The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft has come and gone, and the New York Giants were one of the few teams picking in the top 12 not to end up with a quarterback. While six QBs were picked in that range, the Giants elected to draft a playmaker in LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers with the No. 6 selection.
Following that pick, quarterbacks Michael Penix Jr. (No. 8), J.J. McCarthy (No. 10) and Bo Nix (No. 12) all came off the board, so it doesn’t seem likely the Giants will be drafting a QB on Day 2. Good or bad, that means they can now turn their attention to their remaining needs, including those at cornerback, offensive line and interior defensive line.
NFL Draft 2024 tracker: Live blog, pick-by-pick grades and analysis
Big board best available: Who’s left from Dane Brugler’s Top 300?
Draft pick grades: Nick Baumgardner, Scott Dochterman rate the selections
Full draft order: Team picks for all 257 selections
Here are best remaining players who could fit the Giants’ needs. They are listed in order of their ranking on Dane Brugler’s best remaining prospects.
(Notes: The number listed next to each player is their final overall rank on Brugler’s top 300. A * means they completed a Top-30 visit with the Giants.)
Second round, No. 47
30. *Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama (5-11, 196 pounds)
With no apparent starting outside corner to line up opposite 2023 first-rounder Deonte Banks, the Giants need one. McKinstry is a proven outside corner, playing nearly all his snaps there during his three years at Alabama. He makes completions hard for receivers because of his length and ability to play through their hands. Nabers and fellow LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. called McKinstry the best CB they played against in college. He’s a strong option for the Giants in Round 2.
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Daniel Jones getting one more chance, as Giants draft Malik Nabers after failing to trade up for QB
36. Kris Jenkins, DT, Michigan (6-2, 299)
Jenkins just won a title with the Wolverines, and he has NFL lineage. His dad (Kris Jenkins Sr.) was a four-time Pro Bowler over 10 seasons in the league while his uncle Cullen Jenkins won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers during a 14-year pro career. While Jenkins Jr. has a different build than his father, he brings a similar energy and awareness, Brugler wrote. That mentality could benefit the Giants.
38. *Cooper Beebe, OG, Kansas State (6-3, 322)
Beebe became the first offensive lineman in Kansas State history to be named a consensus All-American. He allowed just one sack over his final 41 college games. While he was primarily a left guard, he has started at both tackle spots, offering at least some history of versatility that could be attractive to the Giants. Beebe’s arm length (31½ inches) might not be as desirable, but Brugler said he still projects as a high-floor starting guard.
39. *Jaden Hicks, S, Washington State (6-1, 215)
With Xavier McKinney departing in free agency, safety is one of those sneaky need positions that isn’t being discussed enough. Hicks is Brugler’s top-rated player at safety. He also was one of Brugler’s selections for the Giants in his final seven-round mock draft. As Brugler explained to me, “Hicks has the intimidation factor in the box, but he also has the athleticism to make plays in coverage. He could immediately fill a role in the secondary to help address the loss of McKinney.”
49. Ennis Rakestraw Jr., CB, Missouri (5-11, 183)
The biggest concern for Rakestraw is his health after he suffered a torn ACL in 2021 and a groin injury in 2023 that caused him to miss time. The Giants might want to avoid Rakestraw for the injury concerns alone. Still, he remains a highly regarded CB who did a bit of everything in Missouri’s man and zone schemes, playing some sticky and aggressive coverage.
51. Ruke Orhorhoro, DT, Clemson (6-4, 294)
Yet another position that requires some depth after it thinned considerably from this time last year. Even after adding 31-year-old Jordan Phillips in free agency, the Giants need some more quality players behind Dexter Lawrence and Rakeem Nunez-Roches — especially if Jordon Riley and D.J. Davidson don’t develop this season. Orhorhoro’s scheme versatility and ability to play multiple positions, both inside and outside, would be an intriguing use of a second-round pick.
55. T.J. Tampa, CB, Iowa State (6-0, 194)
Tampa didn’t work out at the NFL Scouting Combine because of a hamstring injury, but he’s proven reliable before then: His 2024 bowl opt-out was the only game he missed over the past three seasons. He’s got experience lining up as a left outside corner in a zone-heavy scheme. That came over three years as a starter, which would be beneficial to the Giants in search of their own starter.
61. *Andru Phillips, CB, Kentucky (5-10, 190)
Phillips has experience inside and outside along with the upside of providing immediate special teams value. His size might not be as attractive, but new DC Shane Bowen said he’s OK if players don’t meet prototype measurables if they can do three things well at the cornerback position: defend the deep part of the field, play man coverage and be a willing tackler. While Brugler said Phillips has tackling toughness, he was dinged for 15 missed tackles in 2023. Whether he’s a starter-ready corner is the question for the Giants as they look to find someone to play opposite of Banks.
64. *Maason Smith, DT, LSU (6-5, 306)
Smith is an intriguing prospect who has desirable size, movement skills, pop at contact and positional versatility, but he’s inexperienced with only one season as a starter. There are also some injury concerns after he missed the 2022 season with a torn ACL. If the Giants can afford patience, he could be a good fit, especially with a defensive line coach like Andre Patterson, who could be the ticket to unlocking Smith’s full potential.
Third round, No. 70
65. Adisa Isaac, Edge, Penn State (6-4, 247)
After handing a mega-contract to recent trade acquisition Brian Burns, along with Kayvon Thibodeaux’s presence, the Giants seem unlikely to use a second-round pick on an edge player. But given Azeez Ojulari’s injury history and the fact that he’s entering a contract year, perhaps the Giants wouldn’t mind another big investment. And with Isaac’s starting upside to become an impactful player thanks to length, energy and athletic tools, he might prove to be a smart pick.
66. Brandon Coleman, OT, TCU (6-4, 313)
Coleman’s injury history will be key as he dealt with knee and ankle injuries throughout the 2023 season. But if Coleman is cleared there, he offers the Giants some needed depth and flexibility. While he has the traits to stay at tackle, Brugler, said, he can also play guard.
81. *Trey Benson, RB, Florida State (6-0, 216)
Benson seems to be climbing draft boards lately. He was Brugler’s third-round selection for the Giants in his recent seven-round mock draft. The Giants lost Saquon Barkley to the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason, leaving a big hole in the running back room and on the offense as a whole. Free-agent acquisition Devin Singletary can’t be expected to completely fill that void.
“Benson isn’t the most instinctive ball carrier, but his contact balance and big-play potential would be a great fit in Brian Daboll’s offense,” Brugler said.
80. Theo Johnson, TE, Penn State (6-6, 259)
The Giants still don’t know if Darren Waller is going to play this year. It makes sense, therefore, for them to operate as if he isn’t returning. Even if he does, Waller will be 32 soon, so investing in a young tight end is wise. Brugler said that while Johnson is a work in progress, he’s a worthy long-term investment for an NFL team, which sounds exactly the kind of prospect the Giants could use.
84. Malik Mustapha, S, Wake Forest (5-10, 206)
Mustapha’s competitiveness was highlighted by Brugler, and as we just saw with the Nabers pick, that’s a huge asset to this Giants coaching staff. Mustapha could compete for defensive snaps early in his career– ideal for a team lacking depth in the secondary– but he’ll make a good addition on special teams too.
97. Braelon Allen, RB, Wisconsin (6-1, 235)
Despite his big fame, Allen isn’t as nasty as you’d want, Brugler said. However, he has solid vision and agility, along with some third-down potential. He could serve as a good complement to Singletary. Allen has the distinction of being the youngest player in this draft class (he’ll be 20 years old his entire rookie season) which has to be appealing for front offices thinking about running back value and career longevity.
(Photo of McKinstry: Gary Cosby Jr. / USA Today)
