Which wide receiver should the Giants take if they have their choice?
It’s not that far-fetched that the top three could be there.
Imagine the following scenario on April 25, starting at 8 p.m.:
Chicago Bears: Select Caleb Williams.
Washington Commanders: Select Jayden Daniels.
New England Patriots: Select Drake Maye.
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Arizona Cardinals: Trade the No. 4 pick to Minnesota in return for No. 11, No. 23, and Minnesota’s 2023 Round 2 pick. Minnesota selects J.J. McCarthy.
Los Angeles Chargers: Select Joe Alt.
Which team selected which quarterback doesn’t matter. All that matters is that (a) three QBs went in the first three picks, (b) Arizona liked the two firsts Minnesota could offer more than the one first the New York Giants had to offer, and (c) Jim Harbaugh meant it when he said that building the offensive line is the most important thing for the Chargers to do.
It could easily happen. If so, the Giants would be shut out of all four top quarterback prospects, but all three top wide receivers would still be on the board.
Giants fans have been conditioned to think that in the absence of a trade-up, whichever one of Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze is left at No. 6, that will be the pick. What if all three are still there? The best answer won’t be known for several years, but the choice may have to be made on April 25. The Giants could even trade down and select either a second-tier wide receiver or a second-tier quarterback. What reason would there be to stay put and take one of the top three…and which one?
The answer depends in part on just how good each of them is relative to each other and to the best wide receivers in the NFL. In many years there are no wide receivers taken in the top 10, or only one or two. It also depends, though, on what the Giants as currently constructed need most, and which one best fills a need in the Giants’ wide receiver room. Let’s look at both parts of this question.
The 2024 receivers relative to previous classes
I don’t think I’ve seen any draft analyst that doesn’t have Harrison, Nabers, and Odunze in some order as the top three wide receivers and doesn’t have all three in the top 10 of their big board. Dane Brugler of The Athletic ranks them Harrison (No. 2), Nabers (3), and Odunze (7). Lance Zierlein of NFL.com has them as his top three overall on his big board – ahead of all the QBs – in the order Nabers, Harrison, and Odunze. The Pro Football Focus big board has them Harrison (No. 2), Nabers (4), and Odunze (6).
Zierlein’s rankings also give an absolute grade for each player, so we can see how he views them relative to receivers whose NFL level of success is now known. Here are his scores:
