Instead of drafting Daniel Jones’ replacement, the Giants went ahead and got their QB a new weapon with the No. 6 pick at the 2024 NFL Draft.
The speedy Malik Nabers gives Big Blue a bona fide No. 1 receiver to complement a pass-catching corps of Wan’Dale Robinson, Jalin Hyatt and Darius Slayton.
Still, GM Joe Schoen’s work on the weekend is far from over.
Also among the holes Big Blue must fill over the weekend in Michigan: a No. 2 cornerback, a tight end and a safety, plus a running back to help replace Saquon Barkley and the long quest to fix the offensive line.
Schoen comes to town with six picks to tick off as many boxes as possible.
Here is the full list of Giants picks at the 2024 NFL Draft:
Round 1, Pick 6 (No. 6 overall)
Dynamic target with great speed (4.35) and productivity in a three-year college career, setting the LSU program record with 189 receptions. Ability to separate from defenders is what separates Nabers from the pack.
Giants love his competitiveness and the way he is wired. Had 89 receptions for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2023.
Should acclimate quickly to the NFL and rise to the top of the wide receiver depth chart swiftly as a rookie. Can line up in multiple spots. — Paul Schwartz
Round 2, Pick 15 (No. 47 overall) — via SEA
Tyler Nubin, Safety, Minnesota
The second round turned out to be the right spot for the Giants to address a major need Friday night as they selected safety Tyler Nubin from Minnesota with the No. 47 pick in the NFL draft.
It came as no surprise that the Giants addressed a spot where they needed help in their defensive backfield, that it was a safety, and not a cornerback, was interesting.
Nubin was considered the top safety in this class, a three-year starter for the Golden Gophers who has ideal size, range and ball-hawking ability — he had five interceptions in 2023.
The Giants did not re-sign Xavier McKinney, who played every snap on defense last season, and so clearly that was a position that required a replacement.
— Paul Schwartz
Round 3, Pick 6 (No. 70 overall)
The Giants went into the second day of the NFL draft with an obvious need for a cornerback.
They took a safety, Tyler Lubin, in the second round and, in the third, with the No. 70 overall pick, they selected Andru Phillips from Kentucky, a cornerback who figures to battle for immediate playing time.
A run on cornerbacks in the second round — four straight went off the board from picks 41, 42, 43 and 44 — left most of the top-end prospects off the board.
Thus, the Giants waited until the third round to get Phillips. They brought him into their facility for a top-30 visit, and so they were on this player for quite a while.
The depth chart at cornerback is not deep. Deonte Banks, the 2023 first-round pick, went through a successful rookie season as a starter. His running mate, Adoree’ Jackson, is unsigned and a free agent.
Two returnees, Cor’Dale Flott and Darnay Holmes, are more suited to playing inside in the slot. Nick McCloud is back, as is Tre Hawkins, who won a starting job last season as a rookie but lost it after only two games.
Phillips played in 29 games for Kentucky and did not have an interception.
— Paul Schwartz
Round 4, Pick 7 (No. 107 overall)
With the status of Darren Waller very much up in the air, the Giants on Saturday used their fourth-round pick in the NFL Draft — No. 107 overall — on a tight end, selecting Theo Johnson from Penn State.
Waller is contemplating retirement — it sure seems as if he is leaning that way — and the Giants are giving the veteran the time he needs and wants to make the decision.Â
That does not mean, though, that the Giants were willing to sit back and wait and leave the position unattended.
Johnson was a big-time recruit out of high school — he is from Windsor, Ontario — and is a physically imposing athlete, standing at 6 foot 6 and weighing 259 pounds.
— Paul Schwartz
Round 5, Pick 31 (No. 166 overall) – via SF, CAR
It was no surprise that the Giants were interested in taking a running back on Day 3 of the NFL Draft.
It might have been a bit surprising, though, that they waited until the fifth round on Saturday to take Tyrone Tracy Jr. from Purdue.
One year ago, the Giants selected a running back in the fifth round but Eric Gray did not do much of anything as a rookie in 2023.
The Giants hope Tracy can be more productive in his first year.
 This, of course, cannot be viewed as the replacement for Saquon Barkley, who after six years with the Giants could not agree to a new deal and ended up signing with the rival Eagles. Â
— Paul Schwartz
Round 6, Pick 7 (No. 183 overall)
The Giants used their sixth and final pick in the NFL draft to do what they often do in the late rounds — try to find athletes who can play special teams and find their way onto the field at their position.Â
In the sixth round, the Giants on Saturday took Darius Muasau, a muscular linebacker from UCLA.
Muasau transferred to UCLA from Hawaii in 2022.
He played 35 games at Hawaii and put together back-to-back seasons with more than 100 tackles.Â
— Paul Schwartz
