The New York Giants are almost on the clock. As the season winds down for the 2024 NFL season, it appears as though Big Blue will be ending up with the #1 overall pick or at "worst" the second selection in the draft, and for Giants fans at least they get something to root for.
It's hard to endure losing seasons, but when you're in the NFL the losing can always be met with enthusiasm after the season with a high draft pick. Heading into this weekend the Giants look to be sitting with the highest draft position of all.
New York has lost 10 games in a row and entered the weekend as the only team in the league with just two victories. The Giants have had QB issues for a long time now and this very proud franchise has been enduring losing to extents which they are unaccustomed to. The G-Men now will have some decisions to make in the off season for several key positions, but who their next signal caller will be is the top priority.
For other organizations the allure of trading the top pick might be too much to pass up. Last season it was reported that teams were offering the Chicago Bears three first round picks for the #1 pick, who eventually became Caleb Williams. The year prior to that the Panthers selected Bryce Young with the top pick. They traded into that spot and the Bears fetched a haul that is regarded as one of the biggest draft day trades ever.
So, will the Giants dangle the pick for a haul of picks? Not likely, and if history tells us anything, you can almost eliminate that possibility. The Giants as an organization are known to be very cautious in the draft and most teams won't trade that top pick with it happening just 13 times in NFL history.
So, assuming they make the pick, now the decision boils down to who to choose at #1. Sure, they can go the retread route with a Sam Darnold, Kirk Cousins, or the like but that leads to even bigger questions. It's likely they will be taking a QB with the top overall pick and most analysts say that comes down to Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders.
Both Ward and Sanders have similar profiles on the field. They are athletic and strong armed QBs, who most evaluators believe need some seasoning before being thrown into the fire. Make no mistake these are not finished products. That is not a slight to them though as Caleb Williams was considered a can't miss prospect and Jayden Daniels was evaluated as being a little too raw, so we see that things can change.
Ward plays the game with a lot of risk, something New York has always shied away from. He is careless with the ball, despite some electric plays. he is just not a typical New York Giants type of pick. Which leads all roads to Sanders. Sanders seems to be who the Giants fans want and the media has already been projecting him to the G-Men. The problem with Sanders isn't so much on the field as it has been off. Besides having to deal with his overbearing father, the Giants will also have to curtail Sanders often surly nature. He has had issues on the field and off because of a poor attitude and there have been numerous reports about his attitude problems. New York is a team that historically doesn't bring in that type of player.
So, the Giants look like they will be left with one of a few decisions this off season. Which road they take will be very interesting to watch because whether it be trading the pick or choosing between two players who are not "Giant-like" they will be taking a new approach, and in many ways that could be just what they need to go back to winning football.