New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman has to come away with a quarterback during the 2019 NFL Draft.
It doesn’t matter how it happens, it just needs to get done.
Forget about last year and the selection of Saquon Barkley in a quarterback-heavy draft. Barkley was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He’s going to be a generational running back.
It was the right pick and it will be verified further once the Giants come away with a quarterback in the next few days.
Now it depends on which one.
ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio reported on Wednesday morning that the Giants are committed to picking up a passer during the draft, which is the obvious move considering Eli Manning is on his last legs and in the final year of his contract.
Most of the offseason has seen the Giants linked with Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins, considered by many to be the best quarterback available in the draft despite the prospect of Kyler Murray going first-overall to the Arizona Cardinals.
Haskins, a New Jersey native who continues to state his desire to play for the Giants, is coming off a monster sophomore season in Columbus where he threw for over 4,800 yards with 50 touchdowns compared to just eight interceptions.
However, links to Haskins have weakened in the last few weeks. With the No. 6 and 17 picks in the first round, there is a chance the Giants draft a top defensive talent like Kentucky’s Josh Allen or LSU’s Devin White first. Then with the 17th pick, they’ll pursue a quarterback whether that’s Missouri’s Drew Lock or Duke’s Daniel Jones; the latter gaining steam as a legitimate option for the Giants.
Any sort of first-round-selection drama could be avoided though if the Giants opt to make a trade.
If the Cardinals take Murray at No. 1, second-year passer Josh Rosen will be shipped out of Arizona — a move that some believe is on the verge of being completed.
ESPN’s Dianna Russini reported on Wednesday morning that if a trade is in place for Rosen, it’s not with the Washington Redskins, who were reportedly in on the Cardinals quarterback. The Giants’ NFC East rival believes that they could land Haskins at No. 15 as well, per Russini.
It hints that the Giants could be coming away with Rosen, allowing them to focus on defense and the offensive line in the first round rather than Gettleman spending a high pick on a passer.
