After all the speculation that they might trade up, trade back, go all-in on a quarterback or pluck one of the top wide receivers, the Giants stood pat and with the No. 6 overall pick selected Malik Nabers.
The LSU product was widely regarded as the second-best receiver in this draft, after Marvin Harrison Jr. (who went to the Cardinals at No. 4).
Here are some thoughts about what went down Thursday night and what might happen Friday night in rounds 2 and 3:
Two things can be true at once. The Giants showed confidence in Daniel Jones while also actively seeking to draft his eventual replacement.
They did explore trade opportunities with the Patriots, owners of the No. 3 pick, and despite the “open for business’’ claim by Eliot Wolf, the Patriots’ director of scouting, there was not really a deal to be made.
The rumored price-tag the Pats put on the pick — three first-round picks — was basically untenable, as in the end, the Patriots knew they needed a quarterback and they took Drake Maye. That is the player the Giants targeted as the quarterback they were willing to move up to get but it was not possible to do so.
As we have stated several times, the Giants were not desperate to find Jones’ successor. This does not mean they were not interested in doing just that, based largely on Jones’ risky medical history, coming off ACL surgery and two different neck injuries.
When no team opted to trade up into the top five for J.J. McCarthy, he was sitting there at No. 6, right there for the Giants. As it turns out, all the breadcrumbs throughout the pre-draft process that led the Giants to McCarthy turned out to be a case of following the wrong clues.
Yes, the Giants did extensive homework on McCarthy — more than any other quarterback in the class — but those who linked the player and the team missed a cogent point. Investigating a player does not automatically mean ultimately falling in love with the player.
McCarthy’s intangibles off the field are sky-high but, in the end, the Giants simply did not evaluate his skill-set and potential as worth the No. 6 pick.
One more on the quarterback scenarios: It turned out to be Maye or no one for the Giants.
After passing on McCarthy, they could have taken Michael Penix Jr. — who, somewhat shockingly, went to the Falcons at No. 8 — or Bo Nix, who went to the Broncos at No. 12. The Giants did not grade those quarterbacks anywhere near appropriate value at No. 6.
Nix, 24, is the most experienced quarterback in this class and perhaps the most NFL-ready but in some ways, what you see is what you get and the Giants did not see enough.
As for Penix, his injury history (two torn ACLs, two shoulder injuries) was enough for the Giants to look the other way.
The Giants say they thoroughly investigated Nabers’ arrest in February of 2023 on a gun charge.
Nabers, 19-years-old at the time, was on Bourbon Street when New Orleans police officers noticed an “L-shaped object’’ in Nabers’ front pants pocket. When Nabers told the officers that he did not have a permit for the gun, he was arrested. Three months later, the charge was dismissed, with the New Orleans District Attorney’s office explaining Nabers was a college student with no prior criminal record and that he voluntarily turned in the gun.
There is video evidence of the arrest, which the Giants say they viewed.
“We’ve got an extensive process in terms of background on these guys,’’ Giants general manager Joe Schoen said. “And from watching it, we bring up the film, watched what happened. [Head of security] Jerry Meade does a phenomenal job for us. We have other resources that we reach out to and use, whether it’s boots on the ground on the campus, in the cities, wherever it may be. We’re very comfortable with the players we turn the card in on.’’
The Giants need a cornerback in this draft with the potential to move in and start right away.
Only three cornerbacks were selected in the first round: Quinyon Mitchell (Eagles, No. 22), Terrion Arnold (Lions, No. 24) and Nate Wiggins (Ravens, No. 30). That leaves plenty of attractive options for the Giants, but they may have to trade up in the second round to get their guy, as they have to wait until pick No. 47 if they stay where they are. That pick came from the Seahawks in the deal that sent Leonard Williams to Seattle. The Giants’ own pick, No, 39, was shipped to the Panthers in the Brian Burns trade.
That Cooper DeJean of Iowa is still on the board figures to interest the Giants. Other cornerback options include Kool-Aid McKinstry (Alabama), TJ Tampa (Iowa State), Kamari Lassiter (Georgia), Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (Missouri), Mike Sainristil (Michigan) and DJ James (Auburn).
McKinstry and DeJean are also kick returners, which could push them over the top with the Giants, with the advent of the new kickoff rules coming in 2024.
You think the NFL is a passing league? Of the 32 picks in the first round, six of them were quarterbacks, seven of them were wide receivers and none of them were running backs
Do not sleep on a running back on Day 2 of the draft for the Giants. At this point, they are all on the board. Jonathon Brooks (Texas), Jaylen Wright (Tennessee), Blake Corum (Michigan) and Trey Benson (Florida State) are all out there, waiting to get picked.
The Giants signed veteran Devin Singletary after seeing Saquon Barkley sign with the Eagles but there is not much (Gary Brightwell, Eric Gray, Jashaun Corbin) behind Singletary on the roster.