New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman shouldn’t lean towards the “best player” route when the draft’s opening round commences.
Only a short period of time remains between now and the upcoming NFL Draft’s first round. A night full of surprises, smiles, and this year, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announcing the picks from his Bronxville, New York home.
It’ll also encompass Dave Gettleman‘s pending major decision. Will he draft with the team’s needs in the mind, or select the best player available, which would likely lead to the New York Giants taking Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons.
Of course, the veteran general manager prefers to select the best player, unless certain circumstances arise, such as needing a quarterback. And this year, it’s very much clear that certain circumstances have arisen once again.
He can’t be carried away by the oohs and ahhs of Simmons. He can’t try to add Derrick Brown and attempt to bolster a defensive line that already possesses a decent foundation. Gettleman needs to select an offensive tackle for the future, and he’ll likely have four individuals to choose from at No. 4 overall or at No. 6 if they trade back.
Many people would agree that this has become an offensive-driven league. Offense wins games, defense wins championships. But don’t forget, a championship is a game in and of itself. And in this league, if you can’t put up points on the board, you won’t emerge victorious in many matchups.
Despite the overall criticism he receives, Gettleman has done a great job establishing a young, talented pool of offensive players. He selected Saquon Barkley to significantly improve the running game, Daniel Jones to be the face of the franchise for years to come, and Darius Slayton to be enough of a balance alongside Sterling Shepard.
But if you don’t possess a reliable, consistent, chemistry-filled offensive line, then everything goes to waste. Just ask the 2019 Giants, who finished 23rd in total offense and tied for 18th in scoring.
What was a big reason for this?
Exactly, the offensive line, who tied for 19th with 43 allowed sacks and finished 30th with 119 allowed quarterback hits.
And the 2019 campaign wasn’t an outlier. The team allowed 47 sacks in 2018, the most Eli Manning ever had to take in a single season. The performance from the “hog mollies” has hindered the overall success of this team for too long. Gettleman holds the opportunity to change this starting Thursday night, and he must pull the trigger.
Don’t get me wrong, Simmons is an outstanding prospect who would be a game-changer in what’s been a struggling defensive group. I’m sure many Giants fans would show excitement over that potential selection.
But it’s simply not the right one.
Enough of these one-year plans at right tackle — Chad Wheeler in 2018, Mike Remmers in 2019, and potentially Cam Fleming in 2020. Enough of overlooking one of the more important positions throughout the roster.
The Giants need a young, fresh, dominant tackle who can start on the right side of the line and eventually transition to Jones’ blindside. They need someone who can thrive within this primarily young offense. All in all, they need to fit one of the more crucial and significant pieces to the entire puzzle.
Huge progress can be made this coming Thursday evening when you consider the future of this organization. Gettleman has a major decision in regards to that and his overall job security.
Hopefully, he makes the right choice.
