2024 NFL Draft grades: Mel Kiper, others give New York Giants high marks

The New York Giants brought in a small draft class of six players during the now-completed 2024 NFL Draft, but one that could be significant. The selections by Giants’ GM Joe Schoen are drawing praise from a wide variety of analysts. Let’s check out the draft grades.

Mel Kiper: B

The Giants were on the clock at No. 6 overall Thursday night, faced with a fascinating decision: Would they take quarterback J.J. McCarthy — which would have been an admission that they regret the Daniel Jones extension from the 2023 offseason — or would they get a true No. 1 wideout for Jones in either Rome Odunze or Malik Nabers? They could start fresh under center or they could give Jones another year with the playmaker he has never had.

Ultimately, I think they made the right call, prioritizing a pass-catcher in Nabers (6), who is electric with the ball in his hands. Jones had a disappointing start to last season and then tore his ACL, but he showed his talent in 2022, when New York made a surprising run to the playoffs. Now he’s going to have one more year to prove he’s the guy, or the franchise will move on in 2025.

I would have taken a few other safeties ahead of Tyler Nubin (47) in Round 2, but you can’t deny his playmaking ability; he had 13 career interceptions for the Golden Gophers. Dru Phillips (70) is a late riser who played a lot of slot coverage snaps in his career. With Darren Waller’s future up in the air, I liked the pick of Theo Johnson (107) early on Day 3. He’s my fourth-ranked tight end in the class.

This is a small class, but all four of the Giants’ top selections should have significant roles this season. Nabers might end up being the most-targeted player on the team.

Chad Reuter of NFL.com:

The Giants ignored the historic quarterback run early on to grab Nabers, an explosive receiver with a game similar to the team’s 2014 first-rounder, Odell Beckham Jr. We’ll see if sticking with Daniel Jones and Drew Lock instead of taking another QB was the correct move. Nubin and Phillips were fair value in the secondary, where the team needed more talent.

Johnson will be an excellent fourth-round pick if he can fully translate his athleticism to the field. Tracy is an offensive weapon in the making, whether at running back or receiver. Muasau will be a starter in the league despite being picked in the sixth.

USA Today: A

The Daniel Jones haters may not be mollified, but given the team was wed to him contractually this season anyway, GM Joe Schoen and HC Brian Daboll went about the draft the right way. First-round WR Malik Nabers (LSU) should be a field-flipping asset to Jones and/or whomever eventually replaces him. Third-round Kentucky CB Dru Phillips will compete against anybody. Some second-round maneuvering over the past few months netted highly regarded Minnesota S Tyler Nubin and former Panthers pass rusher Brian Burns, who’s already signed an extension and now bookends Kayvon Thibodeaux. Solid-plus.

The Ringer: A-

The Giants Decided to hitch their wagon to Daniel Jones (and/or Drew Lock) for another year, eschewing the opportunity to draft a quarterback at no. 6 to instead take electric receiver Malik Nabers. The former LSU pass catcher is speed personified, giving the team a much-needed no. 1 receiver to build the offense around. The team then turned around on Day 2 and bolstered its secondary, grabbing my top-ranked safety Tyler Nubin in the second round before adding feisty cornerback Andru Phillips in the third. Both could start from the get-go. In the fourth round, New York selected a highly athletic tight end in Theo Johnson, who is raw but well built and versatile and provides depth if and when Darren Waller retires. I liked the Tyrone Tracy addition in the fifth round, too—the former receiver-turned-running back who adds an explosive element to the team’s running backs group and gives the team a potential change-of-pace and pass-catching option on third downs.

CBS Sports (Trapasso): B+

The Giants’ theme was pinpointing big-time athletes in this class. Nabers was my WR1, so fine start there. Phillips was one of the most impressive plant-and-drive corner in the class, and Johnson was the most athletic tight end with his best football in front of him.

Tracy can threaten Devin Singletary for the RB1 and, if he can shore up his tackling, Muasau’s play-recognition skills are spectacular. He beats blockers with relative ease, too.

What grade would you give the 2024 draft class? Vote in the poll below.

Here is how BBV voters graded each individual pick:

Round 1 (WR Malik Nabers)
Round 2 (S Tyler Nubin)
Round 3 (CB Andru Phillips)
Round 4 (TE Theo Johnson)
Round 5 (RB Tyrone Tracy)
Round 6 (LB Darius Musau)