New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen attempted, until the very last minute, to trade up in the 2024 NFL draft for a quarterback. Despite those efforts, it did not pan out.
With Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye all off the board at No. 6, Schoen called the name of LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers.
What a consolation prize that turned out to be.
Nabers broke several league and franchise records as a rookie and has already established himself as one of the NFL’s budding young stars. He excelled despite inconsistent quarterback play and a steadily deteriorating offensive line, finishing the year with 109 receptions for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns.
However, in a recent 2024 NFL re-draft courtesy of Sports Illustrated’s Daniel Flick, the Giants think better of that selection and instead opt for Oregon quarterback Bo Nix.
The Giants considered drafting a quarterback in the first round in 2024 but ultimately chose to stick with Daniel Jones, who was ultimately released in November. Perhaps ’25 first-round signal-caller Jaxson Dart will reward New York’s patience, but Nix finished third in rookie of the year voting and has the intangibles to fit the spotlight.
The Giants passed on Nix last year, and it’s hard to know if they’d make the same choice if they could do it all over again. He excelled as a rookie and showed a high ceiling, but would he have been the ideal fit for Brian Daboll’s offense? Would it be worth passing on Nabers and then missing out on Jaxson Dart a year later?
Those questions can’t and won’t be answered for years.
Meanwhile, in this scenario, Nabers goes off the board to the Chicago Bears at pick No. 9, reuniting him with Daniels, whom the Bears also selected at No. 1 overall instead of Williams.