If the Giants do end up passing on a quarterback to fill their longstanding wide receiver need, Daniel Jones probably should not be too comfortable going into his sixth season with the team. New York has done exhaustive work on this draft’s QB class, and rumors continue on this front with the draft barely a day away.
Drake Maye is believed to be the Giants’ preference among the top-tier options in this draft, with ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano further confirming the North Carolina prospect should be considered higher on the team’s board than J.J. McCarthy. The Michigan product was believed to have momentum with the Giants for a while; that surge appears to have stalled.
The Giants join the Vikings as the teams who have been most aggressive about negotiating with the Patriots for No. 3 overall, per Graziano, who adds an interesting wrinkle. While Maye being there at 3 (as he is expected to in the likely event Washington chooses Jayden Daniels at 2) would drive Giants interest, the team also could be open to drafting Michael Penix Jr. as high as No. 6.
The Giants like Penix, though the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard notes they did not bring him in for a “30” visit. Maye, McCarthy and Daniels did trek to New York for official meetings. This is interesting due to a March report indicating the team did, in fact, schedule a visit with the Washington product.
Penix at 6 would be seen by many as a reach, given the knocks on his health and mechanics, but coaches are believed to be higher on the former Washington and Indiana QB compared to scouts. A report earlier this week also pointed to the southpaw passer going earlier than expected — perhaps even as high as No. 8 to the Falcons. Though it would be shocking to see the Falcons invest what they did in Kirk Cousins and then use a first-round pick on a passer, it is looking possible Penix could wind up in the top half of the first round. Teams eyeing the national championship game starter as a consolation prize — potentially via trade into the latter half of Round 1 — may not ultimately be able to execute such a contingency plan.
While not bringing Penix in for a visit, the Giants appear comfortable with his medicals. Penix suffered four straight season-ending injuries, before putting together back-to-back healthy seasons at Washington. Giants brass had dinner with Penix in Seattle, per Leonard, and QBs coach Shea Tierney worked with him closely at the Senior Bowl while serving as an offensive coordinator in the all-star game. Some teams have a second-round grade on Penix, others likely view him as an acceptable Round 1 option.
It does appear Penix looms as a potential Giants contingency plan, in the event efforts to move into the top four fail. However, the Giants also could have a Maye-or-bust (at QB, at least) approach in place. Most teams believe the Giants would pivot to staying at No. 6 and drafting a wide receiver if Maye proves out of their reach, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini adds.
Ranking last in the NFL in yards after catch last season and not seeing anyone accumulate 1,000 receiving yards since Odell Beckham Jr. in 2018 (Eli Manning‘s final starter year), the Giants have certainly done extensive work on this draft’s top WRs. A recent report pointed to the team eyeing Malik Nabers at 6, though The Athletic’s Jeff Howe adds the team has shown “real interest” in Marvin Harrison Jr. Of course, the Cardinals have been closely tied to the Ohio State prospect; Arizona would stand to have first WR dibs if it does not trade down from No. 4. Howe still mocks Maye to the Patriots and McCarthy to the Giants.
Maye going to New England would seemingly test how serious Joe Schoen and Co. are about finding a Jones replacement. Jones going into a sixth season as an unchallenged starter would be one of this era’s stranger examples of QB staying power, but the Giants could also finally equip their embattled QB with a high-level pass catcher for the first time if they stay at 6. A major decision will loom for the team once the Commanders turn in their pick. Both the Patriots and Cardinals are prepared to discuss trades up to going on the clock.
Penix at 6 would be a fireable offense.
And yet, as a Giants fan, I would not be surprised if they did it. I know Schoen is not Gettleman, but still, Mara is around and potentially meddling.
Penix is better than Maye, in every single metric. Maye is this years version of….. Daniel Jones.
Penix is nowhere near as good in short to intermediate passing or in health.
You are absolutely incorrect about the short and intermediate passing game. No one in the draft has the touch or ability to place the ball anywhere that Penix can. Only Milton has more arm strength(though he is nowhere near as accurate).
Coaches and former QB’s have near unanimously stated he has best arm talent in the draft.
He has two straight years without injuries playing the top 5 toughest schedule both years.
Let’s go with the 2 obvious things here,
1, as we can see by your screen name you’re from the Seattle area, or at least a fan, so right there you show bias towards him.
2, it doesn’t look good when you’re the only one who gives your own comment a thumbs up.
@RockHauler LOL. I didn’t like my own comment d bag.
But every metric he was better, he was the #2 Heisman vote getter so basically everyone else in college football thought he was better as well.
“Penix is better than Maye, in every single metric.” Well, 2 ACL tears to 0 is one counterpoint. Penix didn’t break out until his fifth college season, while Maye has only played three. Penix also didn’t break out until he had a much more stacked supporting cast than Maye ever had.
@Oooof look at his numbers the first two year at Indiana and what he did against elite competition in the B1G, he tore up a very good OSU defense and turned a below average Indiana team into a bowl team.
It would be replacing a failed first round QB overhyped during his draft process for a future failed first round QB overhyped during his draft process.
Couldn’t agree with you more!
was this guy injured like every year except this past year . I thought I read he had season ending injuries like a lot of em . I would not taken him till rd 3 dur to injury concern’s
He’s also a guy who’s played like 5 years and looked really good in his final year. He can throw bombs, but with his short to intermediate inaccuracy for an NFL QB and his health issues he should be a 2nd or 3rd round pick
“We the Giants are interested in any QB you are interested in so trade up for him before we take the QB you are interested in!”
Other teams: ok do it
Giants: swear to god we will don’t tempt us
Other teams: go for it
Giants: final warning
Other teams: cmon man we aint playing
Giants select – pass catcher out of WR/TE U the Titans are on the clock
Other teams: ha got em
Giants: shut up we drafted the player we were always gonna draft.
This is Giants noise to pump up Penix hoping to build more value in the sixth pick. Penix isn’t a number 6 pick he’s a second round project. No doubt this is a QB league and teams will reach but four QBs will go in the top ten likely the first four(Cardinals will trade back) Williams, Daniels, Maye, and McCarthy that’s it. Penix and Nix are later picks you hope surprise you.
Smoke screen….I hope.
Giants are posturing. They know the cost to get one of the top 3 qb’s is too high for a rebuilding team devoid of talent. By putting this out there they are trying to get other qb hungry teams to jump them so they have more non qb premium players to pick from
Penix should go closer to the sixth round than sixth overall.
I like Penix a fair amount. But even if the Giants thought he was worth a #6, they could trade back and still get him. Unless Jon Gruden was in the draft room.
As a Giants fan I’m praying the Giants don’t take Penix in the first round. First off he’s had 6 years of college, 6! He didn’t peak interest until early this year. He’ll be 25 as a rookie, in contrast Zach Wilson is in his 3rd year and is 24. CJ Stroud going into his 2nd season is 22. Next, he had 2 stud recieved to throw to which makes up for a lot of mistakes. And most important, as someone who also tore his acl twice in college, I can tell you his knee will start to feel the effects of those surgeries very shortly. I’d say within 2-3 years he’ll need maintenance’ days to manage the swelling and pain. Then the arthritis will kick in. He will move like an old man before his rookie contract is up. I know this from personal experience as will anyone else who had multiple acl surgeries will tell you. You cannot invest in him long term as a starter. He will probably have this one rookie contract before he’s done (he’ll be 30 when it ends).
LOL. Zach Wilson was not good in college. I watched him play twice and the only time he played well was against lower division teams. He wowed people on his pro day. The day the Jets drafted him, it was the worst case scenario, bad team, bad line, bad coach.
I’m still in shock years later from the moment the commissioner announced “With the sixth pick, the Giants select Daniel Jones, quarterback, Duke.”
Everyone was like “whaaaat ?”
The first two hours of tonight’s draft should be very entertaining.