NFL Analyst Louis Riddick said he wouldn’t have chosen quarterback Daniel Jones if he were the New York Giants general manager.
Before the New York Giants hired Dave Gettleman to be their general manager in December 2017, there was another candidate up for the job. Former NFL safety and current ESPN Analyst Louis Riddick was interviewed for the position.
Ultimately, the Giants went with Gettleman.
Now a year and a half later, Riddick has an opinion on Gettleman’s decisions in this year’s NFL Draft. He doesn’t totally disagree with the moves Gettleman has made for Big Blue thus far, but he definitely doesn’t like the Giants selecting quarterback Daniel Jones at No. 6.”
“I would have drafted Saquon (Barkley),” Riddick said on The Adam Schefter Podcast on Tuesday. “I would have made sure that (with) Odell (Beckham Jr.), we had that (solid) relationship. I could have lived with Eli (Manning) for a year. I mean, I understand why Dave did that.
“I wouldn’t have drafted the quarterback that they drafted,” Riddick added. “And as far as the coaching selection, look: I know Pat Shurmur, I’ve been around him, everybody knows how I feel about some of the other coaches that are out there right now that I would like to work with. So maybe those are some of the things that would be different, but does it really matter? No.”
In all likelihood, Jones won’t play right away. Gettleman actually noted that he favors the “Green Bay model” that produced Aaron Rodgers. This would have Manning start for possibly more than just the 2019 season before Jones ultimately gets the nod. Either way, the Giants are going to do what they can to get the most out of Jones.
“For Daniel Jones, let’s forget about the price they paid for him,” Riddick said. “Going to the Giants and being behind Eli and being with Pat, being with that organization, obviously they’re gonna sponsor the hell out of him. It’s in their best interest for them to do everything they can to make him successful.”
