Mel Kiper, Jr Fills Two Critical Needs for Giants in Final 2024 Mock Draft

Mel Kiper Jr addresses two key needs for the Giants in his final mock draft of 2024.

LSU WR Malik Nabers / SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA

Despite a busy off-season, the New York Giants still have a few glaring remaining needs that they're expected to address in next week's draft.

Among the most glaring are WR1 and quarterback, two positions with fans and media split as far as which position the Giants should address in Round 1. Given the depth of both position groups, the Giants will have options. Still, if it's a quarterback that they want from among the projected top prospects (Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, and J.J. McCarthy), they will more than likely have to trade up from the sixth spot to get one of them, a risky yet bold type of move.

Taking that into consideration, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kuper Jr., in his final mock draft of 2024, has the Giants going receiver in the first round in a "stick and pick" scenario and then engaging in a trade-up in the second round to get their quarterback.

In Round 1, Kiper has the Giants taking LSU receiver Malik Nabers at six. He is a yards-after-catch specialist who has WR1 written all over him.

Notes Kiper of the pick: "The Giants' pass offense fell apart last season as they finished 30th in the league in yards per dropback (4.9). Sure, most of that was without quarterback Daniel Jones, but he struggled in his six games before his ACL injury, too, throwing three times as many interceptions (six) as touchdown passes. New York also ranked 30th in yards after the catch (1,601), which showed its need for outside playmakers.

"Nabers could solve that problem, as he's ferocious after the catch. He can run any route, creating separation on even the best cornerbacks. This is how the Giants could instantly turn around their offense."

The Giants have a solid receiver room with Darius Slayton, Wan'Dale Robinson, and Jalin Hyatt all under contract. However, none of them are legitimate WR1s, which, by the way, have been missing from the Giants' offense since the team traded away Odell Beckham Jr. Being able to land a receiver of Nabers' skillset would indeed significantly help the Giants' offense, regardless of who the quarterback is.

In the second round, Kiper projects the Giants trading up to the top of the round, where they would be in a position to grab Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, of whom Kiper wrote, "Nix started a whopping 61 college games in stints at Auburn and Oregon, throwing for 15,352 total yards. He leveled up in 2023, with 45 touchdown passes and three picks while completing 77.4% of his throws."

Nix, like any other draft prospect, has some questions, one of which Kiper notes is arm strength. "He was asked to get the ball out quickly and around the line of scrimmage for the Ducks, putting his receivers in a position to make plays after the catch. That’s why I have a Round 2 grade on him."

Kiper is correct in that the Giants' plan for the coming year, regardless of who they might draft at quarterback (assuming they do draft one), is to allow that prospect to sit for a bit as he acclimates to life in the NFL and, in the interim, roll with incumbent Daniel Jones once he's cleared medically from his torn ACL.

If Jones isn't green-lighted to return, the offense would then be led by Drew Lock, acquired in the off-season to replace Tyrod Taylor.

As for Kiper's suggestion to trade up in Round 2 for Nix, the cost would likely be less than if the Giants tried to trade up from six to four or five in the draft order. The Giants, remember, traded away the higher of their two second-round picks in the Brian Burns acquisition, so they might not want to risk waiting for Nix or, if they like him, Michael Penix Jr to drop to them.

General manager Joe Schoen has shown that he's not afraid to trade up to get the guy he wants, but at the same time, he hasn't been wreckless in going all out while ignoring the other needs he has to fill.

We don't expect this year to be any different, not with the Giants needing a CB2, additional interior defensive line help, a tackle prospect, and a safety, among other things.

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