2024 NFL Scouting Combine Preview: Giants Must Knock This Next Draft Out of the Park
The annual "Underwear Olympics"--better known as the NFL Combine--kicks off this week in Indianapolis. While the combine is just one part of the scouting process leading up to the draft, the New York Giants, who need help just about everywhere on an underachieving roster that finished 6-11 last year, will no doubt be paying extra close attention to the quarterback, receiver, defensive line, and offensive line groups as they go through the drills and the medical checks.
2023 Season in Review
Okay, perhaps, in retrospect, the expectations for the New York Giants last year were a little too high.
And with good reason. After coming off a 9-7-1 season that included a postseason berth and a playoff win, it looked like the Giants were much further along, thanks to what was perceived to be a solid enough foundation for the franchise.
Ah, but for as solid as the foundation was, the Giants learned a hard lesson, and even the sturdiest of pillars need some sort of support. The Giants had no answers when left tackle Andrew Thomas went down in Week 1 with a severe hamstring strain or when good health once again took outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari off the field, leaving Kayvon Thibodeaux as the only legitimate pass rusher.
Tight end Darren Waller's injury woes reared its ugly head after a healthy summer, Saquon Barkley suffered another lower-body injury, the Giants went through kickers at a pace of one per every four games, and did we mention the quarterback situation in which Daniel Jones suffered his second neck injury in the last three years and Tyrod Taylor got hurt yet again?
Injuries will happen, especially for the Giants, who seem to rank at or near the top of the most injured teams in the league every year. But last year's debacle exposed a significant lack of depth to the point where the team's 2-8 start often saw weekly games in which the Giants just didn't belong on the same field as their competition.
The coaching wasn't that much better--how else can one explain the debacle that was the offensive line, a unit that allowed 85 sacks, the second most in league history since sacks became a trackable statistic? How else can one explain the lack of development of some of the young talent, particularly on the offensive side of the ball?
General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll, both of whom are still relatively new in their respective positions, are at a point now where the results have to start showing up. No one is expecting the Giants to roll over their 2024 opponents to the Super Bowl (though it would be nice for the suffering fan base, but at the very least, get a team together that is a lot more competitive and better able to withstand an injury here and there.
2022 Draft Position
Numbers: 6, 39, 47 (via Seattle), 70, 108, 140, 185.
Helped Wanted/Needed
Wide Receiver: The Giants haven't had a legitimate No. 1 receiver since Odell Beckham Jr, ironically the last Giants receiver to record 1,000 yards receiving in a season. Regardless of who the quarterback is, a No. 1 receiver would boost an offense looking to become more explosive.
Quarterback: Some within the organization are still very much of the opinion that this franchise is in good hands with Daniel Jones moving forward. However, his injury history can't be ignored, nor can the regression he showed last year before his season-ending ACL injury. The Giants can't count on being this high in the draft order again next year when the quarterback class doesn't appear as deep as this year's class. If New York has any reservations about Jones, given how his contract was structured with the escape hatch after this season, it's probably fair to say they do--they better not wait to add to this position group via the draft.
Edge Rusher: The Giants have been trying to establish a chain of pass rushers who can serve as mentors to future generations, much like Lawrence Taylor taught Michael Strahan. Strahan then taught Osi Umetioya and Justin Tuck; Umenyiora and Tuck then taught Jason Pierre-Paul, and then, just like that, the chain was broken. These days, the Giants have a promising edge rusher in Kayvon Thibodeaux and, if they could just keep him healthy, Azeez Ojulari, but they need so much more at this position.
Offensive Line: The Giants will probably go the free agency route here since this team needs to hit the ground running, but in as much as it's expected to move on from youngsters Shane Lemieux and Matt Peart, both of whom are set to be free agents, adding some more developmental talent to this group sure as heck couldn't hurt.
Defensive Line. The Giants have Dexter Lawrence, and then there's everyone else. Adding depth to this position would be smart since the goal is to win in the trenches, something the Giants haven't been consistent or successful at doing on both sides of the ball.
General manager Joe Schoen will have the final say over the draft picks, but head coach Brian Daboll will have a big voice in the process as well.
Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports
Who Makes The Call and Recent Draft Hits and Misses
General manager Joe Schoen will make the final call on the draft picks, but the coaching staff, and in particular Brian Daboll, will have a great deal of input.
Thus far, Schoen's first two drafts (2022 and 2023) have had mixed results. Outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeau (R1, 2022) and receiver Wan'Dale Robinson (R2, 2022) look like keepers, whereas offensive tackle Evan Neal (R1, 2022) is one season away from becoming a certified bust.
The Giants did manage to get a pair of solid players from Day 3 of the 2022 class, including safety Dane Belton (R4), who most likely will take over for Xavier McKinney if he leaves in free agency. Inside linebacker Micah McFadden (R5) paired up with Bobby Okereke last season to form one of the better inside linebacker duos this team has had.
So far, the 2023 class is much better. Cornerback Deonte Banks (R1) looks like he's a homerun. Center John Michael Schmitz (R3) and receiver Jalin Hyatt (R3) are promising young players who just need to be more consistent. Defensive lineman Jordon Riley (R7) looks like he might be a late-draft steal. The jury is still out on the rest of the class.
Giants 5-year draft record, 2019-2023
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