NY Giants trade up to land dream QB in latest mock draft

The New York Giants are done with Daniel Jones. Not officially, but in spirit. There's a better-than-even chance New York uses its first round pick on Jones' eventual (or immediate) replacement. That said, the Giants could face an uphill battle to land their ideal QB in the No. 6 spot.

All signs point toward the Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders, and New England Patriots selecting QBs 1-2-3. From there, it could get hectic. Several teams are in the market to move up to No. 4 or No. 5 to draft the best QB left. Caleb Williams is the obvious No. 1 pick, but the triad of Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and J.J. McCarthy are all sort of floating about in the ether right now. We can pretend and project which teams will select which QBs, but we don't know for sure.

For a while, McCarthy felt like the obvious QB4, but that is no longer the case. He could sneak into the top-3, potentially causing one of Maye or Daniels to slip. Or, absent such slippage, the Patriots could trade back and really shake up the board. If New England isn't content with the available options and prefers to strengthen its supporting cast (a wise move), the Giants could pounce.

That exact scenario plays out in the latest mock draft from Lance Zierlein over at NFL dot com. He has the Giants moving up to No. 3 to select North Carolina's Drake Maye.

"In this three-spot move up the board, the Giants probably have to pay more than the standard trade chart would indicate, since the supply side of the quarterback position is dwindling but the demand remains high. Brian Daboll fostered Josh Allen's raw talents in Buffalo and could have a chance to do the same with this toolsy but inconsistent North Carolina product."

NFL mock draft: Giants trade with Patriots to select Drake Maye

Here's the simple logic behind this move. We know the Patriots are quite possibly unenthused by the prospects of Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels, thus the recent surge in J.J. McCarthy buzz. If New England doesn't love the top QBs and doesn't view McCarthy as a top-3 pick (both reasonable positions provided the state of New England's roster), the Patriots could be inclined to move back and add future draft or trade ammo.

That would provide the chance for New York to add the most talented pocket passer in the draft. Maye lacks the mobility and improvisational skills of Caleb Williams or Jayden Daniels, but he's a prototypical QB on paper — 6-foot-5, 220 pounds with plenty of distance and velocity on his throws. Inconsistency was an issue at North Carolina, but his 38-touchdown sophomore season could (and arguably should) overshadow his more tenuous 2023 campaign.

Maye also happens to be receiving pre-draft advice from Eli Manning, as he told the New York Post. The Giants could be a match made in heaven.

"I think Eli [Manning] would say he’s probably seen me too much. I’ve been following him around. It’s always on Zooms. I think the biggest thing is being a sponge and soaking it all in. I don’t have all the answers. I don’t know it all, being up there with Eli," said Maye.

He's already ingratiated with the franchise legend, so Maye has a real leg up when it comes to learning the ropes as a Giant. He just needs to get there. The ball is in New York's court. The Patriots hold all the cards, but if Joe Schoen makes an offer New England can't refuse, Maye could be headed to the Big Apple.