Top NFL Draft Prospects Giants Must Watch During 2023-24 CFB Bowl Season

The New York Giants' two-game winning streak has been fun, but the 2024 NFL draft is probably still the most exciting thing for Brian Daboll's team right now.

Wins over the Commanders and Patriots snapped a three-game losing streak heading into the bye week, but it doesn't really change the overall perception of the team right now. They are still 4-8 with a much better chance of earning a top top-five pick than a playoff berth.

That means the Giants faithful might be more interested in catching some college football than what they are seeing on Sunday's right now. A lot of the answers to the questions this franchise is facing right now are not on the roster.

If the draft were to be held today the Giants would have the seventh pick, but they would also have two more valuable picks at No. 38 and 46. Here's a look at a few prospects they should be watching closely as college bowl season kicks off on December 16.

WR Malik Nabers, LSU

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BATON ROUGE, LA - OCTOBER 14: LSU Tigers wide receiver Malik Nabers (8) scores a touchdown during a game between the LSU Tigers and the Auburn Tigers on October 14, 2023, at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by John Korduner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Bowl Game: ReliaQuest Bowl vs. Wisconsin on January 1 at Noon ET

There will undoubtedly be a lot of talk about whether the Giants should use their top pick to find a replacement for Daniel Jones. The Giants current franchise quarterback was having a rough season before a torn ACL ended his season early.

Moving on from Jones isn't really realistic in 2024, though. Releasing him would result in a $69.3 million dead cap charge. It's much more realistic in 2025. They can get out of his contract with a $22.2 million dead cap hit then.

The best path forward is to let Jones get healthy, improve the offensive line and give him better weapons to work with.

Drafting Malik Nabers would be a huge step in the weapons department. The 6'0", 200-pound receiver has been a big play waiting to happen at LSU. Here's how B/R scout Derrik Klassen views him as a prospect from his scouting report:

"Overall, it's easy to see how Nabers could make an instant impact in the NFL. His combination of speed, quickness and yards-after-the-catch skills will translate into explosive plays right away. Nabers can be a twitchy, field-stretching Z from day one with the potential to grow into a more well-rounded player."

Nabers has already confirmed that he'll be playing in the ReliaQuest Bowl against Wisconsin. He's just 22 yards away from breaking LSU's school receiving yards record of 3,001 career yards.

So not only is he looking to play, he's looking to make a statement. It should be a fun watch to think about what he could do when paired with Jalin Hyatt.

WR Keon Coleman, Florida State

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GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 25: Keon Coleman #4 of the Florida State Seminoles runs with the ball during the second half of a game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on November 25, 2023 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Bowl Game: Orange Bowl vs. Georgia on December 30 at 4 p.m. ET

The Florida State Seminoles have something to prove on December 30. After getting snubbed by the Playoff Committee, the undefeated ACC Champions should be looking to prove that they still belonged in the national title picture, even without quarterback Jordan Travis.

That might just be enough motivation to keep stars, like Keon Coleman, around for the New Year's Six Bowl. The Seminoles get a big-time matchup with the Georgia Bulldogs who have won back-to-back national championships.

It would also provide Coleman with one more bullet point on the resume to try and claim the No. 2 spot in the class. Our board has Coleman just ahead of Rome Odunze and Malik Nabers for No. 2, but that's far from unanimous. The trio are separated by just a few tenths of a point in our grading scale.

Odunze is going to have the opportunity to stake his claim in the College Football Playoff. A big performance from Coleman in the Orange Bowl against a Georgia defense that surely has future NFL talent on it would be a nice statement as we move from bowl season to the pre-draft process.

If the Giants are keen to add a receiver with their first pick, then this is a performance that bears watching.

OT Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma

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LUBBOCK, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 26: Offensive lineman Tyler Guyton #60 of the Oklahoma Sooners lines up during the first half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Jones AT&T Stadium on November 26, 2022 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)

Bowl Game: Alamo Bowl vs. Arizona on December 28 at 9:15 p.m. ET

If you're the kind of Giants fan that would prefer a tackle with the first pick then Notre Dame's Joe Alt is probably that guy. However, it's hard to see him opting to play in the Sun Bowl when Oregon State will be starting their third-string quarterback and Beavers prospects Taliese Funga and Anthony Gould have already opted out of the game.

If the Giants go with a receiver like Nabers early, then their attention needs to go to the offensive line pretty quickly.

Evan Neal's early-career struggles are a legit reason for concern. Maybe he has an Andrew Thomas-esque breakout season in store, but it's getting harder to count on that.

Tyler Guyton is an athletic tackle prospect who could come in and potentially push Neal early or move him inside. At 6'7", 328-pound tackle he has plenty of length for the position and should stand out against the Wildcats defensive front.

In two seasons of starting at right tackle for the Sooners he has given up just two sacks and 11 hurries, per PFF. It's also worth noting that Jordan Morgan is worth a watch on the other side. He's ranked as the fifth interior offensive lineman on our board, but others still view him as a tackle prospect.