The New York Giants have been doing their due diligence at the quarterback position ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft — checking in at the pro days of Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, J.J. McCarthy and Michael Penix, while also scheduling a private workout with Drake Maye according to NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo.
During the March 29 episode of the “Breaking Big Blue” podcast, ESPN NYG insider Jordan Raanan explained why he’s “more confident than before” that the Giants will spend a premium pick on a quarterback in 2024.
“It’s a real possibility,” Raanan voiced. “They’re traveling around the country, they’re looking at these guys, they’re working them all out. Pretty much all the top quarterbacks have visited the Giants, worked out for them privately — so they’ve seen them throw — [and] they met them all at the combine.”
“So, they’re going through the whole process [at quarterback],” he continued. Adding: “And people who think this is a smokescreen, you’re not wasting this much time and this many resources for a smokescreen.”
“Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll are not flying from the owner’s meetings in Orlando to LSU to see Jayden Daniels the next day, to Washington all the way across the country [to see Penix] the next day as a smokescreen,” Raanan reiterated. “They’re just not. Sorry.”
Earlier, Raanan also pointed out that it’s very notable that Giants president and CEO John Mara said his front office told him this is the “most talented” QB class in years.
J.J. McCarthy Rising, Drake Maye Falling in Recent NFL Draft Rumors at QB
Before talking about the Giants, Raanan provided an update on the QB buzz overall.
“The J.J. McCarthy buzz has done nothing but increase,” Raanan relayed on his podcast. Telling a story where an NFL executive just expressed to him that they believe McCarthy will be the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.
Part of that rumor has to do with new Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters, who supposedly looks for traits similar to McCarthy’s.
“Now that would throw quite the twist,” Raanan joked, before getting to the next bit of gossip.
“[The executive] also mentioned that if there’s a guy that might fall a little bit — a little bit, not much — it would be Drake Maye,” the NYG reporter stated. “Partly because of some mechanical stuff.”
“So, that kind of opened my eyes a little bit,” Raanan admitted. He went on to voice an opinion that the Giants might pull the trigger on someone like Maye if he fell to No. 6 overall.
That’s why you do your homework. You never know what might happen on draft night.
Giants Could Allow Drake Maye to Sit Behind Daniel Jones
The knock on Maye has typically been a lack of consistency and fine-tuning in his game, although his raw potential might be greater than the remainder of the QB class outside of Williams. That’s why it might make sense to sit Maye as a rookie — which works out well for the Giants.
With Daniel Jones under contract and Big Blue unable to part ways with him until 2025, it’s unlikely that the Giants are lying about him being the Week 1 starter. Drew Lock is also there just in case Jones isn’t fully recovered from the torn ACL.
As Raanan acknowledged, the Giants could still draft an alternative position like wide receiver at No. 6 overall, but QB is certainly on the table if a good one drops to them in round one.
He seemed less confident about Schoen and Daboll packaging a large chunk of their future draft capital to trade up for a quarterback, however. It might be a wait and see approach from the G-Men on draft night.
