So much for a quarterback.
Just 10 days remaining until the clock starts on the 2018 NFL Draft and the verdict is still out on what the New Yor Giants, who have the No. 2 selection, will do.
Over the past few weeks, it was believed they would draft a quarterback to take over in 2019, at the latest, for the aging Eli Manning who just celebrated his 37th birthday in January.
The overwhelming favorite for the pick looked to be USC’s Sam Darnold, who has seen his draft stock fluctuate throughout his two seasons in Southern California. But with questions about his efficiency and poise plaguing him throughout the winter, a solid showing in a torrential downpour that was his Pro Day ensured that he was deserving to be in the upper echelon of quarterbacks in the 2018 draft class that also includes UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Wyoming’s Josh Allen and Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield.
Choosing a quarterback with their highest draft pick since 1982 would mean the Giants would pass on Penn State running back Saquon Barkley, considered by many to be the top overall prospect in this year’s draft.
It was clear that he was going to be a top-10 pick after rushing for over 2,700 yards, adding 1,000 receiving yards and scoring 43 touchdowns over the past two years. His performance at the NFL Combine only made pro scouts salivate over his game more as he recorded a 40-yard-dash time of 4.4 seconds while putting up 29 reps on the 225-pound bench press.
The Giants had been linked with Barkley throughout the offseason, the team in desperate need of a revamp in the backfield. New York’s rushing attack, albeit behind a horrendous offensive line, was ranked 26th in the NFL last year.
While talks fizzled out when quarterback speculation heated up, the Giants are still extremely high on Barkley. So high, in fact, that they could very well take him at No. 2 on Apr. 26.
Paul Schwartz of the New York Post reported that the Giants believe Barkley is “a near-perfect prospect,” who is just as good as Dallas Cowboys rusher Ezekiel Elliott without the off-field issues.
Not to mention Barkley was caught wearing a Giants sweatshirt on Thursday at a Pennsylvania barber shop.
“I thought all along this is the guy [Giants GM Dave Gettleman] wants,” an NFL scout told Schwartz. “And he might get him if Cleveland is dumb enough not to take him at No. 1.”
But the Giants could also be interested in NC State defensive end Bradley Chubb or Notre Dame offensive lineman Quenton Nelson, as they would also address some glaring needs within the depth chart.
