B+
New York Giants
The Giants robbed the room for Smith. Final grade: B+.
by Ethan ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 2 steals
· 3 reaches
Whoever sat across the table from the Giants should ask for a receipt. They cleaned the room out, prying loose far more value than they gave up, and it was the quiet MVP of their weekend.
That is a wide receiver worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly. If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through interior defensive lineman. The Ford reach is the anchor dragging on the value grade.
In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 14 they get a go-to option on the outside. The biggest hole, addressed.
They took J.J. McCarthy at par in the 37th overall pick, which is nothing to complain about. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
The board had cheaper options than Jordan Morgan at No. 40, and it noticed. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Chris Braswell in pick No. 47 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A need, and now a little less of one.
Circle this one: Kalen King at pick 69 is a fall that decides a draft. The roster fit checks out.
No drama and no debate, Rod Moore went about where he belonged in the 78th pick. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A reach for Tate Ratledge in Round 4, Pick 5; a little patience would have been rewarded. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A conviction pick on Jaylan Ford at No. 145 that the board grades a round light. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Taking Ainias Smith in pick No. 183 is close to grand larceny; a wide receiver that good had no business lasting this long. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.