One of the biggest questions heading into the 2024 NFL Draft was whether the New York Giants would come away with a new quarterback in the first round.
Armed with the sixth overall pick, the Giants were perhaps within striking distance of trading up to take Drake Maye with the third overall pick. Alternatively, they could have taken any of J.J. McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr., or Bo Nix, either at No. 6 or by trading back a few spots.
But no such move materialized. Instead, Big Blue held onto the sixth pick and took LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers.
And while this development may have been frustrating to some Giants fans and media, according to former NFL executive turned analyst Michael Lombardi it was hardly surprising based on the pre-draft comments from Giants brass:
"I wasn't surprised at all by that," Lombardi said on The Sports Junkies on 106.7 The Fan in D.C. on Monday. "Because if you listened to what John Mara said at the owners' meetings ... he said very clearly, 'I'll favor them drafting a quarterback if they're in love.' And he used the word 'love.'"
Instead, there was only one quarterback prospect the Giants were potentially interested in trading up for -- assuming the first and second picks were unavailable and would be used on Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels, respectively -- while the team remains confident in incumbent QB Daniel Jones, Lombardi said.
"I think they were in love with Drake Maye, but I don't think they were in love with J.J. McCarthy. And remember, John Mara, the president of the team -- he's the reason why Daniel Jones is making all that money -- he loves Daniel Jones. He drafted Daniel Jones as the sixth pick overall. Nothing would make them more happy than Daniel Jones being successful. They're almost willing it to happen. It won't, but they're hoping it will."
In Lombardi's estimation, the Giants' leadership is loyal to a fault to their players -- and it's hurting the franchise on the field.
"And they've gone 10 years -- they're the only team in the NFC East that has not won the East in the last 10 years. They have the worst record in the last 10 years in the NFC East. It's a shame, because the Giants should be a stellar franchise in the league. But, because they fall in love with their players, they love their players, they make bad decisions."
Jones, who turns 27 next month, is coming off an injury-shortened 2023 season. In 2022, he enjoyed something of a breakout campaign amid the Giants' improbable playoff run in head coach Brian Daboll's first year at the helm.
That effort earned Jones a lucrative new contract, all but assuring he would be in the fold through at least the 2024 season, after which his dead-cap number would be more manageable.
With the draft in the rearview mirror, and no new competition in the mix, Jones remains atop the Giants' QB depth chart, ahead of Drew Lock and third-stringer Tommy DeVito.
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