That is an impressive feat
John Mara pointed to the quality of the New York Giants’ 2024 draft class as one of the primary reasons Joe Schoen remains the team’s general manager. The Athletic’s All-Rookie Team, put together by renowned NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler, provides evidence of how good that rookie class actually was.
All six of the players Schoen drafted either made the team or were honorable mentions. Undrafted rookie free agent defensive tackle Elijah Chatman was also an honorable mention.
First team
WR Malik Nabers
Brugler’s first-team wide receivers were Nabers and his LSU teammate Brian Thomas Jr. He wrote:
Thomas and Nabers took the NFL by storm — despite dealing with inconsistent quarterback play.
Thomas finished with a rookie-best 1,282 receiving yards, third most in the NFL behind only Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. He had the fastest “flying 20” at the combine, so it was no surprise that he proved to be a big-play weapons almost immediately, producing a league-best five catches of 50-plus yards. He felt like a steal on draft night, and that is even more true now.
Nabers, meanwhile, finished third among all NFL receivers with 109 catches (behind only Chase and Amon-Ra St. Brown), even though he missed two games. His 1,204 receiving yards ranked seventh in the league, and he was one of the best at making defenders miss in space and moving the chains. Nabers is (already) knocking on the door of being considered a top-five NFL receiver.
Second team
RB Tyrone Tracy
Brugler wrote:
In basketball terms, Tracy would be that high-energy sixth man who can swing games when he catches fire. The Purdue product was a threat to rip off an explosive play any time he touched the ball — he finished with six carries of 20-plus yards (one more than Bijan Robinson). Tracy (839 yards) was the only rookie back other than (Bucky) Irving to top 500 yards rushing.
CB Andru Phillips
Phillips was an outstanding run defender this season and flashed in coverage. One of the concerns with him as a prospect was that he produced zero interceptions in 38 career games at Kentucky, so his first career NFL interception in Week 17 great to see.
S Tyler Nubin
Nubin led all rookies in tackles (98), even though he missed four games. One of the reasons the Giants drafted him in the top 50 was his ball production in college (13 career interceptions), but he didn’t record an interception and registered just one pass breakup as a rookie — those numbers will need to improve next season.
Honorable mentions
TE Theo Johnson, LB Darius Muasau, DT Elijah Chatman
Final thoughts
The 2024 draft class does not entirely make up for the reality that Schoen’s first two draft classes have not provided the hoped-for impact. The best player from those two classes, 2022 No. 5 overall pick Kayvon Thibodeaux is a good player but has yet to become the dominant player you would hope to get at that point in the draft.
To take steps toward improving, the Giants need another impact draft class from Schoen a few months from now.
