NFL executives not buying reports about Giants' Daniel Jones?

NFL executives aren't entirely convinced that Giants GM Joe Schoen will spend a high first-round draft pick to land a Daniel Jones replacement on April 25.

Based on conversations he had "with six executives during and after the combine," The Athletic's Mike Sando's latest mock draft predicts that the Giants will take Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with the draft's sixth overall pick. 

Two executives linked the Giants with Harrison. One said New York would select LSU receiver Malik Nabers if he is available at No. 6. Washington receiver Rome Odunze, Alabama offensive lineman JC Latham, and Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt were also mentioned as possibilities for the Giants. 

There's plenty to unpack here. 

It was reported last week that "the worst-kept secret of the NFL combine might not just be the Giants' desire to select a quarterback in the upcoming NFL Draft, but their willingness to trade up to go get a quarterback in this year's draft." NFL Network personality Rich Eisen then attracted plenty of attention when he said this past Monday he heard at the combine that the Giants are "absolutely done" with Jones and have "buyer's remorse" regarding the four-year contract the 26-year-old signed last March. 

The executives asked by Sando predicted that quarterbacks Caleb Williams of USC, Jayden Daniels of LSU and Drake Maye of North Carolina will be the first three selections of this year's draft. Some have suggested that Schoen could take Michigan signal-caller J.J. McCarthy at No. 6, and one executive told Sando that he thinks the Giants "have" to grab him if he falls out of the draft's first five choices. 

"That doesn’t mean they will do it," the executive added. "They desperately need offensive line. Let’s just give them Alt. I could see them saying, 'If Jones doesn’t work this year, we will have another top 10 pick next year and worry about it then.'" 

Jones suffered a torn ACL on Nov. 5 but is expected to be ready for training camp. Schoen is stuck with Jones' contract through the 2024 season, so the GM could give the 2019 first-round draft pick a chance to prove that he can win consistently without having running back Saquon Barkley as a safety blanket.