If the Giants end up taking one of the three consensus highest-rated prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft, it will be because general manager Joe Schon makes a bold trade.
The Giants will have the No. 6 pick in the first round of the draft, as expected earlier Sunday after they unexpectedly beat the Eagles 27-10 to finish the regular season with a 6-11 record. One place lower than the ranking.
This will be the Giants' sixth pick in the top eight of the draft since 2018, and Schoen's third.
The Giants won the tiebreaker (6-11) due to scheduling conflicts.
The final day of the season began with some Giants fans rooting for a loss and a pipe dream of moving up to the No. 2 pick.
The odds for this scenario are less than 1 percent, according to ESPN analysis, and bottomed out when the Patriots lost to the Jets, ending the season 4-13.
The Giants were also eliminated from the race for third place based on the strength of schedule tiebreaker by the end of the remaining games played in Sunday's 1 p.m. slot.
Had the Eagles won and everything else remained the same across the league, the Giants would have drafted him fifth.
In other words, it's just outside the range of what might be needed to acquire either the top two quarterbacks (Caleb Williams and Drake Maye) or generational receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Thing.
The Giants enter the offseason with no shortage of needs, some of which will be secured before the draft in free agency.
But finding at least two starting offensive linemen, a No. 1 receiver, a starting cornerback, and a quarterback who can compete with the rehabbing Daniel Jones will be tough — and that's because the Giants are playing the top offensive line. Maker and one of the best defensive players (Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney, respectively) left in free agency.
Starting from the top of the draft order, acquiring a quarterback may be the most difficult.
The Bears acquired the No. 1 pick (via the Panthers) last week.
They face a difficult, franchise-altering decision: draft Williams or Maye and start over, or stick with prospect Justin Fields, who is entering the final season of his rookie contract.
If the Bears keep Fields, their next decision will be whether to draft receiver Harrison or move from No. 1 for the second year in a row after passing on quarterback Bryce Young and likely Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. They will be the first team to trade out. Stroud will be traded back to No. 8 in 2023.
The Commanders (No. 2) and Patriots (No. 3), both potentially coached by Bill Belichick, will be joining the quarterback roster.
The Cardinals (4th) and Chargers (5th) are expected to keep Kyler Murray and Justin Herbert, respectively.
If the Giants don't make a trade (“scared money doesn't make money,” general manager Joe Schon said when making the mid-round deal last year), the next team will have a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback. , which is expected to include Jaden Daniels. Offensive tackles Joe Alt and Olu Fashanu, receiver Malik Nabors and edge rusher Dallas Turner.
