HBO wrapped up its release of this year's Hard Knocks: Preseason featuring the New York Giants, and the final episode appears to divulge information that has the organization and its fans in an uproar.
The Hard Knocks season finale featured the Giants' offseason preparations culminating with the 2024 NFL Draft and the selection of Malik Nabers. The concerns, however, hinge on one split-second shot.
so the Giants let their prospect color-coding for the 2024 draft class leak in the final episode of Hard Knocks
interesting who they tagged w the codes đź‘€
blue, red, purple, pink, grey & yellow pic.twitter.com/3RD8NVBYJT
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) July 31, 2024
Blink and you’ll miss it, but a five-second frame of New York’s war room reveals their list of the complete 2024 draft class, color-coded based on the staff’s concerns surrounding each player.
There is plenty of speculation as to what each color means, as no confirmed key has been made public, but the current consensus is as follows:
- Blue: Positive leadership/character qualities
- Red: Injury concerns
- Purple: Character concerns
- Pink: Size/measurement concerns
- Grey: Potential to fill multiple positions
So what does this mean for the Giants and HBO?
This is not the first time Hard Knocks has been on the hot seat. Many teams attempt to avoid participation for the genuine concern that being featured on the show could divulge too much information about their operations.
Also, dealing with production crews can be time-consuming and understandably distracting for these teams. This could be just another reason teams are hesitant to participate.
As for New York, this shouldn’t spell the end of the world. No team wants to reveal this much of their plan at any point in time, but the fact that this leak came months after the draft took place should dilute any major implications.
It is interesting to note that the Eagles ended up drafting several players the Giants marked as concerning including cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, both highlighted in red, as well as Will Shipley and Trevor Keegan, both highlighted in pink.
Several first-round selections including Taliese Fuaga and Nate Wiggins were also marked in various colors, raising questions regarding the details of the Giants staff’s notes.
Whether or not this will affect New York’s future recruiting strategies remains to be seen, but it is unlikely that GM Joe Shoen is losing any sleep over this. When it comes to the players that were marked, this could be the spark that lights a fire under them to prove the Giants’ staff wrong in the coming season.
