"Having spent much of the past six weeks speaking to dozens of college football coaches and NFL sources, I put together my fourth annual first-round mock draft based on all that intel, as well as team needs.
The evaluation process is always an inexact science. My aim with this project is to provide unique insight directly from the rival coaches who have scouted, game-planned for and then faced each of these prospects. Those sources, granted anonymity to speak freely about the prospects, know exactly what they’re dealing with and what they’ve tried to do to them in real game situations."
1. Bears - Williams
2. Commanders - Daniels
3. Patriots - Maye
4. Vikings - McCarthy
5. Chargers - Harrison Jr.
6. New York Giants: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
The Giants have an underwhelming quarterback situation with Daniel Jones returning and Drew Lock now in the mix. I could see them tempted to get into the top three for a promising QB, but receiver is also a big need, and here they’ll have their choice of two studs in Odunze and Malik Nabers. Both are dazzling, but after drafting a blazer from the SEC last year in Jalin Hyatt, the hunch is they go for the bigger, more physical Odunze.
The 6-foot-3, 212-pound Odunze isn’t quite as fast as Nabers, but he is really explosive. The former track standout from Las Vegas clocked a 4.45 40 at the combine with a 1.52 10-yard split, a 39-inch vertical and a 4.03 shuttle time. His film is even more impressive than his workout numbers. Last season, he had 92 catches for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns. Everyone who has been around him comes away impressed. His ball skills are truly elite.
“His focus is awesome,” a former Washington assistant told The Athletic, adding that Odunze would come back to the sideline and could tell coaches exactly how many times the ball rotated before it got to him. From the feedback I got from NFL folks and others who had been around him during the combine run-up, I came away thinking that Odunze is the other receiver alongside Harrison closest to being a can’t-miss prospect.
The Coaching Intel
“(He is) as good as we’ve faced (in two decades as a college coach). Unbelievable with the ball in the air. Fantastic hands. Very good route runner. Good size. Good competitor. He is as good at tracking the ball as I’ve ever seen. That 50-50 ball, he had to have been 85 percent or better at those.”
“He can play inside or outside and eat you up. He’s very polished and has a lot in his bag. He makes great adjustments and is very, very strong. He’s the alpha receiver who bullies guys whenever there’s a contested catch. I know people talked a lot about Marvin Harrison and we never played him, but if he’s better than this guy, man, that’s really saying something.”
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This adds up
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In comment 16455923 LW_Giants said:
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In comment 16455908 gersh said:
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to be in. But that's where we are.
At some point drafting BPA at #6 (likely Rome or Nabers) is the smart move. The second round pick will likely bolster the OL or IDL- or maybe a trade to get another QB?
The only other move I endorse is trading #6 to get a QB they really like later (Penix or Nix?) but they may go fairly early as well?
Daboll has to earn his reputation as someone who can develop a QB.
You can't build a team by giving away top picks for a decent QB prospect. IMO, trading valuable picks to get JJM would be the worst move here.
You absolutely can build a team by trading up for QB, if that QB turns into a stud a la Josh Allen. We don't know which of the top QB's will end up being the best so assuming one is just a "decent" prospect because the pundits say he is lower ranked than the others doesn't mean it's true
True
I'm not basing it on the pundits but that I've watched JJM and just don't see it.
I could be easily be wrong, but I'm giving my opinion.
If you want to talk about blindly accepting the pundits opinions - how about the fact that no one I'm aware of saw JJM as a top pick. Then, a couple of month ago Harbaugh said JJM is the best QB in the draft and the sheep all lined up.
That's why we have to hope that the Giants actually know what they're doing when evaluating these guys. But you can't avoid picking one because of the risk. There is always going to be risk, that's part of the draft. The key is once a guy flops (like Jones) don't cling onto the mistake trying to convince yourself and everyone else that it wasn't a mistake. Acknowledge it and move on.
Yes, we agree
IMO, "selling the farm" may be worth it for Maye or Daniels but not JJM.
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Odunze is my pick, if not him pick Turner and keep loading the defense with more talent.
You’d take turner? And then trade KT. What would that plan look like in your mind? Also, let’s say somehow Rome isn’t there. Would you take Nabers over Turner?
Nabers has the tools but the diva concerns are there. It's really a toss up between Odunze, Nabers, and Turner, can't go wrong picking any one of them.
With the contract given to Burns, KT will be forced to step up his production big time, otherwise he's not going to warrant that type of contract. If he falls short, he becomes a trade candidate and having Turner in the pipeline would be a blue chip addition to a roster desperately in need of impact playmakers.
If you like a QB you do not trade back and hope that he is still available for you at that pick. You take him at the pick that you have if he's there because that is guaranteed.
It's why trying to get as high up into the top 3/5 as possible is the route I would hope they are exploring and have a chance to do. The more players available to you at a draft slot the better chance you have that the one you covet the most is there.
There is no waiting on a QB. Take him at 6 or trade up (if you can) to get him.
I know fans hate this argument, but winning an extra game or two really hurt the Giants with respect to this draft if they wanted a QB.
They shouldn't hate it because it's absolutely true. The wins against the Pats and Commanders were what I've referred to previously as catastrophic victories.
What would be better for the NY Giants right now;
- sitting at 1.02 or 1.03 and having a chance to draft a potential franchise QB without surrendering premium draft picks to move up
or
- having the Giants 2023 WL record be 6-11 rather than 4-13 and possibly missing out on upgrading the most important position in football and possibly all of sports.
The answer should be obvious but apparently, it's not.
If you like a QB you do not trade back and hope that he is still available for you at that pick. You take him at the pick that you have if he's there because that is guaranteed.
It's why trying to get as high up into the top 3/5 as possible is the route I would hope they are exploring and have a chance to do. The more players available to you at a draft slot the better chance you have that the one you covet the most is there.
There is no waiting on a QB. Take him at 6 or trade up (if you can) to get him.
True
Though picking #6 and using next years #1 or #2 to move back in at the right moment (when a team is on the clock) is a possibility. Though using next year's #1 for anyone not name Williams, Maye or Daniels would be a bad move IMO. We are likely to be a top 5 pick next year.
Nabers is a year younger, more explosive, better YAC guy. Lit up SEC defenses. However, he is not anywhere near as prolific catching the football as the other two top guys. Very little “pluckability”. He lets the ball get in on his body a lot and doesn’t seem to be as clean of a hands catcher. I’m not saying he’s “bad” at this, like Quentin Johnston for example, but definitley worth noting for me.
With Odunze, he’s elite at catching the ball. Not nearly as dynamic with the ball but he does have very nice movement skills while running routes. Needs to become a bit more refined in his route running (could be that he wasn’t asked to be a refined route runner at UW).
As others have mentioned, Odunze is safer bet from a character standpoint. Nabers will still be very good but I wonder if he is more Sammy Watkins than he is Jamar Chase.
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In comment 16455910 ryanmkeane said:
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I think Odunze will be a really good pro for a really long time.
Nabers may have more talent but he’s a bit more diva/dog in him.
How do you know Nabers is a diva?
Because I have eyes and ears.
What have your eyes and ears told you? Because he didn’t work out at the combine? Or have you heard something else?
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In comment 16455908 gersh said:
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to be in. But that's where we are.
At some point drafting BPA at #6 (likely Rome or Nabers) is the smart move. The second round pick will likely bolster the OL or IDL- or maybe a trade to get another QB?
The only other move I endorse is trading #6 to get a QB they really like later (Penix or Nix?) but they may go fairly early as well?
Daboll has to earn his reputation as someone who can develop a QB.
You can't build a team by giving away top picks for a decent QB prospect. IMO, trading valuable picks to get JJM would be the worst move here.
You absolutely can build a team by trading up for QB, if that QB turns into a stud a la Josh Allen. We don't know which of the top QB's will end up being the best so assuming one is just a "decent" prospect because the pundits say he is lower ranked than the others doesn't mean it's true
True
I'm not basing it on the pundits but that I've watched JJM and just don't see it.
I could be easily be wrong, but I'm giving my opinion.
If you want to talk about blindly accepting the pundits opinions - how about the fact that no one I'm aware of saw JJM as a top pick. Then, a couple of month ago Harbaugh said JJM is the best QB in the draft and the sheep all lined up.
The first person I saw that was higher on JJM than others was Sy.
It so tempting to go WR here.
The rest of the NFL has seen Neal. I doubt they are interested at this point. They also know Ojulari can't stay on the field.
I'd say it's 50/50 they get their QB in the 3-6 range, and even if they do there's going to be growing pains in 2024, holes to fill on offense, etc. Don't want to draft a QB for the sake of it if their guy's gone.
Nabers may have more talent but he’s a bit more diva/dog in him.
100%
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The ball? Because Daniel Jones refuses to throw more than 10 yards beyond the sticks.
I'd say it's 50/50 they get their QB in the 3-6 range, and even if they do there's going to be growing pains in 2024, holes to fill on offense, etc. Don't want to draft a QB for the sake of it if their guy's gone.
I don't disagree but you could use this narrative every single year as an excuse not to take a QB. At some point you have to take the risk, even if it means doing so more than once in a short time period.
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The ball? Because Daniel Jones refuses to throw more than 10 yards beyond the sticks.
I'd say it's 50/50 they get their QB in the 3-6 range, and even if they do there's going to be growing pains in 2024, holes to fill on offense, etc. Don't want to draft a QB for the sake of it if their guy's gone.
I admit the overwhelming signs that the team is less interested in Jones has me more comfortable with them taking the WR. I'm relatively fine with them money balling their way through the QB position until they find someone available; it's the belief that Jones is a reliable franchise QB that was a prolblem
This is a guy you offer WHATEVER you have to next year's #1, 2026 #1.
I you're right, the team is on its way. If you're wrong , you are getting fired anyway.
Get up to bat, take your swings. (and hope!)
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everything he can to get an extra #1 pick for 2025?
I think with Jones/Lock you can assume they will have a fairly good pick on their own since they suck but you need insurance to navigate even higher. This year should have taught him that.
Yes they should be, but if they win 2-4 games they may not be here to make that pick anyway
Not an unfair point. But also not exactly one they can use as rational why they wouldn't consider going down this path.
This is a guy you offer WHATEVER you have to next year's #1, 2026 #1.
I you're right, the team is on its way. If you're wrong , you are getting fired anyway.
Get up to bat, take your swings. (and hope!)
Yeah, I don't think they trade up for JJ, it's for Maye.
Not certain they pick JJ over WR either.
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In comment 16455832 LW_Giants said:
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The ball? Because Daniel Jones refuses to throw more than 10 yards beyond the sticks.
I'd say it's 50/50 they get their QB in the 3-6 range, and even if they do there's going to be growing pains in 2024, holes to fill on offense, etc. Don't want to draft a QB for the sake of it if their guy's gone.
I don't disagree but you could use this narrative every single year as an excuse not to take a QB. At some point you have to take the risk, even if it means doing so more than once in a short time period.
Spot on LW Giants. Risk can be measurable as well within reason and it's not like it doesn't exist with non-QB picks.
It's go-time to bring in a new QB.
I agree. Nabers just brings more to the table. He can impact the game outside the numbers, inside the numbers, short, medium and long.
There may be some redundancy with Odunze and Hyatt.
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if you're trying to build that basketball lineup of a traditional WR corps then Odunze is the pick. He gives the team that true X that can win outside. However, everything about Daboll says that he'll love Nabers. He wants separation. He wants RAC ability. He wants flexibility. All those favor Nabers.
I agree. Nabers just brings more to the table. He can impact the game outside the numbers, inside the numbers, short, medium and long.
There may be some redundancy with Odunze and Hyatt.
i think all the same is true of odunze in terms of working inside/outside/all over the field. his most impressive plays in the NCG were the screen passes he broke off for chunks. he played about 20% in the slot so he has the inside/outside versatility.
nabers is probably a little more explosive and higher upside since he's younger, odunze more polished as you'd expect being more experienced but also elite at catch point so higher floor.
imo either one would be a blue chip addition to the nyg WR room. 3 years ago i remember being conflicted when we were all discussing waddle vs devonta. either one would have ended up great and i think in a way nabers is a bigger/better waddle and odunze is a bigger/better devonta. back then i would have been happy with either and the same is even more true this year because i think all 3 of this years WRs are more on the chase level.
I said Nabers probably isn't on our board a while back in a post I made about his Sardis Gras unpermitted gun incident. I worded it poorly as he realistically is knocked down a few notches which essentially takes him off our board as some other team will take him and not care. I honestly don't think much of it, but I believe Mara certainly does and he weighs in on these types or issues.
I'm sure the Giants brass or doing their extensive background research on him.
Again, not saying its a red flag or that the Giants shouldn't draft him because of it. But he carries himself in a very "diva-ish" type of way and could see it getting out of hand at the NFL level.
It doesn't strike me as confidence, more so cocky when he hasn't done anything yet.
Just my opinion. I haven't heard anything else really. But seems like JonC may have heard some stuff.
Plus - the gun incident. People can laugh that off all they want, it won't be the last time the dude carries a gun somewhere.
Genuine question, how did he carry himself at his pro day that was concerning?
Genuine question, how did he carry himself at his pro day that was concerning?
Don't you think Mara will weigh in on his unpermitted gun incident at Mardis Gras? I just can't see us taking him over Odunze because of that.
Genuine question, how did he carry himself at his pro day that was concerning?
I was just getting ready to link that.
He is wearing the #8 gold chain, clearly that's a diva move. ;)
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But nothing in here comes off as divaisb https://youtu.be/9wB5PbcFEpo?si=uZaOZ6EHbRgP3wP8
Genuine question, how did he carry himself at his pro day that was concerning?
Don't you think Mara will weigh in on his unpermitted gun incident at Mardis Gras? I just can't see us taking him over Odunze because of that.
I don't. But the more I think about the current makeup of the Giants receiving group I think an Odunze or if we are lucky, a Harrison Jr would be a nice addition.
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But nothing in here comes off as divaisb https://youtu.be/9wB5PbcFEpo?si=uZaOZ6EHbRgP3wP8
Genuine question, how did he carry himself at his pro day that was concerning?
I was just getting ready to link that.
He is wearing the #8 gold chain, clearly that's a diva move. ;)
The diva talk is nonsense. It will come down to the gun incident imo, does Mara weigh in on it or does he let Schoen and Daboll do their thing? That's what it will come down to in regards to Nabers imo.
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In comment 16456478 ajr2456 said:
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But nothing in here comes off as divaisb https://youtu.be/9wB5PbcFEpo?si=uZaOZ6EHbRgP3wP8
Genuine question, how did he carry himself at his pro day that was concerning?
Don't you think Mara will weigh in on his unpermitted gun incident at Mardis Gras? I just can't see us taking him over Odunze because of that.
I don't. But the more I think about the current makeup of the Giants receiving group I think an Odunze or if we are lucky, a Harrison Jr would be a nice addition.
I agree, a guy that can be good with YAC, contested catches, short throws, intermediate to long throws and in the red zone would be the best fit. Odunze's abilities with the ball in his hands gaining YAC is underrated herd.
If they are rated very close, then the unpermitted gun incident could be the deciding factor. Either way, I like Odunze more as he is the more complete player from the head down, on the field and off the field.
I was just getting ready to link that.
He is wearing the #8 gold chain, clearly that's a diva move. ;)
The diva talk is nonsense. It will come down to the gun incident imo, does Mara weigh in on it or does he let Schoen and Daboll do their thing? That's what it will come down to in regards to Nabers imo.
In this situation, you can understand an owner wanting a very convincing sell from his GM after the prior administration got snookered by some bad choices.
He surrenders the gun and nobody I know at LSU has seen him with a gun since. Doesn’t mean he doesn’t still own one, but I’d imagine a number of NFL players do.
I’m fine with either but I don’t think you’re taking Nabers on potential. He’s shown he’s really good on the field
Odunze is? Bama has two corners about to get drafted in three weeks. Both are day-one prospects - Arnold and McKinstry.
LSU played Bama in this year. Here are Nabers numbers against them:
10 catches, 170 yards, 1 TD.
Does Odunze have a similar game?
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Odunze is just the better player than Nabers and the Giants can't afford to eff around with potential anymore. They need to get playmakers who will change the offense and help the quarterback.
Odunze is? Bama has two corners about to get drafted in three weeks. Both are day-one prospects - Arnold and McKinstry.
LSU played Bama in this year. Here are Nabers numbers against them:
10 catches, 170 yards, 1 TD.
Does Odunze have a similar game?
I'd prefer not to use one game as my sample size.
Odunze is? Bama has two corners about to get drafted in three weeks. Both are day-one prospects - Arnold and McKinstry.
LSU played Bama in this year. Here are Nabers numbers against them:
10 catches, 170 yards, 1 TD.
Does Odunze have a similar game?
I'd prefer not to use one game as my sample size.
Odunze and Nabors have almost identical production in 2023.
So, I was looking for a differentiator.
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Odunze is? Bama has two corners about to get drafted in three weeks. Both are day-one prospects - Arnold and McKinstry.
LSU played Bama in this year. Here are Nabers numbers against them:
10 catches, 170 yards, 1 TD.
Does Odunze have a similar game?
I'd prefer not to use one game as my sample size.
Odunze and Nabors have almost identical production in 2023.
So, I was looking for a differentiator.
I think they are very even as prospects, but very different too. Odunze is a classic X while Nabers is a classic Z. I believe 90% of Nabers production came when moving to the slot? Daboll would absolutely make use of Nabers, I personally think a traditional X wideout would be a better fit though.
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Odunze is just the better player than Nabers and the Giants can't afford to eff around with potential anymore. They need to get playmakers who will change the offense and help the quarterback.
I’m fine with either but I don’t think you’re taking Nabers on potential. He’s shown he’s really good on the field
Nabers is LSU’s all-time receptions leader. That’s impressive; he has the production.
He surrenders the gun and nobody I know at LSU has seen him with a gun since. Doesn’t mean he doesn’t still own one, but I’d imagine a number of NFL players do.
You don't think a 19 year old kid carrying a gun in a party type setting is something teams would be concerned about??
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Having it in his pocket and not on his hip, if it was on hip he wouldn’t have been arrested. Not going to start a gun debate, but I don’t think that’s something teams would be concerned about.
He surrenders the gun and nobody I know at LSU has seen him with a gun since. Doesn’t mean he doesn’t still own one, but I’d imagine a number of NFL players do.
You don't think a 19 year old kid carrying a gun in a party type setting is something teams would be concerned about??
I think some teams would reduce his grade some for that, and traditionally the NYG would be that type of franchise. I don't know how it will go now.
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Wait to go 4-13 with whatever shiny new toy wide receiver that gets drafted and watch BD get fired. 🙄🙄🙄
Yep. They're wasting time. If they draft a WR, they better make the playoffs.
He is not getting fired if Schoen picks a WR. Get over it.
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In comment 16456684 BigBlueBuff said:
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Odunze is? Bama has two corners about to get drafted in three weeks. Both are day-one prospects - Arnold and McKinstry.
LSU played Bama in this year. Here are Nabers numbers against them:
10 catches, 170 yards, 1 TD.
Does Odunze have a similar game?
I'd prefer not to use one game as my sample size.
Odunze and Nabors have almost identical production in 2023.
So, I was looking for a differentiator.
I think they are very even as prospects, but very different too. Odunze is a classic X while Nabers is a classic Z. I believe 90% of Nabers production came when moving to the slot? Daboll would absolutely make use of Nabers, I personally think a traditional X wideout would be a better fit though.
Why is Nabers a classic Z... he literally played a ton of X in college. Your 90% is more than slightly off and feels made up.
He surrenders the gun and nobody I know at LSU has seen him with a gun since. Doesn’t mean he doesn’t still own one, but I’d imagine a number of NFL players do.
Enplane it away all you want, but a respected scout said there were NUMEROUS character red flags. So there's that.