Ranking Giants' top five NFL Draft targets with Big Blue destined for high pick

With the Giants sitting at 2-8 and without Daniel Jones for the remainder of the year, their season is over for all intents and purposes. 

The best thing for their future is to pick as high as possible in the 2024 NFL Draft so they can select a true franchise cornerstone. And with a tricky schedule remaining, it's quite possible Big Blue finishes 3-14 or 2-15.

ESPN Analytics gives New York a 38.4 percent chance to land the No. 1 pick in the draft -- only the Chicago Bears at 39.3 percent (with the pick traded to them from the Panthers) have higher odds.

When you pick early in an NFL Draft, you have to seriously consider taking a quarterback, especially when someone like Jones -- who has struggled and dealt with significant injuries throughout his career -- is your QB. 

New York can get out of Jones' contract relatively painlessly after the 2024 season, so selecting a quarterback could be the most likely option.

Here's what the Giants' big board should look like:

5. Michael Penix Jr.: QB, Washington

Penix, 23, is a seasoned QB and one of the favorites for the Heisman Trophy. He played four seasons at Indiana and delivered one of the best years in school history in 2020, but transferred to Washington in 2022, where he became a superstar.

The lefty dart-thrower has led his Washington squad to a 10-0 start, throwing for 3,533 yards (353.3 passing yards per game) and 28 touchdowns. 

Penix is a pocket-passer and offers little in the running game, but is by far the most seasoned prospect in this draft class, having thrown for 12,371 yards and 88 touchdowns in his college career.

He is similar to Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa, but is a little taller and has an even bigger cannon.

4. Jayden Daniels: QB, LSU

No prospect has seen his stock rise more in recent weeks than Daniels. The quarterback of the nation's second-highest-scoring offense (45.9 points per game) completed 17 of his 26 passes for 372 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 234 yards and two touchdowns in LSU's win over Florida on Saturday night. 

Daniels' performance on Saturday was historic, as he was the first player in FBS history to throw for 350+ yards and rush for 200+ yards in a single game.

This season, the 6' 4", 210-pounder has 76 plays for 20 or more yards. That is ridiculous. Penix has the country's second-most 20+ yard plays, but he only has 57.

Daniels has thrown for 3,164 yards and 30 touchdowns this season while rushing for 918 yards and eight touchdowns. He leads the country in QBR (94.2), and has over 12,000 passing yards and more than 3,000 rushing yards in his college career.

His recent play is reminiscent of Lamar Jackson.

3. Marvin Harrison Jr.: WR, Ohio State

Deviating from the quarterback trend, Harrison is a generational wide receiver prospect who would immediately fill the Giant's long-lasting need for a No. 1 wideout.

Big Blue only has two wide receivers who figure to fit in their long-term plans -- Jalin Hyatt and Wan'Dale Robinson. So they'll likely draft at least one wide receiver in April.

Harrison played on a college team with recent first-round picks Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba in 2021, and many coaches and pundits believe Harrison was the most talented player in that receiving room.

The 6' 4", 205-pound Philadelphia native has posted gaudy numbers this year, hauling in 59 passes for 1,063 yards (18 yards per catch) and 12 touchdowns. In 2022, Harrison had 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns. Had he not gotten hurt against Georgia in the College Football Playoff, Ohio State likely would have won the National Championship.

Harrison's size, speed (sub 4.40 40-yard dash), and strength all stand out. ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said he would rank Harrison as the top WR prospect over the last 16 years. That is some enormous praise.

It's hard to find a valid player comp for Harrison. He plays like Ja'Marr Chase but is three inches taller than the Bengals star.

2. Drake Maye: QB, North Carolina

Maye is a consensus top two-player in the draft class. The massive quarterback (6' 4", 230 pounds) has an absolute hose on his right arm. Despite being sacked 40 times in 2022, Maye threw for 4,321 yards and 38 touchdowns. So far in 2023, the North Carolina native has thrown for 3,145 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Maye has a quiet confidence to him and looks a lot like Justin Herbert on the field. The one significant difference between Herbert and the UNC quarterback is that Maye is a massive threat in the running game. He has rushed for 1,036 yards and 15 touchdowns in his two and a half seasons as the starter.

Maye led his team to a double overtime victory over Duke on Saturday night and made wildly athletic plays, including no-look and jump passes.

Some scouts even prefer Maye over my No. 1 prospect.

1. Caleb Williams: QB, USC

Williams has been the top prospect in the 2024 draft class ever since he stepped on the field as a freshman for Oklahoma in 2021. I am not saying Williams is Patrick Mahomes, but no football player in this world plays quarterback more like Mahomes than Williams does.

Williams is as slippery and elusive as any QB in the world. When he has the football, every play could turn into a touchdown. There is not a throw on the football field he cannot make.

As a true freshman in 2021, Williams replaced Spencer Rattler as Oklahoma's starter in the middle of the annual Oklahoma-Texas game, leading his squad to a comeback. He threw 21 touchdowns and nearly 2,000 yards in 2021 despite not playing around half the season.

He followed Lincoln Riley to USC in 2022 and was instantly the best player in the country. Williams threw for 4,537 yards and 41 touchdowns (with just five interceptions) en route to winning the 2022 Heisman Trophy. Williams' 2023 USC team is nowhere near as talented as they were in 2022, but he has still thrown for 3,249 yards and 29 touchdowns.

Recent quarterbacks groomed by Riley such as Jalen Hurts, Kyler Murray, and Baker Mayfield, have had a ton of NFL success, so tapping into the tree would be very smart.

It can be argued that Williams is already better than half of the quarterbacks in the NFL. He has a floor of a top-15 quarterback, and a ceiling as high as a perennial top-five quarterback.