Realistic Goals for Each Giants 2024 Draft Pick

The Giants rookies reported to training camp on Tuesday. Here's a look at what we might reasonably expect from each in the coming season.

New York Giants Class of 2024 / New York Football Giants

Football is almost back, as the New York Giants rookie class reported to the Question Diagnostics Training Center on Tuesday for a week-long intensive orientation program with the coaches and football staff ahead of next week’s first practice set for July 24 when the rest of the team arrives.

Much is expected of the general manager Joe Schoen’s third Giants draft class to fill some of the roster holes that existed last year. So, ahead of the actual on-field action, here is one realistic goal we hope to see each member of the Giants' Class of 2024 achieve.

R1: WR Malik Nabers

The Giants haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since 2018, when Odell BEckham Jr accomplished the feat. 

The Giants, who have struggled in the passing game and in particular with notching explosive plays, are no doubt hoping that the start of Nabers’s NFL career mirrors that of Beckham’s (minus any drama, of course) when Beckham recorded 1,000+ receiving yards in four of his five seasons in Blue–and might have made it a clean sweep had he not suffered a season-ending ankle injury in his fourth season.

Nabers can certainly be a 1,00-yard receiver, having done so in his last two seasons at LSU, with most of his career snaps coming in the slot. Nabers can help the Giants’ offense with his yards after the catch ability. Forty-one point 5 (41.5) percent of his total career yards came after the catch, a mark that the Giants probably hope he exceeds in his rookie campaign.

R2: S Tyler Nubin

Jobs are never won during the spring, including for most rookies, regardless of where they are drafted. But the Giants are no doubt hoping that Nubin, their second-round draft pick, acclimates quickly enough this summer to where the team, which appears to be eyeing a committee approach at that second safety spot that Xavier McKinney vacated when he signed with the Packers in free agency, eventually makes the job his own.

Nubin has been a ballhawk in college for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, having recorded 13 interceptions and 13 pass breakups in his career as part of a 37.6 coverage rating. The Giants would no doubt like to have a few more turnovers from their defense this year, which appears to be something the rookie can contribute with increased opportunities.

R2: CB Dru Phillips

Last year, the Giants were thought to be planning a committee approach at the slot cornerback spot, but Cor’Dale Flott played well enough to become the main man in the role, playing in 279 snaps while no other player topped 70 snaps in the role.

Flott has since been moved to CB2, a job he will try to make his own this summer. This leaves the door open for Phillips, the rookie, to make the slot cornerback job his own. Phillips was the Wildcats' primary slot cornerback last season, playing 141 snaps. 

He was targeted 22 times, allowing 15 interceptions for 162 yards and one touchdown for a 104.7 rating. The Giants might start with a committee at the onset, but ultimately, the hope is that Phillips becomes the main man in the position.

R4: TE Theo Johnson

The Giants' tight ends room quietly underwent an overhaul last year thanks to Darren Waller's retirement. While it remains to be seen if the group’s role in the offense changes much with the arrival of Malik Nabers, the Giants probably would like to get more out of a unit that, along with the receivers, was ranked 26th by Sharp Football.

Johnson, who played his college ball at Penn State, caught 75.6 percent of his pass targets last season despite sharing the pass-catching duties with Tyler Warren. Johnson spent most of his career snaps for the Nittany Lions either as the inline guy or in the slot, amassing a 139.9 target rating. He also has decent enough size to get the job done as a blocker, having shown improvement in that area over his last two seasons in college.

R5: RB Tyrone Tracy, Jr.

Tracy could very well be the steal of the draft if he somehow develops into the Giants' RB2 option behind veteran Devin Singletary. Tracy, a converted wide receiver, is still relatively new to the running back position, but thanks to his vision and shiftiness, he’s already shown an ability in college to create longer runs.

Tracy’s versatility–he can also serve as the team’s kickoff returner–should make him a candidate for gadget runs and as a receiver out of the backfield, where he should match up nicely against most linebackers if he can transfer that production to the next level. Tracy’s  6.3 yards per carry (113 attempts) was the second-best single-season rushing average in Purdue history, leading the Big Ten and ranking 14th in the nation. 

His 1,270 all-purpose yards, which included 408 kickoff return yards, ranked second in the Big Ten in both categories, and his 127.4 all-purpose yards in conference games led the Big Ten. 

With the Giants running game set to enter life post-Saquon Barkley, a potential one-two punch of Singletary and Tracy running behind an improved offensive line could be one of the more pleasant surprises to emerge this season if everything falls into place.

R6: LB Darius Muasau

The inside linebacker picture is a bit crowded right now, with Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden returning as the projected starters, Isaiah Simmons returning to be the nickel back, and guys like Carter Coughlin, Darrian Beavers, and newcomer Matthew Adams all vying for a spot not just on defense but more so on special teams.

That doesn’t paint a promising picture for the affable Muasau, who, save for his first year in college, has notched double digits in missed tackles en route to 83 total or 15.9 percent of his tackle attempts.   

Muasau’s best bet for his first NFL season will probably be to continue developing on the Giants practice squad, where come next year, after putting in a full year in the system, he might have more favorable chances to make the 53-man roster.

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