ESPN’s Matt Miller has Giants among his top 100 selections

A little praise for some of Joe Schoen’s work

ESPN’s Matt Miller ranked three New York Giants’ selections as three of his top-100 best picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. Half of the Giants draft made Miller’s list. Four Cowboys and Commanders made the list, and two Eagles made the list – all three of those teams had more selections than the Giants. Here are the three players.

Malik Nabers

Miller ranked Malik Nabers as his 11th-favorite selection of the 2024 NFL Draft, and Nabers was Miller’s fourth overall player in the draft. Here’s Miller’s reasoning:

Some will knock the Giants for not drafting a quarterback or offensive tackle at No. 6 overall, but both positions would have been reaches on my board. Instead, the Giants selected my No. 4 overall player in Nabers, who should be the team’s WR1 from the jump. With the explosive receiver on board, the team can fully evaluate Daniel Jones and Drew Lock at quarterback before potentially making a change at the position in the 2025 draft/offseason.

The rationale is reasonable. Yes, Nabers will give Jones or Lock the much-needed explosive weapon to evaluate them as quarterbacks properly. Still, the Giants were in the quarterback market in this draft and missed out on an opportunity to get their guy by three picks. Nabers helps the current quarterbacks on the roster, but there’s still long-term uncertainty at the position. As for the selection of Nabers in a vacuum, he’s an excellent player who will immediately be an impact player for the Giants. Check out our breakdown on Malik Nabers here!

Theo Johnson

Miller ranked Theo Johnson as the 72nd-best selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, and Johnson was Miller’s 69th overall player in the draft. Here’s Miller’s reasoning:

It was very wise of the Giants to grab more options at tight end, and Johnson had flashes on tape throughout his career that would make you think he’s a future NFL starter. If the Giants can coach him up, he could be a steal. He caught seven touchdowns last season.

If the uncertainty surrounding Darren Waller didn’t exist, the selection of Theo Johnson would still be warranted. Before the Johnson selection, Daniel Bellinger was the only tight end on the roster under contract after the 2024 season. To Miller’s point, Johnson has a future NFL starter upside, with a rare combination of size, athletic ability, and natural receiving skills. Check out our breakdown on Theo Johnson here.

Tyler Nubin

Miller ranked Tyler Nubin as the 78th-best selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, and Nubin was Miller’s 56th overall player in the draft. Here’s Miller’s reasoning:

When starter Xavier McKinney left in free agency for the Packers, it was obvious the Giants would target a safety at some point in the draft. Nubin has All-American ball skills (13 career picks) and proved during his college career that he can read the eyes of quarterbacks and then use his range to attack the ball. He’s a classic center-fielder free safety who should top the team’s depth chart in Week 1.

GM Joe Schoen seconded Miller’s primary point above – Nubin creates turnovers. His 13 career interceptions set a Golden Gophers record. He’s smart, tough, and dependable, and a very good asset to replace the loss of McKinney. Here is our Tyler Nubin breakdown.