The Giants’ hopes of trading up to draft a quarterback died about four hours before their first-round pick was made.
Just before calling Patriots executive Eliot Wolf one final time to see whether the Giants could move from pick No. 6 to No. 3, general manager Joe Schoen told co-owner John Mara that he wasn’t willing to empty the coffers to replace Daniel Jones, as seen Tuesday on HBO’s “Hard Knocks.”
“Our walk-away scenario is, if it’s got to be a blockbuster trade, Ricky Williams-style,” Schoen said, referencing the infamous New Orleans-Washington trade in 1999, “then we’re rolling with Daniel.”
Sure enough, an “exaggerating” Wolf spitballed a scenario that included the Giants’ first-, second- and third-round picks in 2024 and first- and second-rounders in 2025.
Too steep for the Giants, who ended up drafting coveted receiver Malik Nabers.
“I’m nervous about giving away too much for a quarterback,” Mara admitted. “If we are about to pull this deal off, I’m going to have palpitations. But I have to stand by my conviction: That is, if you guys have a conviction on a quarterback, that’s what we do.”
So ends the baseless conspiracy theory that Mara would’ve blocked a quarterback pick to protect his $160 million investment in Jones.
Head coach Brian Daboll and assistant director of player personnel Dennis Hickey told Schoen they would trade up for Jayden Daniels.
Assistant head coach Mike Kafka echoed the sentiment about trading up for Drake Maye, who was shown on his visit to East Rutherford barking out a cadence in a meeting with coaches.
The Patriots stayed at No. 3 and drafted Maye.
Daboll pressed Daniels, who wound up going No. 2 to Washington, on whether he wanted to be the Giants quarterback because want-to “is important.”
“I’d feel good,” Daniels said.
“My gut has been we are a little bit like a kite in the wind right now, just because of the uncertainty of the quarterback situation,” Schoen said early in the process. “That’s the hardest part in my seat right now, because you’ve got to have one.”
It was interesting, however, that Schoen’s pre-draft discussion with Jones about possibly drafting his replacement was not aired in favor of Schoen recapping the conversation for senior personnel consultant Chris Mara (John’s brother).
“’It doesn’t mean we don’t have confidence in you, Daniel,’ ” Schoen told Chris Mara. “You’ve missed 17 games … for whatever reason — the neck and then the ACL — since 2021.”
“I said, ‘Doesn’t mean we are going to take one. We still believe in you. It’s just I have to do what’s best for the organization and I have to go through the process. Does not mean we have given up on you, … but I don’t want you to walk into the cafeteria and see Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy and be surprised.’ ”
The real stoplight came from Wolf seeking multiple 2025 draft picks in a trade.
At that point, Schoen turned his attention to receivers Nabers, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Rome Odunze, and set up contingency plans in which he could trade up to No. 4 or No. 5 or trade down to No. 7 or No. 9.
Receivers coach Mike Groh met with all three receivers at once to go through plays during a facility visit and left the meeting telling John Mara that Nabers — not consensus top choice Harrison — was his preference.
“We are going to stay at No. 6 if Marvin or Malik is there,” Schoen told John Mara, co-owner Steve Tisch and Daboll one hour before the draft began. “Turn the card in and have a No. 1 receiver.”
If Nabers, Harrison and quarterbacks Caleb Williams, Daniels and Maye made up the first five picks, Schoen said he had a trade in place with the Bears to swap picks and move down to No. 9 while adding a third- and fourth-rounder, and giving up a fifth-rounder.
The GM was confident he would end up with Odunze or tight end Brock Bowers in that situation.
The footage suggested McCarthy and left tackle Joe Alt never were serious considerations, with Schoen telling director of player personnel Tim McDonnell that he was “really hoping [the Chargers] go tackle at No. 5,” and McDonnell recommending to Schoen calling Titans general manager Ran Carthon about swapping No. 6 and No. 7 if Nabers and Harrison are unavailable.
But, as The Post previously reported, there were pre-draft-day discussions in which a strong case for drafting Alt was presented.
His presence would have eased the blow of disappointing right tackle Evan Neal opening training camp Tuesday on the Physically Unable to Perform list.
