The New York Giants have been told to be “very aggressive” about trading for the third-overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft and selecting Drake Maye to replace Daniel Jones.
Dealing with the New England Patriots to land the No. 3 pick would allow Giants’ general manager Joe Schoen to correct the “absurd” contract extension he handed to Jones last offseason. It was “one of the worst decisions I’ve seen. And instantly, there was regret. It made no sense,” according to Adam Schein.
Speaking on Sirius XM 82’s Mad Dog Sports Radio, Schein said “Jones is an albatross. Daniel Jones can’t play. Daniel Jones is not a guy that any team in the NFL wants as their starting quarterback, including the Giants.”
Schein posted on X how he “Would love to see the Giants get aggressive to move up to 3 to draft Maye or Daniels if New England wants to trade back. Giants need a franchise QB. Maye with Daboll would be awesome…”
A trade would be a splash move, but it may be necessary to end the uncertainty the Giants face at football’s most important position. Uncertainty threatening to wreck the tenure of Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll.
Drake Maye Would Give Giants Potential Franchise QB
Maye has the kind of collegiate pedigree Jones lacked, even as the sixth player taken in 2019. While Jones looked like a reach, Maye is firmly among the top passers in this year’s class.
What Maye would bring to the Giants is elite arm strength. Something he showed on this throw against Georgia Tech, highlighted by Ted Nguyen of The Athletic.
Plays like this helped Maye hurl 63 touchdowns during three seasons at North Carolina. He also rushed for 1,209 yards and 16 scores on the ground.
The numbers offer proof of a dual-threat skill-set similar to one of Daboll’s former proteges, Buffalo Bills’ Pro Bowler Josh Allen. It’s a comparison made by ESPN’s Mike Greenberg, who told “Get Up” how Maye “reminds me, at least a little bit of Josh Allen.”
While the Giants trading up from the sixth pick to draft Maye “makes all the sense in the world” to Greenberg, not everybody is convinced. Maye has his detractors, many of whom doubt his credentials as a top-three selection.
Some, including former Pittsburgh Steelers fullback Merril Hoge, don’t believe Maye is even a first-round pick. Hoge told “The Herd w/Colin Cowherd,” Maye is “completely erratic when it comes to throwing the football. It’s a big concern.”
Those are strong criticisms, but Maye has enough raw, physical tools to convince Schoen and Daboll to undertake his development, the way they did with Allen. Any risk might be worth it if it means moving on from Jones.
Giants Lost Daniel Jones Bet
As Schein pointed out, the Giants doubled down on Jones’ breakout season in 2022 by paying him like he’s a franchise quarterback. It was more than a risk, since Jones had struggled with turnovers and injuries during every one of his other pro campaigns.
Those same issues wrecked any chance of Jones living up to his new contract in 2023. A torn ACL ended his season in Week 9, but No. 8 had already thrown six interceptions, taken 30 sacks and lost three of four fumbles.
It’s going to take quite a leap of faith for the Giants to persist with Jones. Yet, Schoen admitted “I have faith in Daniel as our starting quarterback,” when speaking with reporters at the annual NFL Scouting Combine, per Charlotte Carroll and Jenna West of The Athletic.
Schoen also provided details about Jones’ recovery from injury. As Carroll and West put it, “Jones has been throwing from a stationary position for two weeks and has had no setbacks.”
There’s room to give Jones another chance, but the opportunity to trade up and draft one of the premier signal-callers in this class may be too good to resist. Especially when it’s a plausible scenario.
The Patriots also need a quarterback, but under-fire incumbent Mac Jones returning is still an option. There’s also the momentum enjoyed by Maye’s fellow draft QB Jayden Daniels.
As ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. explained to “First Take,” Maye “did not have great momentum down the stretch. He had three games that left you scratching your head. He had a really good 2022, lost his coordinator, lost his top receiver. Excuses you can’t make for a college quarterback. Some of the layups, the easy throws, he wasn’t accurate and precise with. That’s why Jayden Daniels is the second quarterback and Drake Maye goes three overall.”
Kiper’s projection would suit the Giants if the Patriots are willing to do a deal. The Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders picking No. 1 and No. 2 would likely mean Caleb Williams and Daniels are off the board before the third selection.
Giving Daboll the chance to build around Maye would be a worthy consolation prize.
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