Giants’ First-round Draft Scenarios Revealed in Episode 4 of Hard Knocks

How close did the Giants come to trading out of the sixth overall spot?

New York Giants / courtesy of Giants.com

Episode 4 of Hard Knocks, which also led into Day 1 of the NFL draft, fully displayed the later stages of the preparations. 

While we all know who the New York Giants ultimately picked (receiver Malik Nabers) in the first round, we also learned just what it would have taken for the Giants to trade out of the sixth overall spot.

Let’s get into it.

The Daniel Dilemma

The episode began with a focus on incumbent Daniel Jones's on-field workout during Phase 2 of the off-season program. Of note was how well Jones was moving, showing bursts and then stopping, a very encouraging sign regarding the progress he’s made in rehab.

But rather than focus on Jones, the thread pivoted to what the Giants would do at the position. 

Schoen, talking with his top lieutenants, spoke of how he ensured there was an open line of communication with Jones to where he understood the situation with concern about his injury history (17 games missed in the two years Schoen had been with the Giants). 

Schoen emphasized to Jones that just because they were doing homework on the quarterbacks in the draft class, that didn’t mean they were giving up on him.

East Rutherford, NJ -- June 11, 2024 -- Quarterback Daniel Jones at the NY Giants Mandatory Minicamp at their practice facility in East Rutherford, NJ. / Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA

Wrestling on the Quarterback Decision

We were given more insight into the Giants' internal debate about what to do with the quarterback position. In the preview clip from last week, Daboll said he would trade up for Jayden Daniels if he was on the board. The scenes expanded to show clips of the top quarterback prospects for their top-30 visit.

At one point, Schoen asked offensive coordinator/assistant head coach Mike Kafka if he’d trade up for Maye. Kafka didn’t directly answer the question but did say, “You got a guy that you believe in, I think you go up and get him.”

The Giants’ internal struggles continued about the quarterback when they did an exercise reviewing quarterbacks taken in the first round dating back to 2014, an exercise that revealed that many of those first-round picks didn’t pan out for the teams that drafted them. 

That seemed to cast some doubt on the decision makers, though they did note that a quarterback picked in the top three spots in the first round usually has a better chance at success.

Team co-owner John Mara also confessed to being nervous about giving away too much for a quarterback, but he acknowledged how 20 years ago, then-general manager Ernie Accorsi had a conviction on Eli Manning to make the trade. “There is no price that’s too high if you’re right,” Mara said.

After Schoen laid out the scenarios, Mara reiterated what he had told reporters at the league meetings earlier in the year: that if they had a conviction on someone, they had his blessing to make the deal.

Speaking of the Deal…

If it wasn’t clear back in April after word got out that the Giants offered the Patriots two first-round picks plus a move to No. 3, this episode confirmed that the Patriots weren't really serious about trading down with the Giants unless they got an outrageous offer that included multiple picks in 2025.

Eliot Wolf of the Patriots told Schoen that he would sit back and take a quarterback but added that they would have called in the trade if they had a quarterback on the roster they felt good about for the long term.

Apr 25, 2024; Detroit, MI, USA; LSU Tigers wide receiver Malik Nabers poses after being selected by the New York Giants as the No. 6 pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Scenarios

Just before the draft's first night, Schoen ran through multiple scenarios for team ownership, describing what he would do in each and acknowledging the importance of getting a weapon. Schoen said he’d be happy with any of the top three receivers (Malik Nabers, Marvin Harrison, Jr, and Rome Odunze).

Schoen also revealed that he contacted Monti Ossenfort of Arizona to inquire about a trade if one of the quarterbacks he wanted fell off the board but that Ossenfort had his eye on Harrison.  

Had Harrison and Nabers been off the board by the time the Giants were on the clock at six, they would have sought to trade back with the Titans, who were picked seventh, and Schoen correctly guessed would be looking to get an offensive tackle.

The Plan

In the end, the Giants' plan was as follows: if the three quarterbacks (Drake Maye, Caleb Williams, and Jayden Daniels) were off the board but one of Nabers and Harrison was there, the Giants would stay put.

If the three quarterbacks and both receivers were off the board, the Giants would have considered moving down with Chicago, who had the ninth pick in the draft in exchange for pick six and the Giants’ fifth-round pick for pick nine plus a third and fourth-round pick.

Had the Giants moved down to nine, they figured to get one of receiver Rome Odunze or tight end Brock Bowers, two guys that Daboll revealed retired Alabama head coach Nick Saban created headaches to play against.

In short, if the Giants couldn’t get a quarterback, they would look to get a weapon for Jones.  

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen talks to the media during his bye week news conference Monday afternoon in East Rutherford, NJ. / Art Stapleton/NorthJersey.com / USA

Other Notable Revelations  

Giants offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo was seen having a friendly chat with Saquon Barkley, who had signed with the Eagles by that point. During the conversation, Bricillo mentioned that Jon Runyan Jr., whom the team signed to play guard, could give them a little something at center, but they weren’t going to go in that direction.

The Giants' first-round pick comes from the Top 30 visits the team hosts every year before the draft. In the past, that’s not always been the case, but under Schoen, that has been a pattern, which is why it has become important to pay attention to reports of the top 30 pre-draft visits the team has.

Daboll wasn’t the only member of the coaching staff smitten with what receiver Malik Nabers brought to the table. Receivers coach Mike Groh also seemed impressed and said he’d take Nabers in the draft if the decision were up to him. 

In the preview clip, a quick mention was that the Jets had inquired about moving up in the first round with the Giants.    

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