There was a ton of speculation around the league when talking about who the Giants and Jets would be selecting in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Giants led the rumor mill for most of the past month, with many insiders having the GMen selecting a new signal caller. They have committed to Daniel Jones but did what ESPN called "extensive work" looking into quarterbacks leading up to the draft. Sitting in a position where it seemed the top three QBs would be off the board that left names like Michael Penix, Bo Nix and JJ McCarthy all swirling around Big Blue. Fans seemed torn on replacing Jones and his massive contract also seemed to stand in the way.
When the Giants were on the clock everyone in the league was on the edge of their seats, because what New York would do would change the course of draft night. Instead of a QB, New York selected Malik Nabers. Nabers is not just a non QB but he is a serious weapon for Jones and you can see the Giants new found commitment to their well paid gunslinger.
In almost any other draft Nabers would have been the #1 wide receiver taken off the board. He has all the makings of a true top WR and a #1 option for the #1 pick. His yards after catch ability is as good as anyone in this draft and he's been compared to Tyreek Hill. Nabers is an A pick for the Giants who's offense needed a jolt after losing Bakley in the offseason and he fits that explosive bill perfectly.
The Jets finished the season with a top ranked defense and they went all in on an aging quarterback a couple of years ago, so the consensus was they would take an offensive player. But, the question was who? Many analysts pointed to getting Rodgers another pass catcher. Even that had some dissenting opinions though as many WR names were thrown around, but the fans seemed to want tight end Brock Bowers.
Bowers has been favorably compared to some of the best pass catchers in the NFL and Aaron Rodgers has shown through his long career that he enjoys throwing to agile, pass catching tight ends. With all that said, New York pivoted away from getting Rodgers some weapons to work with and instead went with someone who could protect their often injured aging QB when they selected Olu Fashanu.
Fashanu is a big, physical lineman from Penn State. He has all the metrics of being a star in this league with a very highest ceiling. With elite size and athletic ability it's easy to project greatness from him. What he is missing is great hands and some footwork that left some draft critics mocking him further down the list. The Jets have plenty to work with and with the right coaching they could have that o-line anchor they have been needing. This is a solid B pick that can swing to an A with some tweaking, but can also fall to a C if that coaching doesn't take.
The Jets also got some draft capital with the pick because they traded down one pick with the Vikings. Minnesota traded the No. 11 overall pick, a 2024 fourth-round pick and a 2024 fifth-round pick to the Jets for their No. 10 and No. 203 overall picks.