NFL Insiders Say Watch Giants as a Team That Could Try Moving Up in Draft Order

NFL insiders claim the Giants could still be looking to move up in the draft for a quarterback for this reason.

Patricia Traina

Updated:

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen has repeatedly said that "the expectation" is for Daniel Jones, who is currently rehabbing from a torn ACL, to be the team's starter when he's ready.

But expectations can change depending on how the chips fall over the next several months. As of right now, the only definite thing to be said about the Giants' quarterback situation is that Jones will be on the 2024 roster thanks to his hefty $35.5 million guaranteed money which would severely hamstring the team if they were to flat out cut him.

NFL Network insiders Ian Rappoport, Mike Garafolo, and Tom Pelissero, meanwhile, addressed what is shaping up to be an intriguing plot line involving the top college quarterback prospects in this year's draft and how the teams in the top of the draft that are thought to be quarterback-needy might approach whether to add a new signal caller.

The insiders noted that Jones is progressing in rehab, as Schoen said during a Senior Bowl week interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio. But while Jones "isn't moving a lot yet, he’s said to be making good progress," the NFL Network insiders report.

As for the future of the quarterback position, they also noted, "Schoen attended a handful of games this past fall in which those passers were playing, including the USC-Washington game that featured both Caleb Williams and Michael Penix Jr. Keep an eye on Big Blue to see if they try jockeying for position at the top of the draft."

This sentiment aligns with NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, who notes that the early feeling among teams regarding the 2025 quarterback class is lukewarm at best.

If the Giants are among those teams Jeremiah believes aren't excited about next year's quarterbacks class, then it makes more sense for the Giants to move heaven and earth to get the guy they want now.

Unless they feel comfortable with Jones for the long term, which the structure of his contract and his injury history might suggest otherwise.

The other factor here is how the Giants feel about where they are in their rebuild. After a surprising 9-7-1 record in Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll's first season, the Giants came crashing back down to earth, their roster holes at receiver, offensive line, and edge rusher put on full display.

The Giants, remember, aren't projected to be getting any comp picks this year. They also currently have four picks in the top 70, where at least one other pick (besides swapping first-round picks) would be necessary to move up.

So, does it make sense to give up assets to move up for a top-tier quarterback who will likely sit for at least part of, if not the entire first year when those assets can otherwise be used to improve the team on both sides of the ball?

Probably not. Yet, on the other hand, the Giants don't want to be slotted to draft inside the top 10 every year. And if that's the goal they're working toward--and it should be--they might not have a chance this good to get a top-flight quarterback for the long-term future if, again, they're not completely sold on Jones as being that guy.