Given the chance that the New York Giants have a high draft pick next Spring, they should refrain from drafting a top quarterback prospect.
Before the season began, envisioning that the New York Giants would see their season virtually end well before Halloween seemed downright absurd. Now, with injuries and team turmoil mounting, reality is beginning to set in. All that could have gone wrong has and it’s reasonable to start shifting thoughts towards 2018.
Should the G-men find themselves with a top five pick, they likely will have their chance at taking one of the top signal callers in the draft. It’s no secret that USC’s Sam Darnold, UCLA’s Josh Rosen and Wyoming’s Josh Allen are three quarterbacks that are already headlining the 2018 draft. Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph along with Louisville’s Lamar Jackson, amongst others, also should feature in what is shaping up to be a loaded quarterback class.
As tempting as it may be to select a potential franchise icon, the Giants should pass on a player that gets paid to pass.
Assuming Jerry Reese still has his job, which is far from guaranteed, his “best player available” approach shouldn’t feature a quarterback. His selection of Davis Webb last Spring means Eli Manning’s successor is being groomed. Though Webb may not see the field for the next few years, he stands as the long term project goal for the franchise.
Additionally, the Giants do not currently have a quarterback issue. They may stand at 0-5, but Eli Manning is the least of their problems.
Their porous offensive line has given Manning little time to scan the field while the running game as been nearly nonexistent. Ben McAdoo’s attack has flashed as being predictable at times, often using the same personnel, and the offense is yet to show consistency over the course of one full game.
Manning hasn’t played like a pro bowler, but imagine bringing in a rookie QB to this offense? Think about a 21 year old kid having his blindside unprotected with no run game to rely on, all while learning a new offense. It’s pretty safe to say that as bad the offense has been, Manning prevents it from being much worse.
The 2017 season will go down as a lost year, though the Giants are not in need of a complete rebuild. This is largely the same team that won 11 games just one season ago.
If legitimate investments can be made along the offensive line and the defense doesn’t tire out, there’s plenty of reason to believe the Giants can bounce back. Injuries have also been a much larger issues this season as opposed to last, too. This isn’t the NBA where the same few teams are the primary contenders every year–this is the league where parity runs rampant.
The major variable in this quarterback equation is general manager Jerry Reese. If he keeps his job, then Webb is likely the guy of the future. Reese has already exhibited significant support in his draft picks–maybe too much support when Ereck Flowers and Bobby Hart are still the starting tackles. If one thing is certain, Reese feels the need to justify his selections and using a third round pick on Webb could be another example of such action.
Should the New York Giants decide to revamp the coaching staff from front office down to the head coach, then it’s plausible that the next GM wants to start over with his guy leading the offense. If the season continues to spiral downward, ownership may feel the need to make drastic personnel changes.
Regardless of the situation, the Giants have a quarterback that still has the ability to compete at a high level.
Eli Manning helped bring two championships to New York. It’s time to get him some help rather than making a knee-jerk reaction for his carbon copy.
