The New York Giants are looking to bounce back from a 6-11 campaign, but the recent NFL power rankings coming out of the draft suggest otherwise.
While most of the experts were impressed with the Giants' draft class, there's still a lot of work to be done for Big Blue to get back into the competition for a playoff spot.
In the latest roundup of where the Giants sit in the NFL power rankings, most outlets have them sitting near the bottom of the league.
DRAFT: Winners, losers from Giants' 2024 NFL draft haul
There's one exception, but even then the Giants are still in the bottom half of the rankings.
NFL power rankings: Giants remain bottom-dwellers post-draft
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: No. 30
The Giants ended up sticking with Daniel Jones and now need to hope he can maximize WR Malik Nabers. Safety Tyler Nubin will definitely help clean up for the defense. Status quo, however, will push them to last in the division.
Josh Kendall, The Athletic: No. 27
The Giants passed on an opportunity to get out of the Daniel Jones business and really shake up the draft by taking a quarterback with the sixth pick. Instead, they went with dynamic wide receiver Malik Nabers in hopes he’ll help lift Jones to another level. If that doesn’t work, New York can exit Jones’ contract pretty easily after this year. It did bring in Drew Lock as a veteran contingency plan.
Eric Edholm, NFL.com: No. 27
It seems like Daniel Jones received a reprieve when the Giants were unable to move up for Drake Maye on Thursday night. Jones clearly must produce this season, or the Giants will likely end up going through "90 Day Fiancé: QB Edition" again nine months from now. I give GM Joe Schoen credit for not overspending and reaching on a passer for whom he didn’t have conviction. Plus, what’s one of the best ways to give Jones a chance to be successful? Provide him with Malik Nabers. He’s the most exciting Giants wideout since prime Odell Beckham Jr., and the two former Tigers have some overlap in their games. After a disappointing 2023 campaign, Brian Daboll needs to reverse the franchise’s fortunes this season. Providing Jones with a stronger supporting cast always felt like the best route to achieve that.
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: No. 29
They passed on a quarterback in the draft, which means it's all on Daniel Jones. If he doesn't play well, there will be big changes in New York.
Gary Davenport, Bleacher Report: No. 30
It's well past time that the Giants gave their starting quarterback a legitimate go-to target, and picking Nabers made more sense than resetting under center with a prospect who might not be much better than Danny Dimes. But New York needs the improvements made over the offseason to take root quickly—allowing a league-high 85 sacks again in 2024 is not a recipe to return to respectability.
Connor Orr, Sports Illustrated: No. 20
The Giants had no business drafting a quarterback with Drake Maye off the board and I maintain that they’ll have more success with either Daniel Jones or Drew Lock and WR Malik Nabers than they would with a combination of Michael Penix Jr., Bo Nix or McCarthy and no weapon. Additionally, their focus on friendly mid-range targets for Jones—and in building the core of the defense—shows a smart approach to the long term.
For more Giants coverage, check out Kevin Hickey's work on Sporting News.
