It’s no secret the Giants explored taking a quarterback within the first spherical of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Giants brass acknowledged doing homework on the franchise QBs earlier than final April’s draft, and the entrance workplace’s pursuit of 1 — which included trying to commerce up — was nicely documented on HBO’s offseason version of “Hard Knocks.”
However with Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye off the board, the Giants took playmaking large receiver Malik Nabers with the No. 6 decide relatively than rolling with a lower-rated passer comparable to Michael Penix Jr. or J.J. McCarthy.
This April’s draft lacks the top-tier quarterback prospects that populated final 12 months’s, however the Giants determine to be squarely within the combine on the place as soon as once more.
Sunday’s 20-17 additional time loss to the lowly Carolina Panthers in Munich, Germany, dropped the Giants to 2-8. They wakened Monday in line for the second general decide and tied with the Jacksonville Jaguars — who’ve quarterback Trevor Lawrence on a long-term contract — for the NFL’s worst file.
The Giants can get out of quarterback Daniel Jones’ $160 million contract this offseason with a palatable cap hit, as long as he doesn’t undergo a critical damage that may set off a $23 million assure.
Jones, in his sixth NFL season, has accomplished 63.3% of his passes for two,070 yards and eight touchdowns towards seven interceptions in 10 video games this 12 months.
The Jets, in the meantime, fell to 3-7 with Sunday’s 31-6 drubbing by the Arizona Cardinals — the newest tough loss in a humbling marketing campaign for a Tremendous Bowl hopeful.
Aaron Rodgers has stated he hopes to play past this season, however he turns 41 in lower than a month. With a premium decide, the Jets may take into account drafting his long-term substitute.
The Jets stay solely two video games out of a playoff spot within the top-heavy AFC, however they started Monday in place for the No. 8 draft decide.
A lot can change over the ultimate eight weeks of the season, however listed here are the school quarterbacks to keep watch over.
SHEDEUR SANDERS, COLORADO
No participant will enter the NFL subsequent season with extra consideration than Sanders, the son of Corridor of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, who’s now the charismatic head coach of Colorado.
The youthful Sanders is popping in one other robust season with a 72.9% completion proportion, 2,882 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and 6 interceptions, and this 12 months, that manufacturing has truly translated into wins for the Buffaloes.
Complicating Sanders’ case is that his well-known father has advised he’ll attempt to management his son’s NFL touchdown spot, saying on the “Million Dollaz Worth of Game” podcast in March that “it’s going to be an Eli.”
Eli Manning, after all, was drafted first general by the San Diego Chargers towards his needs in 2004 earlier than being traded to the Giants.
Sanders is Mel Kiper Jr.’s top-ranked quarterback and eleventh general prospect on his ESPN huge board, whereas PFF ranks him third amongst QBs and twenty first general.
CAM WARD, MIAMI
Ward is a big-play machine.
His 3,494 passing yards lead Division-I quarterbacks, as do his 32 landing passes.
He boasts the athleticism to make performs off script and the arm expertise to ship passes from a number of throwing angles.
Ward, in his first season at Miami, has improved his ball safety with the 9-1 Hurricanes after arriving with turnover considerations from his previous stops at Incarnate Phrase and Washington State.
He’s the second-ranked quarterback and twelfth general prospect for Kiper, whereas PFF ranks Ward second amongst quarterbacks and fifteenth general.
Cam Ward of the Miami Hurricanes. (Photograph by Todd Kirkland/Getty Photographs)
JALEN MILROE, ALABAMA
Proving extra divisive is Milroe, a dual-threat dynamo and glorious chief for the Crimson Tide whose prowess as a passer isn’t on the stage of Sanders or Ward.
Milroe has accomplished 67.4% of his passes for two,046 yards with 13 touchdowns towards six interceptions this season.
His 565 dashing yards mark a profession excessive, nevertheless, whereas his 16 dashing touchdowns rank seventh within the nation amongst gamers at any place.
Milroe’s draft inventory rose with Sunday’s 185-yard, four-touchdown efficiency on the bottom in a win over LSU, although he handed for less than 109 yards on 12-of-18 makes an attempt in that one.
PFF is larger on Milroe, whom it ranks first amongst quarterbacks and fifth general, than Kiper, who has him third amongst QBs and unranked on his 25-man huge board.
QUINN EWERS, TEXAS
One other confirmed winner, Ewers oozes confidence and has largely risen to the event in huge video games.
He wields an enormous arm and is within the midst of one other robust season for the 8-1 Longhorns, passing for 1,722 yards and 19 touchdowns towards six interceptions in Texas’ first 12 months within the SEC.
Ewers has been considerably liable to head-scratching turnovers, and he’s missed at the least two video games as a result of damage in every of his three seasons as a starter, together with this 12 months with an stomach pressure.
The junior, who sits forward of Arch Manning on the Texas depth chart, is Kipers’ fifth-ranked quarterback prospect and PFF’s sixth.
Quinn Ewers of the Texas Longhorns. (Photograph by Tim Warner/Getty Photographs)
CARSON BECK, GEORGIA
Thought-about the highest quarterback prospect by some analysts earlier than the season, Beck’s standing has taken successful throughout a season during which he has already thrown 12 interceptions — tied for essentially the most amongst D-I quarterbacks.
At 6-4, Beck nonetheless possesses the scale and arm power that NFL evaluators covet, however he’s fallen nicely behind the likes of Ward and Sanders amongst most prognosticators.
PFF has him fifth amongst QBs. Kiper has him sixth.
GARRETT NUSSMEIER, LSU
On an reverse trajectory is Nussmeier, who has risen up draft boards in his first season as LSU’s starter.
Nussmeier’s decision-making stays a piece in progress, as evidenced by his three interceptions in a loss to Texas A&M on Oct. 26 and his two interceptions in Sunday’s loss to Alabama.
However Nussmeier has drawn reward for his potential to make NFL-caliber throws, and he ranks second within the SEC in each passing yards (2,866) and passing touchdowns (21).
PFF and Kiper each rank Nussmeier fourth amongst quarterback prospects.
