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While the jaws of many fans dropped when the Atlanta Falcons picked Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. thought there was a bigger surprise from the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.
Kiper said on SportsCenter the more unexpected turn for him was the New York Giants passing on Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy to take LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers. He told ESPN colleague Scott Van Pelt he “had heard for the last couple of months the Giants were looking at a quarterback.”
Head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen both said this offseason they were planning for Daniel Jones to be the starter in 2024 once he fully recovers from his torn ACL.
Plenty of fans still weren’t convinced after Jones had such a disastrous 2023 season, and Kiper noted neither Daboll nor Schoen was in New York when the pick on the former Duke star was made. They may not have felt all that wedded to him.
The 2024 draft was always going to be the true barometer for how the head coach and GM viewed Jones in the short term.
From the outside, the Giants appear to have faith in the 26-year-old, at least to the degree there wasn’t in their belief an immediate upgrade available in the first round.
New York instead addressed what was a glaring need in the offense.
“Nabers is a true No. 1 target. He’s insta-juice to the lineup,” Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski wrote in his live reaction. “His presence will completely change the dynamic of a Giants pass-catching corps that previously lacked explosiveness.”
In the event the Giants make a QB change in 2025, Nabers should help to provide a solid foundation for Jones’ replacement.