Revisiting the Giants 2024 draft class

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers catches a touchdown pass against the Philadelphia Eagles. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

It isn't often that an entire draft class emerges as contributors. It happened for the New York Giants back in 2007, with each of their picks playing meaningful roles in their Super Bowl run.

It might have happened again with the Giants' 2024 draft class. While the team wanted to move up and dip into a historic quarterback draft class, they won just enough to be drafting fifth overall and out reach of the top quarterback prospects. Instead, they reinforced the rest of their roster around the quarterback position.

The 2024 class paid immediate dividends and while the season fell apart for the Giants, the class itself was lauded as one of the very best in the NFL after the season ended.

Unfortunately, the collapse continued into 2025 and much of that class took a step back.

As we did with the 2023 draft class, we're going to go back and see what we were saying about the 2024 draft class immediately after the season, catch up to where they are now, and look at how John Harbaugh's new staff can help them take a step forward in 2026.

(The quoted text is drawn from our rookie report card from the end of the 2024 season, linked below)

WR Malik Nabers

The Giants selected the star receiver over quarterbacks J.J. McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr., and Bo Nix. The jury is out on McCarthy due to his knee injury, but Nix lightly pushed Jayden Daniels for Offensive Rookie of the Year in the middle parts of the season, and Penix Jr. flashed in his second start last week. Should the Giants have gone with their favorite of the three to fix this Giants' quarterback room? It's certainly difficult to definitively say no, but Nabers as a consolation" prize is a best case scenario.

Nabers broke Odell Beckham Jr.'s franchise rookie reception record and now has 104 catches with one game to go on the season. He has caught 104 on 162 targets for 1,140 yards with six touchdowns. Nabers is 165 yards away from tying Beckham's rookie season yardage mark. He could plausibly do that in Week 18 against Philadelphia, although that would be his second highest single-game mark on the season.

The Giants found a true wide receiver one in Malik Nabers. He can effectively play X, Z, or in the slot. He can win any matchup and he finds ways to secure contested catches thrown in his area code. He's a difference maker, and an explosive threat the Giants lacked for years. If the Giants can locate a competent quarterback, Nabers will solidify himself as a top-five wide receiver in the NFL.

Grade: A
Mid-season Grade: A

The big question going into 2026 with Nabers is his health. Athleticism is the core of his game and while he'll be avoiding the PUP list, we don't know how Nabers will be performing to start the season or how soon he'll be approaching full strength.

From a player development standpoint, the big thing Nabers needs to work on is (somewhat surprisingly) his play at the catch point. Depending on the accounting, he's had between 10 and 12 drops in 17 career games, a drop rate of 7.3%, and a contested catch rate of 45.7%. It's certainly true that Nabers has had to make due with poor quarterback play in his time as a pro, so he definitely deserves some grace for his drop rate. However, his contested catch rate is also right in line with his play from college - when he had Jayden Daniels as his quarterback and was going against college corners.

There isn't much that wide receivers coach Chad Hall and passing game coordinator Brian Callahan can do until Nabers can get back up to speed. However, doing his work in the classroom can help from the mental side of things. Continuing to improve his coverage recognition, understanding of leverages and defensive techniques, and working with Jaxson Dart to ensure they're always on the same page will go a long way to making sure he can maximize his catch windows.

S Tyler Nubin

Nubin quickly seized the starting safety spot over Dane Belton after the rookie missed the first few weeks of training camp. He led the Giants' defense in snaps and was second behind Bobby Okereke in tackles before he suffered a season-ending ankle injury that required surgery. Nubin was placed on IR three games after the mid-season report card.

The rookie remains second in tackles on the Giants with 98; Micah McFadden leads the team with 107 tackles. Nubin has not played since the New Orleans loss but he still leads all rookie defenders in tackles.

I am optimistic about Nubin. He flies around the field with controlled aggression and displays elite short-area quickness around the line of scrimmage. However, he only earned one pass defensed through his entire rookie season. - Nubin had 11 passes defended and 13 interceptions in college.

Grade: B
Mid-season Grade: B

Nick wasn't the only writer to praise Nubin's speed on the field at the end of his rookie season. And while Nubin didn't record an interception, he did hold opposing quarterbacks to a 65% completion. That's a very good mark for a safety, considering Xavier McKinney allowed 73% completion in his 8 INT season.

Since then, however, Nubin has been heavily criticized for his speed on the field, his completion percentage allowed has risen to 73%, and he still hasn't recorded an interception. Additionally, where Nubin was one of the NFL's best tacklers in his rookie season, his tackling regressed significantly in 2025.

Considering his much-criticized athleticism is still on par with several Pro Bowl and All-Pro caliber safeties like Kyle Hamilton and McKinney, I have to question how much of an impact the previous coaching staff had. There were multiple instances on tape in 2025 of players who were slow to react to the offense, as well as seemingly out of position or unsure of their assignments.

What we call Game Speed" is often the effects of quick processing and anticipation, as opposed to pure athleticism. With that in mind, getting Nubin to take the next step in his development will likely mean making sure he's comfortable in the scheme and confident in his ability to execute his assignment. Improving his mental footwork" will go a long way toward compensating for his pedestrian athleticism.

It will fall to Dennard Wilson and Donald D'Alesio to help Nubin become comfortable enough in the scheme to play fast. Nubin has said that his role in Dennard Wilson's defense is more akin to how he played in college. That is, hopefully, a good start for him. For his part, D'Alesio said earlier in the offseason that Nubin's confidence has been returning after dropping last year.

CB Dru Phillips

Phillips is a difference maker. Every NFL defense is looking for a Dru Phillips - a reliable overhang player who can cover, blitz, and be a force in run defense. Phillips understands how to avoid and deconstruct blocks. He's instinctual with elite closing burst.

Phillips came away with his first interception of the year against Joe Flacco and the Colts. He has 67 tackles, two forced fumbles, a sack, and one pass defensed through 13 contests. His statistics don't necessarily reflect a home-run pick, but the level of impactful plays coupled with the run/pass competance makes me love this selection in the third round. Was his rookie year perfect? No, but Phillips has a bright future as a Giant and his skills transcend coordinators.

Grade: A+
Mid-season Grade: A+

Like pretty much everyone else on the Giants' defense, Phillips took a step back in the first part of the 2025 season. That said, he was one of the defenders to regain that step under Charlie Bullen in the second half of the year.

As with Deonte Banks, it's fair to wonder just how much Phillips was impacted by losing Jerome Henderson after the 2024 season. Henderson is a fiery coach and that may have resonated with an edgy tone-setter like Phillips. The fact that he played better with a more aggressive play caller suggests that he could get right back on track under Wilson and Addison Lynch.

Phillips isn't a great cover cornerback, but he's an extremely disruptive defender. Perhaps the best thing the new staff can do for him is to put him in position and make sure he can use his instincts to play fast and create havoc. As with Nubin, that means putting in the work during the week and ensuring Phillips understands the overall structure of the defense and understands the offense well enough to accurately anticipate it.

TE Theo Johnson

Johnson played two games afterwe assigned his mid-season grade. He played 73 and 89% of snaps, respectively, in those two games before landing on IR with a season-ending foot injury that required surgery. He caught 8 of 11 targets for 93 yards in those two games, and was showing promise down the stretch of the season, although there is still room for improvement.

Tight end is one of the more challenging positions to play as a rookie. It was a tough early transition for Johnson, who - during training camp - said learning Brian Daboll's offense was like drinking water out of a fire hose." Johnson struggled with his assignments and as a receiver through the first six weeks of the season, although his blocking was always an asset. We haven't seen him consistently play to his elite combine numbers, but some of his catches in recent weeks show glimpses of a high-end athlete.

The Giants were perfectly comfortable throwing Johnson into the deep end. He never played less than 70% of the snaps in a game, and he's now solidified as a tight-end one on the team. He's stretched the seams multiple times and made defenses pay for playing Cover-2. The game has seemed to slow down for Johnson.

It's unfortunate that he's missing valuable snaps and development - even in this lost season - but he remains a high upside player with good foundation as a blocker.

Grade: B-
Mid-season Grade: C+

Johnson did continue to develop under Mike Kafka and it appeared as though he was blossoming into a potential Pro Bowl caliber player at times in 2025. However, his development has been far from linear and he's been plagued by drops in his career.

His hands aren't bad, per se, and he's capable of making impressively tough catches over the middle as a safety net for his quarterback. However, there are also times when he'll drop the easy passes in key moments.

Johnson's role will likely shift this season as the Giants incorporate Isaiah Likely and potentially move to more two-tight end sets. He'll likely spend more time as the Y tight end and be a tertiary target. That could help his development in the long run, as Likely will help share the load, particularly in high-leverage situations.

The good news for Johnson is that Tim Kelly returns the Giants' tight ends coach. Kelly has been the Giants' tight ends coach since Johnson's rookie season and was also the Giants' interim offensive coordinator a year ago. If anyone understands what Johnson needs to work on to take the next step in his development, it's Kelly. Kelly pointed to timing issues" as part of the reason for Johnson's drops a year ago, which gives them a clear issue to work on. Part of that will be working on Johnson's route running, making sure he's properly tempoing his routes and executing his breaks correctly to stay in rhythm with the rest of the offense.

The other part will be for QB Jaxson Dart to improve his footwork, which acts as the quarterback's metronome to sync his progression reads with the receivers' routes.

RB Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Both Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Malik Nabers eclipsed the 1,000 yards from scrimmage mark. The former Hawkeye and Boilermaker has 780 rushing yards (4.4 YPC) with five touchdowns and 36 catches for 277 yards with one receiving touchdown. There were stretches of the season where Tracy Jr. was by far and away the most exciting aspect of the Giants' offense.

Assistant general manager Brandon Brown discussed the process behind selecting Tracy Jr. - a former WR who is older - and how the Giants believed they identified a difference maker at value. It appears the Giants were correct. As excited as I am about Tracy I don't view him as a full-time work horse back, and his best utilization would be in a committee.

Although he's an older rookie, there's still a lot of room for growth, especially from a ball security stand point. There's rightfully a lot of optimism surrounding Tracy, but cleaning up the drops - as a former WR - and not fumbling the football five times will go a long way for the 25-year old. Still, acquiring a 1,000-yard player at Pick 166 is a home run in my book.

Grade: A+
Mid-season Grade: A+

A year later, Tracy is the only running back, receiver, or tight end to eclipse 1,000 yards from scrimmage in each of his first two seasons.

Tracy has quietly been one of the Giants' greatest success stories in player development. He improved his success rate and added more of a power element to his game while maintaining his impressive elusiveness. He also cut down the fumbles that plagued him as a rookie.

The big question for Tracy is just what his role will be in his third year. He stepped up admirably after Cam Skattebo's injury last year, but will likely return to Skattebo's shadow to start the year. It remains to be seen how the load will be shared by Skattebo, Tracy, and Devin Singletary, and how the Giants will deploy them. Tracy's best bet is likely to continue to work on his play strength and downhill running. He can have a bit of a tendency to dance behind the line of scrimmage as he hunts for a hole. Greg Roman's running schemes tend to lean into man-gap blocking and downhill running. The Giants, and Tracy, will want to continue to improve his ability between the tackles.

LB Darius Muasau

The injuries to Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden forced Muasau into the lineup. He was, and is, a solid special teams player for Michael Ghobrial, but he's assumed the MIKE on defense. Since entering the starting lineup in Week 14 against the Saints, Muasau has recorded 33 total tackles. He had double digit tackles against Atlanta in Week 16.

Muasau has 47 total tackles, 23 solo-tackles, and he also recorded the first interception of the season for the Giants in Week 1. That was the only Giants' interception up until Tre Hawkins II intercepted Derek Carr in Week 14. Muasau also has six STUFFS at the line of scrimmage this season. He's fine linebacker and special teams' depth.

Grade: B-
Mid-season Grade: B-

Muasau started 11 games for the Giants last year, but that didn't have as much to do with his development as it did desperation after Micah McFadden was lost for the season in Week 1.

The arrival of Tremaine Edmunds and Arvell Reese to the Giants' linebacker room, as well as the return of McFadden, has likely put paid to Musau's time in New York. While the improvement of the Giants' linebackers is good news for the defense as a whole, it's bad news for Muasau.

There might not be much that linebackers coach Frank Bush and assistant linebacker coach Matt Pees can do to help raise Muasau's game enough to force his way onto the roster. Muasau is somewhat undersized and a limited athlete who's below average as both a run defender and a coverage player. If he's going to make the Giants' roster in 2026, his most likely pathway is going to be through special teams, which is where he'll need to put his energies.