It is no secret the Giants explored taking a quarterback in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Giants brass acknowledged doing homework on the franchise QBs before last April’s draft, and the front office’s pursuit of one — which included looking to trade up — was well documented on HBO’s offseason edition of “Hard Knocks.”
But with Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye off the board, the Giants took playmaking wide receiver Malik Nabers with the No. 6 pick rather than rolling with a lower-rated passer such as Michael Penix Jr. or J.J. McCarthy.
This April’s draft lacks the top-tier quarterback prospects that populated last year’s, but the Giants figure to be squarely in the mix at the position once again.
Sunday’s 20-17 overtime loss to the lowly Carolina Panthers in Munich, Germany, dropped the Giants to 2-8. They woke up Monday in line for the second overall pick and tied with the Jacksonville Jaguars — who have quarterback Trevor Lawrence on a long-term contract — for the NFL’s worst record.
The Giants can get out of quarterback Daniel Jones’ $160 million contract this offseason with a palatable cap hit, so long as he does not suffer a serious injury that would trigger a $23 million guarantee.
Jones, in his sixth NFL season, has completed 63.3% of his passes for 2,070 yards and eight touchdowns against seven interceptions in 10 games this year.
The Jets, meanwhile, fell to 3-7 with Sunday’s 31-6 drubbing by the Arizona Cardinals — the latest rough loss in a humbling campaign for a Super Bowl hopeful.
Aaron Rodgers has said he hopes to play beyond this season, but he turns 41 in less than a month. With a premium pick, the Jets could consider drafting his long-term replacement.
The Jets remain only two games out of a playoff spot in the top-heavy AFC, but they began Monday in position for the No. 8 draft pick.
Much can change over the final eight weeks of the season, but here are the college quarterbacks to keep an eye on.
SHEDEUR SANDERS, COLORADO
No player will enter the NFL next season with more attention than Sanders, the son of Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, who is now the charismatic head coach of Colorado.
The younger Sanders is turning in another strong season with a 72.9% completion percentage, 2,882 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions, and this year, that production has actually translated into wins for the Buffaloes.
Complicating Sanders’ case is that his famous father has suggested he’ll try to control his son’s NFL landing spot, saying on the “Million Dollaz Worth of Game” podcast in March that “it’s going to be an Eli.”
Eli Manning, of course, was drafted first overall by the San Diego Chargers against his wishes in 2004 before being traded to the Giants.
Sanders is Mel Kiper Jr.’s top-ranked quarterback and 11th overall prospect on his ESPN big board, while PFF ranks him third among QBs and 21st overall.
CAM WARD, MIAMI
Ward is a big-play machine.
His 3,494 passing yards lead Division-I quarterbacks, as do his 32 touchdown passes.
He boasts the athleticism to make plays off script and the arm talent to deliver passes from multiple throwing angles.
Ward, in his first season at Miami, has improved his ball security with the 9-1 Hurricanes after arriving with turnover concerns from his past stops at Incarnate Word and Washington State.
He is the second-ranked quarterback and 12th overall prospect for Kiper, while PFF ranks Ward second among quarterbacks and 15th overall.
JALEN MILROE, ALABAMA
Proving more divisive is Milroe, a dual-threat dynamo and excellent leader for the Crimson Tide whose prowess as a passer isn’t at the level of Sanders or Ward.
Milroe has completed 67.4% of his passes for 2,046 yards with 13 touchdowns against six interceptions this season.
His 565 rushing yards mark a career high, however, while his 16 rushing touchdowns rank seventh in the nation among players at any position.
Milroe’s draft stock rose with Sunday’s 185-yard, four-touchdown performance on the ground in a win over LSU, though he passed for only 109 yards on 12-of-18 attempts in that one.
PFF is higher on Milroe, whom it ranks first among quarterbacks and fifth overall, than Kiper, who has him third among QBs and unranked on his 25-man big board.
QUINN EWERS, TEXAS
Another proven winner, Ewers oozes confidence and has mostly risen to the occasion in big games.
He wields a big arm and is in the midst of another strong season for the 8-1 Longhorns, passing for 1,722 yards and 19 touchdowns against six interceptions in Texas’ first year in the SEC.
Ewers has been somewhat prone to head-scratching turnovers, and he’s missed at least two games due to injury in each of his three seasons as a starter, including this year with an abdomen strain.
The junior, who sits ahead of Arch Manning on the Texas depth chart, is Kipers’ fifth-ranked quarterback prospect and PFF’s sixth.
CARSON BECK, GEORGIA
Considered the top quarterback prospect by some analysts before the season, Beck’s status has taken a hit during a season in which he has already thrown 12 interceptions — tied for the most among D-I quarterbacks.
At 6-4, Beck still possesses the size and arm strength that NFL evaluators covet, but he’s fallen well behind the likes of Ward and Sanders among most prognosticators.
PFF has him fifth among QBs. Kiper has him sixth.
GARRETT NUSSMEIER, LSU
On an opposite trajectory is Nussmeier, who has risen up draft boards in his first season as LSU’s starter.
Nussmeier’s decision-making remains a work in progress, as evidenced by his three interceptions in a loss to Texas A&M on Oct. 26 and his two interceptions in Sunday’s loss to Alabama.
But Nussmeier has drawn praise for his ability to make NFL-caliber throws, and he ranks second in the SEC in both passing yards (2,866) and passing touchdowns (21).
PFF and Kiper both rank Nussmeier fourth among quarterback prospects.
