The New York Giants have plenty of holes in their offense heading into the 2024 NFL season and one major question surrounds the franchise.
Would Big Blue look to trade up for a quarterback when their needs at wide receiver are so apparent?
As New York continues to meet with the current class of rookie quarterbacks, the idea of taking a signal caller with the sixth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft seems to be growing — even if it means trading up for one like one NFL analyst predicts.
NFL Analyst Mocks Major First-Round Trade for New York Giants
In his latest mock draft, NFL Network Draft Analyst Lance Zierlein predicted the Giants would not only trade up for a quarterback this year but select one of the highest-upside players at the position in Drake Maye.
Zierlein has New York trading up to the third overall pick with the New England Patriots and selecting the North Carolina prospect.
“The Giants probably have to pay more than the standard trade chart would indicate since the supply side of the quarterback position is dwindling but the demand remains high,” Zierlein explained.
The long-time analyst compared New York trading up for a quarterback to when new head coach Brian Daboll was offensive coordinator with the Buffalo Bills who traded up for Josh Allen.
Daboll, to Zierlein, “could have a chance to do the same with this toolsy but inconsistent North Carolina prospect.”
Could the Giants Trade up in the 2024 NFL Draft?
At the NFL Owners Meetings last week, Giants owner John Mara spoke to the media and answered questions regarding a potential pursuit of a quarterback at the top of the first round.
At the owners' meetings in Orlando, @Connor_J_Hughes and @JeaneCoakley discuss John Mara's comments on the Giants' quarterback position, Saquon Barkley's departure and the possibility of a natural grass turf at MetLife Stadium: pic.twitter.com/ALjY39COfX
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) March 25, 2024
“[Mara] did nothing to dispel the notion that the Giants are strongly considering a quarterback at No. 6 or moving up” SNY’s Giants reporter Connor Hughes said.
“He said that if Daboll and [general manager] Joe Schoen come to him and they say they’re convinced that Player X is a franchise quarterback, he fully supports them moving up to get that player or drafting that player organically at No. 6.”
One obstacle for the Giants, however, is that they aren’t the only team that could be looking to trade up for one of the top quarterbacks of the incoming class.
They certainly don’t have the most enticing trade package either.
The Minnesota Vikings own two first-round picks in the incoming draft as well as their 2025 first-round pick. Should a team look to trade up into the top four overall picks, few teams have the type of ammo that Minnesota possesses.
On their end, New York owns just two picks in the top 50 this year and their first-round pick next year. They may not feasibly have enough to give a team like the Patriots or Arizona Cardinals the kind of deal both want. In that regard, a trade-up may not be feasible for the organization.
That doesn’t mean the Giants won’t come away with a top player, though. With the sixth overall pick, there is an excellent chance that New York could come away with a top receiver of the current draft class like Marvin Harrison Jr. or Malik Nabers.
KEEP READING: NFL QB Rankings 2024
The potential addition of Harrison or Nabers could fundamentally change New York’s offense while providing quarterback Daniel Jones with more ammo on the receiving end than he has had in his career.
It would certainly make more long-term sense for whichever quarterback is deemed “the future” of Big Blue.
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