The New York Giants tried. They really did. General manager Joe Schoen picked up the phone on draft night and made one last push to move up for Drake Maye in 2024. The offer wasn’t lowball nonsense either. It was aggressive. Two first-rounders and a second at least... maybe more. But New England wasn’t interested. They wanted their quarterback, and the Giants were left watching someone else draft the guy they had loudly circled as the future of the franchise.
So they pivoted. They took Malik Nabers at No. 6 overall and let Maye walk into a rebuilding situation in Foxborough. Giants fans weren’t thrilled at first — not because Nabers wasn’t good, but because they’d seen this movie before. It was going to be another year without a franchise QB under center. That feeling lingered through the summer and most of the fall.
Maye made some noise in 2024. He took the starting job from Jacoby Brissett and flashed enough to make Patriots fans feel like they finally had something. He had arm talent. He made plays with his legs. But even still, the turnovers were loud. Now, with OTAs underway in Year 2, those whispers are turning into alarm bells — and Giants fans are just sitting back, sipping their coffee.
Drake Maye’s rough day a reminder that Giants might’ve dodged a bullet
Maye’s Tuesday practice in Foxborough was supposed to be a big step forward. Instead, it looked like a return to bad habits.
The former UNC quarterback threw four interceptions across just two series of 11-on-11 work. Two went straight to star cornerback Christian Gonzalez. Another was snagged by rookie Craig Woodson. The fourth — and maybe the worst of the bunch — hit safety Dell Pettus like he was the intended receiver.
Maye’s numbers from 2024 weren’t awful, but they weren’t anything that demanded envy. He threw for 2,276 yards with 15 touchdowns and 10 picks. He also fumbled nine times, losing six. The upside is there, but the recklessness is very real.
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That’s not to say the Giants walked away from the draft with a sure thing. But what they did get was a wide receiver who set franchise records in his rookie year and looked like a star doing it. Malik Nabers gave the team juice — something fans hadn’t seen in years. And now, with Jaxson Dart in the building, there’s a plan at quarterback too. Dart may not start Week 1, but he doesn’t have to. He’s got time to learn behind the veterans. And when his moment comes, he’ll get to throw to the league's next-best receiver.
The G-Men missed out on Maye. They got denied, rerouted, and left to find another way. But one year later, it’s looking more and more like the miss wasn’t the disaster it once felt like. If anything, it might’ve been a blessing. It's only OTAs, and he's learning a new system under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, but all eyes will be on Maye and his turnovers because if this is what's to come, the Giants might have dodged a bullet.
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