lock to a one-year deal in free agency. There’s a bit of a traffic jam for Maye to overcome.
But Maye is the type of player that Daboll wants to run his offense. He would have to guide Maye through the NFL acclimation process in the beginning before handing over the keys.
