1. Home
  3. Sport

New York Giants NFL Draft picks 2024: Grades, fits and scouting reports

EditorLast Update :
New York Giants NFL Draft picks 2024: Grades, fits and scouting reports

The New York Giants entered the 2024 NFL Draft with six picks over the three-day event.

All offseason, the Giants have operated like a team intent on drafting a quarterback. But when the time came, they didn’t pull the trigger. Instead, they drafted a playmaker unlike one they’ve had in a long, long time. With the No. 6 pick, the Giants bypassed Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon’s Bo Nix — each eventually selected in the first round — and drafted explosive LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers. 

Nabers just wrapped up one of the most productive seasons in college football history, leading the nation with 120.7 yards per game and was tops in the FBS with 34 plays of 20-plus yards and 17 going for 30-plus. He will provide a massive upgrade to the Giants’ wide receiver room and, of course, will be the new primary target for QB Daniel Jones.

Speaking of Jones, his future hung in the balance entering the evening, but now it seems like he’ll get another season to prove he can still be the franchise QB.

go-deeper

After the Giants addressed the wide receiver position in Round 1, GM Joe Schoen spent Day 2 addressing the team’s needs in the secondary by selecting the first safety taken in the draft in Minnesota’s Tyler Nubin before adding a cornerback in Round 3 in Kentucky’s Andru Phillips.

To kick off Day 3, Schoen went back to the offensive side of the ball by selecting Penn State tight end Theo Johnson with the No. 107 pick in Saturday’s fourth round. Given the uncertainty surrounding Darren Waller’s future, this pick makes a ton of sense.

Keep coming back here throughout the draft for analysis and grades for each Giants pick.

NFL Draft 2024 tracker: Live blog, picks and analysis
Big board best available: Who’s left from Dane Brugler’s Top 300?
Draft pick grades: Round 1 | Rounds 2-3
Full draft order: Team picks for all 257 selections

Round 1

No. 6: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU

How he fits

Nabers is an electric playmaker and arguably the most dangerous ball carrier in space in this class. An incredibly smooth and explosive athlete with great ball skills, Nabers was an instant contributor in the SEC for LSU and made 161 catches with Jayden Daniels the last two seasons as a complete receiver. There were some scouts who had Nabers ranked ahead of Marvin Harrison Jr. in this class. He’s that good.

The Giants have questions about Daniel Jones, to be sure. But, to me, drafting a quarterback here made no sense. The Giants still have so much work to do – bringing a first-round QB in to “compete” with a guy you don’t support makes no sense. Nabers is an awesome talent and will instantly make one of the slowest offenses faster. A sensible, efficient and explosive draft pick. Also, possibly, a mess avoided. — Nick Baumgardner

Grade: A

Charlotte Carroll’s analysis

When the Giants elected not to use the No. 6 pick on a QB, wide receiver was the easy choice. It came down to Nabers and Odunze, and if you were paying attention to offseason discussions of hopes for the offense this season, Nabers made the most sense because of his big-play ability. He should be a legitimate threat for Jones, and all eyes will be on just how much this offense can improve.

Dane Brugler’s analysis

An explosive play creator (led the FBS with 34 catches of 20-plus yards in 2023), Nabers uses his gliding speed to consistently win on slot fades or one-on-one vertical routes. His favorite play in the playbook is the jet sweep (his 7-on-7 highlights from high school are legendary). He also can win underneath as a snatch-and-run target and will continue to ascend as he develops his finishing skills and route discipline. Overall, Nabers has only average size/strength, but he offers dynamic potential because of his ability to accelerate/decelerate on command and always make himself available with his athletic catch-point skills. He projects as a playmaking receiver in the NFL.

Round 2

No. 47 (from SEA): Tyler Nubin, S, Minnesota

How he fits

Maybe the most underrated player in the draft, Nubin was both a solid coverage safety and a tremendous tackler at Minnesota. He will step in immediately for Xavier McKinney and thrive. With 43 starts at Minnesota, Nubin was experienced and highly respected. He finished his career with a school-record 13 interceptions and 24 passes defended, as well as 207 tackles. He’s a Day 1 starter. — Scott Dochterman

Grade: A

Dan Duggan’s analysis:

One thing that has become clear is that Schoen looks to the second round to address needs. Last year, he took Schmitz, who immediately stepped in as a starter. The expectation will be the same for another Minnesota product, as Nubin is a similarly experienced prospect picked at a position with a glaring hole.

Dane Brugler’s analysis

A four-year starter at Minnesota, Nubin was an interchangeable safety (single high and split zone) in defensive coordinator Joe Rossi’s mixed-coverage scheme. A cornerback-turned-safety, he led the Gophers in interceptions in each of the last four seasons and collected his 13th career interception in his final home game, which set a new school record.

Using his athleticism and awareness, Nubin keeps everything in front of him and can drive off the numbers in the deep half to overlap the seam or track and finish from the post. As an alley defender, he is fearless but controlled, and he comes to balance with low pads to finish tackles with authority.

Overall, Nubin has conservative tendencies in coverage, but he is a four-down player with a coveted skill set, because of his split-field range, playmaking instincts and toughness versus the run. He is ideally suited for a quarters-based, Cover-2 scheme in the NFL and will be a core special teamer.

go-deeper

GO DEEPER

Giants hopeful Tyler Nubin, Andru Phillips can become promising pieces in young defensive core

Round 3

No. 70: Andru Phillips, CB, Kentucky

How he fits

One of the most versatile corners in the draft, Phillips can play inside or outside — and even safety, if need be. A very physical, hyper-competitive player who will find a way to get on the field immediately, Phillips boasts a 42-inch vertical leap and plays with terrific speed. He’s also a very mature youngster from a high-achieving family. An easy favorite among the Day 2 cornerbacks.

Grade: A

 

Dane Brugler’s analysis

A two-year starter at Kentucky, Phillips was an outside cornerback in defensive coordinator Brad White’s zone-heavy scheme, moving inside to cover the slot in subpackages (37.6 percent of his career snaps came inside). Although his production won’t jump off the page, his coverage tape improved each of his four seasons in Lexington — and that continued with a strong week during Senior Bowl practices.

With his lower-body quickness and agility, Phillips can drive from zone or stay within arm’s length downfield in man. He prefers to play a physical brand of football, which is refreshing. However, his handsy tactics needs more subtlety, and his tackling requires better finishing control.

Overall, Phillips falls short in a few categories, which leads to in-game volatility. He is battled-tested, though, with the athletic instincts and feisty toughness that will translate to any level of football. He won’t be a fit for every team but offers inside-outside versatility with immediate special-teams value, similar to Roger McCreary.

Round 4

No. 107: Theo Johnson, TE, Penn State

How he fits

An ascending tight end Johnson was solid in 2023 with 34 catches for 341 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns. With tremendous size and speed (4.57 in the 40-yard dash) plus a large wingspan (80 ¾), Johnson seems to offer more as a prospect than what he showed with the Nittany Lions. The Giants bet on Johnson’s upside and this is insurance in case Waller decides to retire. — Scott Dochterman

Dan Duggan’s analysis

Johnson was a mid-round prospect who got to know Giants QB coach Shea Tierney, who was his team’s OC at the Senior Bowl. That makes sense considering Darren Waller’s continued uncertainty about his future. The 6-foot-6, 259-pound Johnson has the athletic tools to develop into a pass-catching complement to the Giants’ stable of blocking tight ends.

Dane Brugler’s analysis

Johnson was Brugler’s 80th-ranked player and No. 3 tight end.

“A three-year starter at Penn State, Johnson was a versatile tight end in former offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich’s RPO-based scheme, splitting his time between inline (47.9 percent), slot (38.8 percent) and wide (9.8 percent). A wide receiver in high school in Canada, he faced a steep transition moving to tight end at State College and didn’t have a 100-yard receiving performance in 45 college games (and reached 75 yards just once). But his production steadily climbed each season, and he led the Nittany Lions in touchdown grabs in 2023.

go-deeper

GO DEEPER

How Canadian tight end Theo Johnson earned Power 5 schools’ full attention

Johnson is quick off the ball and builds his speed downfield, giving his quarterback a big tar get with
his size, strong hands and athletic catch radius. As a blocker, he doesn’t embarrass himself but needs to better understand leverage and develop more of a glass-chewing mentality.

Overall, Johnson has inconsistent college tape and production, but he has A-plus measurements and smooth athletic tools that could allow him to continue developing and become a better pro than college player. Although he is a work in progress, he is a worthy long-term investment for an NFL team.

Round 5

No. 166 (from 49ers through Panthers)

Round 6

No. 183

Round 7

No picks

(Photo of Theo Johnson: Jayne Kamin-Oncea / USA Today)

Tagged
Related News