New York Giants 2024 NFL Draft Review and Rookie Free Agent Signings

New York Giants 2024 NFL Draft Review

2024 Draft Pick Scouting Reports

1st Round – WR Malik Nabers, 6’0”, 200lbs, 4.35, LSU

Sy’56’s Scouting Report: Junior entry, three-year starter. All-American and first team All-SEC in 2023. Nabers steadily developed from a high school player who did not play as a senior to one of the most productive receivers in the country. He plays a notably physical brand for the position with level of competitiveness that shows up in several ways. Blended in with his elite top-end burst and above average speed, Nabers has the style of a guy that can evolve into a credible number one threat. His routes need work in specific areas but they are already elite in others, showing the likelihood of his quality projection in that area. The savvy, team-first playmaker is going to be a coach’s favorite and has the upside of a true number one with his top trait being what comes after the catch.

*We have seen glimpses and heard Brian Daboll discuss how much value a playmaker after the catch can be in his system. We’ve also heard how much he values a guy that can line up in different spots. Something like that makes me think he can be the guy that is atop their list in a few weeks. Nabers has elite twitch and toughness. His issues with drops have come from the fact he makes his post-catch move prior to bringing the ball in. That has been somewhat corrected and when it clicks, it looks special. The concept of pairing him with an eventual new, young quarterback makes sense. Nabers and Wan’Dale Robinson can create serious excitement in that area and if everything else falls into place, watch out. This would actually take some pressure off the quarterback much like the situation around Brock Purdy in SF. Nabers will be a fun player.

Joe Schoen’s Take: “He’s a guy who’s been on our radar for quite some time, explosive playmaker, can play multiple spots. Can separate and has run-after-the-catch, very good hands, very productive in a difficult conference… I’m fired up about the kid… He’s a really good player. And we were at the pro day, we had him in on a 30 visit and went to dinner with him a couple different times. Getting around the kid, he’s a great kid. He’s super competitive. He’s driven. And I’m excited about having him… He’s tough, doesn’t miss games, doesn’t miss practice. If he can play, he’s going to play. That’s the way this kid is wired… Looking forward to bringing some of that toughness and explosiveness to the roster… To me it always goes back to grit, toughness, tenacity. You can’t coach that. You can’t teach that. I think this kid best illustrates it.”

Brian Daboll’s Take: “I’m excited about Malik. He’s a heck of a player. He’s a fun guy to evaluate. Like Joe talked about, he’s got quickness, explosive, good run after the catch. He’s got a great mindset in terms of the competitive style he plays with. Played well in big games… He was obviously ultra productive at LSU. Made a ton of plays. I would say deep, intermediate, short… I love his personality. He’s a very, very competitive young man.”

Media Q&A with Malik Nabers: (Full Transcript)

2nd Round – Tyler Nubin, 6’1”, 205lbs, 4.62, University of Minnesota

Sy’56’s Scouting Report: Fifth year senior. Three-year starter. All-Big. Ten three straight years, first team in 2023 in addition to second team All-American honors. Nubin is one of the most experienced defensive backs in the class and one that contributed on special teams all five seasons. He led the Gophers on special teams tackles in both 2020 and 2023, a taste of his usage and impact along multiple mediums on a roster. At safety, Nubin improved his tackling year after year. He is both physical and technically sound, smart and aggressive. The ideal combination of traits as the final line of defense will be there for the team that brings him in. While his movement traits are good enough, there are issues with him playing a deep coverage role that needs to reach the sideline against vertical speed. His downhill bias has put him in bad spots and that fluidity to turn and catch up is not there. While some of those issues can be hidden with his excellent and consistent instincts and intelligence, he will not be the guy that can carry a secondary. Instead, he will be the reliable underneath and intermediate defender that can direct traffic and make plays on the ball when the opportunities are there. His 13 career interceptions set a program record and are top five all time in Big Ten history among safeties.

*Nubin is a guy you will like on tape 90% of the time but then you occasionally see something that worries you. He has the look, he has the footwork, and the dude made plays every year. 1 interception in 2020, 3 in 2021, 4 in 2022, 5 in 2023. All these boxes get checked left and right but the athletic profile for a guy who needs to play with a lot of range is questionable. He is a borderline first rounder for me but the elite special teams performance over his career could easily break the tie between him and someone else. High floor, limited ceiling.

Joe Schoen’s Take: “A guy that we spent a lot of time with. He had an injury. We went out to his pro day when he was healthy to see him out there. Obviously losing (Xavier McKinney) in the off-season, to get Nubin at that value, a guy with high character, leadership, smart, tough, dependable, and then the 13 career interceptions. Just a good football player. Culture changer at the University of Minnesota and he’s going to bring that type of mentality here, and I think that will come out tomorrow when you guys meet with him and spend some time with him. Just a really special kid that’s a good football player… He takes the ball away. 13 career interceptions. He’s a ball hawk. To me, the leadership, the character, the smarts, safety, the ability to communicate out there. To get guys to lined up I think is very important, and this kid is elite at those types of things.”

Media Q&A with Tyler Nubin: (Full Transcript)

3rd Round – CB Andru Phillips, 5’11”, 190lbs, 4.48, University of Kentucky

Sy’56’s Scouting Report: One-year starter. Also part of the heavy rotation in the Kentucky defensive backfield in 2022 which hosted two eventual pro outside corners. Phillips moved from the slot to outside, although he played all over the defensive backfield all three years, in 2023. Former high school track standout that starred in triple jumps where he finished number one in the nation. That burst stands out on film. Although slightly undersized, Phillips already has a lot of pro traits in his arsenal. He is smooth as butter in his backpedal and his ability to stick is foot in the ground and explode downhill created a lot of impressive tape. The inside-out versatility in addition to impressive tape in both zone and man coverage will make him attractive to any team looking to upgrade the cornerback room. There are off-field concerns from an arrest in 2021 that need to be answered. He also failed to grab a single interception over his career. Phillips does not react as quickly in man coverage and there are too many missed tackles. The good and bad with him creates a wide margin within his projection, but this guy has starting corner written all over him.

*Phillips is a guy that picked up a lot of steam over the season. His movement traits and fluidity are so pro-caliber. When he makes plays on the ball, there are a few elite, hard-to-find components that immediately jump off the screen. That is how I first found him. I was watching Florida offense tape and this kid kept jumping off the screen. The physical limitations did impede some of his playmaking potential. He may have to be a slot only but man I love how he turns and runs. The character concerns need to be a part of his process, no question.

Joe Schoen’s Take: “He’s sticky. He’s in terms of coverage, he’s around the football a lot. And watching him down in the Senior Bowl on one-on-ones, he has a lot of traits and those are things we are going to work on. He’s in position (to make interceptions), but he just has to finish a little bit better. But I really like the athlete, like the kid, look forward to him getting here. Told Wan’Dale (Robinson), he’s got to be ready for practice because Dru said he was going to be locking him up. That will be good competition there… He’s got the versatility to play inside, and outside. But we have options because (Cor’Dale) Flott can play inside, and outside as well. If he goes inside, Flott can go outside or vice-versa. The versatility is also attractive for all these guys with the new defense.”

Media Q&A with Andru Phillips: (Full Transcript)

4th Round – TE Theo Johnson, 6’6”, 259lbs, 4.57, Penn State University

Sy’56’s Scouting Report: Three-year starter. All-Big Ten in 2023. Johnson has the prototype body merged with soft hands and quick feet to pose as a potential starting tight end in the league. He has shown flashes of being a matchup nightmare for both linebackers and defensive backs. The catch radius and sheer weight he can play should help with some of the short area movement issues he shows as a route runner and ball carrier to have at least a quality backup outlook. The athletic upside he possesses leaves the door open to a bigger role. He brings a rare blend of size and speed to the table that coaches will want a crack at developing. Johnson needs to clean up some of the fine points of the position to reach his ceiling, but the floor with him is high to feel safe about him providing solid rotational play, at least.

*I’ll say this right now. Johnson has the ceiling to be the top tight end in this class (including Bowers). That fact alone leads me to believe he should be graded a bit higher. But the number is the number. He has several flashes on tape combined with a historic blend of size, explosion, and speed. At this time, however, he is a better athlete than he is a football player. I felt that way after watching tape and when I saw him in person at the Senior Bowl. It looks like he is still learning his body and simply lacks some important coordination and football reaction speed. Worth the gamble because he could change an offense. Maybe a similar trajectory we have seen with Cole Kmet with the Bears.

Joe Schoen’s Take: “Theo was the top player on our board… He was sticking out for us. You always think when you come in the next morning, he’s going to go sooner and may not be there and we’re excited to get Theo.”

Media Q&A with Player: (Full Transcript)

5th Round – RB Tyrone Tracy, Jr., 5’11”, 209lbs, 4.48, Purdue University

Sy’56’s Scouting Report: Sixth-year senior. Four-year starter that spent four seasons at Iowa before his final two at Purdue. Tracy will turn 25 years old as a rookie but in terms of running back age, he is younger than most. He played wide receiver from 2018-2022 before moving into the backfield full time in his final year. In that one season, Tracy finished fourth in the country in yards after contact per attempt in the country among backs with over 100 carries. His career was sputtering, as his best season as a receiver came in 2019. The smooth position move opened a door, one that is searching for pass game weapons out of the backfield. Tracy is not a dynamic or explosive athlete, but he simply knows what to do with the ball in his hands and it shows up as a returner as well. His progression will be an interesting one to follow, one with a high ceiling.

*Tracy is one of the more interesting prospects in the entire draft. He runs like he doesn’t always know what he’s doing but that is part of the intrigue. What happens to him if it does click? He is already productive, and he is already a top-shelf pass catcher the position. He already adds return value. Something about him simply makes sense for a chance on day three because Singletary could easily be elsewhere before the end of 2024, let alone pre-2025. And I view that as the season this team can be ready to compete.

Brian Daboll’s Take: “He’s a former receiver. In terms of yards per carry, he’s been pretty good. He’s an athlete who has played receiver and then played running back and has some good production. We’ll throw him in the mix. Whether that’s in the kickoff return game or whether that’s at running back or the receiving part of it, we’ve got to do a good job of getting him in here and seeing where he’s at and then trying to fit him into the things that he can do well.”

Media Q&A with Player: (Full Transcript)

6th Round – Darius Muasau, 6’0”, 225lbs, 4.7, UCLA

Sy’56’s Scouting Report: Fifth-year senior, four-year starter. Spent three seasons at Hawaii where he was first team All-Mountain West two times. Transferred to UCLA in 2022 where he was All-Pac 12 in both 2023 and 2022. Muasau is a productive run defender who can lead a defense from the middle. He is an experienced shot caller who understands blocking schemes a step or two ahead, which helps him get on the right side of blockers as he attacks downhill. Muasau does not have the size or athletic tool set to factor against the pass, whether it be as a pass rusher or cover man. His usage at the next level will be limited to early down duty and special teams. The toughness, dependability, and football IQ can keep him on a roster as a quality, dependable backup and role player.

*Muasau is a guy who will be drafted late for special teams alone. This is the kind of guy who teams look for toward the back end to beef up their presence on kickoff/punt cover units. As a middle linebacker, Muasau is not athletic enough to check all of the boxes but he is a dependable player between the tackles. His range is limited, but his dependable and consistent interior run defense can provide something for a team that needs help there.

Joe Schoen’s Take: “He’s a good football player. He was actually with Ghoby (Special Teams Coordinator Michael Ghobrial), our special teams coach, they crossed paths at Hawaii. 440 career tackles, hasn’t missed a game, smart, tough, dependable, instinctive. Our special teams coach, he’s coached him, has a vision for him on special teams. He was at the East-West, and I would say — Tyrone Tracy was, too. Having our coaches and Shea at the Senior Bowl with Theo. I think there’s a little bit of competitive advantage in terms of — again, going back to Dabs’ staff and their willingness to sacrifice their time to help us in this process, and I would say all three of those guys that we took today, our coaches had intimate knowledge of those guys from the all-star games.”

Media Q&A with Player: (Full Transcript)

Rookie Free Agent Scouting Reports

To be provided.