The 2024 NFL Draft is set for Thursday, and the excitement and buzz around where the top players might land is palpable. One of the biggest points of contention for analysts’ predictions has been about the top three quarterback prospects.
Everyone can assume USC’s Caleb Williams is going No. 1 overall to the Chicago Bears, but things have become quite murky about the other top quarterback prospects. There is a consensus that LSU’s Jayden Daniels will go No. 2 overall to the Washington Commanders, but the fallout from his meeting could result in a shakeup.
Another huge plot point has formed around UNC’s Drake Maye. Maye has been projected to land with a handful of different teams, but a surprising suitor is now rumored to be exploring a trade to move up in the draft to nab him.
Sources have reportedly told ESPN’s Jordan Raanan that the Giants are attempting to make a play to trade up to No. 3 or No. 4 overall to land Maye. The Giants currently pick sixth. If they stay there, they would likely be aiming to draft Oregon’s Bo Nix.
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This Giants rumor indicates the organization is not going to bank on incumbent quarterback Daniel Jones improving. To be fair, Jones has been punished by poor offensive line play and rattled by injuries. Even when he is upright, Jones just isn’t the best passer in the league by any measure.
It’s time for the Giants to make a play. Trading up from No. 6 to No. 4 or No. 3 overall would require less of a sacrifice than the Minnesota Vikings trading up from No. 11 overall. It should be a lot easier for New York to leap up two or three spots.
Maye is the right kind of prospect that many teams are vying to leapfrog potential opponents to land. This draft-day strategy assumes Williams and Daniels are off the board at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively.
The Giants and the aforementioned Vikings need a franchise quarterback, and it will be interesting to see what both teams are willing to give up to land Maye. Then again, both teams could end up landing J.J. McCarthy from Michigan as well. At least the Vikings have a clear path if they want to move up. They own two first-round picks in this draft, and will have to give up both to trade into the top five to land a top quarterback prospect.
While the No. 1 overall pick might be set in stone, it appears there could be some huge trades happening that will completely shake up the NFL Draft in the coming days — or when the draft is well underway.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.