Giants general manager Dave Gettleman recently summed up the importance of the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft by referencing the famous yellow jackets.
Whomever the franchise selects Thursday night, Gettleman envisions that player one day wearing the attire given to Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees in Canton, Ohio.
“It’s the second pick of the draft,” he told the NFL Network in March. “You can’t make a mistake. You can’t.”
The Giants certainly didn’t the last time since they were in this position in 1981. They drafted linebacker Lawrence Taylor – one of just three No. 2 picks since 1978 to make the Hall of Fame.
Coming off a 3-13 season – their all-time worst record in a 16-game schedule – there are a few directions the Giants could go with the franchise-altering pick this time.
SAQUON BARKLEY
Anything said in pre-draft press conferences might be calculated gamesmanship, but it’s clear the Giants hold Penn State running back Saquon Barkley in high esteem.
“He’s one of those guys that my mother could have scouted,” Gettleman said last week.
The Giants haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since Ahmad Bradshaw in 2012, and their offensive line has been abysmal in recent years. But Gettleman bolstered the unit this offseason by signing left tackle Nate Solder and guard Patrick Omameh, who were starters last season for the Patriots and Jaguars, respectively.
Plus, Barkley is viewed as a generational talent with an elite skillset. As a college junior he compiled 21 total touchdowns, 1,271 rushing yards on 217 attempts and 54 receptions for 632 yards. He’s also as an exceptional pass blocker, and his 4.4 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine was the second-fastest ever by a running back weighing at least 230 pounds, per NFL.com.
The Giants have moved on from Orleans Darkwa, their leading rusher (751 yards) last season who remains a free agent. Second-year back Wayne Gallman leads a thin depth chart.
Barkley has the upside to pay significant dividends immediately for an offense which ranked second-to-last in points per game last season. If the regime believes 3-13 was largely an aberration and the team can seriously contend next season, Barkley is a fine choice as the most talented prospect in the draft.
“I think that the devaluing of the running back is really a myth,” Gettleman said. “If you have a great running back, he immediately makes your quarterback better, your offensive line better and your passing game.”
QUARTERBACK
Eli Manning will be back as the starter for at least the 2018 season, but this is a prime opportunity for the Giants to land their quarterback of the future.
This crop of prospects has been compared to the renowned Class of 1983, with potentially six going in the first round. Depending on whom the Browns choose with the first pick, the Giants could have their choice between USC’s Sam Darnold, UCLA’s Josh Rosen and Wyoming’s Josh Allen.
There isn’t a consensus No. 1 quarterback, but multiple reports have said the Giants prefer Darnold, known for his accuracy while throwing on the run. As a redshirt sophomore in 2017 he passed for 4,143 yards, 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions with a 63.1 completion percentage.
New head coach Pat Shurmur suggested in January that Manning might still have “years” left in him, but despite the outside factors that worked against him in 2017, the 37-year-old future Hall of Famer produced a career low in yards per pass attempt and his lowest completion percentage in six years.
Backup Davis Webb didn’t take a snap last season and was the fifth QB selected in the 2017 draft, but if Giants brass believes he can be the next franchise quarterback, they should continue to develop him and draft a different position. Still, the odds are much greater that a top-two pick becomes Manning’s long-term successor.
For what it’s worth, Gettleman says he believes it’s “hogwash” to suggest picking at No. 2 means you have to take a quarterback. The Giants will not draft one unless they are convinced one of the prospects available is the real deal.
“When you miss on a quarterback, you really hurt the franchise for probably five years,” Gettleman said. “It’s a five-year mistake. Yeah, it’s a big decision, but as long as you’ve done your homework and turned all the rocks over, you will come to the right answer.”
LINEMAN
One of Gettleman’s core tenets is a motto learned from Tom Coughlin: “Big men allow you to compete.”
North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb certainly fits that bill. He’s arguably the best defensive player on the board and could form a lethal tandem with Olivier Vernon in new defensive coordinator James Bettcher’s 3-4 scheme.
If the Giants want to take another major step in rebuilding the offensive line, Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson is another elite prospect who satisfies a position of need.
Still, it’s doubtful New York would select either without first trading down a few spots in the draft – something Gettleman never did in his time as Panthers GM from 2013-16.
“It depends on what’s on the board and who is still on the board,” Gettleman said. “I’m open to it.”
PREDICTION
Although drafting a quarterback makes the most sense long-term with this high of a draft choice, the Giants will select Barkley to pair with Odell Beckham, Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram in hopes of a fast turnaround in 2018.
