New York Giants considered moving up in draft to select Jayden Daniels

Hard Knocks is revealing all sorts of details about the Giants off-season. And in a preview for next week’s episode, fans learn that the team would’ve traded up for Jayden Daniels. Somewhere, Daniel Jones is cringing.

Quarterbacks were the story in the lead up to the NFL Draft, with Caleb Williams the likely No. 1 and Daniels moving up to second. The Giants, although they were a year removed from giving Daniel Jones a hefty contract, were rumored to be one of the teams wanting to spend draft capital on a rookie QB.

The Hard Knocks preview basically confirmed that. The clip showed general manager Joe Schoen in a personnel meeting that included Giants coach Brian Daboll.

Schoen posed the question: “Daniels — have you guys seen enough that you would trade up for him?”

Daboll was an affirmative in favor of the former LSU star and Heisman Trophy winner “Daniels? I would.”

But as we all know, the Giants decided against selecting a quarterback in the first round, although they did admit to thinking about one. New York owned the sixth pick of the first round. Coincidentally, the team went with Daniels’ teammate, Malik Nabers, who was the second receiver off the draft board.

Giants opted against using 6th pick for another quarterback

As expected, the Bears opted for Williams, while the Commanders, with pick No. 2, quickly selected Daniels. The Patriots, at No. 3, took North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye. Then Arizona selected Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr and the Chargers picked Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt.

That left the Giants to decide between Nabers, a dynamic playmaker, or a quarterback prospect like J.J. McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr or Bo Nix. The Giants believed the sixth pick probably was too high, so they stuck with Nabers.

Jones probably won’t find any of this comforting as he readies to report with his Giants teammates for training camp, which starts next Wednesday. He said in an interview this week with the Simms Complete podcast that his surgically-repaired knee is healthy. Phil Simms, who won two Super Bowls with the Giants, is a co-host.

“At this point, I’m doing pretty much everything — running, cutting, everything I need to do,” Jones said.

But last season was a tough one for Jones. He injured his neck in week five and missed three games. Then once he returned, Jones tore his ACL. The Giants signed Jones to a new, four-year contract worth $160 million in 2023, months after New York was in the playoffs. Now they don’t know if he can stay healthy.

In case Jones can’t go, the Giants signed Drew Lock, a former second-rounder from Missouri, as a Plan B. If they were willing to make a deal, they might’ve had Daniels.