Stamford, CT: The Big Ragu really saved Villanova last night, eh? But the most interesting thing going on in New York at the moment is the still the NFL draft. There are endless possibilities at the top and the New York Giants and New York Jets are pivotal players. There are four billion ways it could play out. And since no one is speculating about it, I thought I might give it a go.
I love that we have four quarterbacks who could be legit pros, but nothing close to a consensus about which one is the best. Momentum seems to be building in the Sam Darnold camp, but there are vocal proponents for all four. This draft has the potential to be the best one for QBs since Eli, Rivers, and Roethelisberger in 2004. With Mahomes, Trubinsky, and Watson from last season, there has been a huge influx of young talent at the position.
The Giants are in an enviable but difficult spot. They want a true transformational player, but they might not think highly enough of the QBs. The last thing they want is a sequel to the Dave Brown, Kent Graham, Danny Kannell horror flick. Do they reach for a B+ QB to avoid that or go with an A+ at a less important position?
The Giants have plenty of other holes to fill. so trading down makes sense. But it seems like Gettleman wants to come away with a superstud, so I don’t see him dropping further than the Broncos #5 pick. At worst, they’ll come away with a stud like Barkley, Chubb, or Nelson.
If the Giants roll with Nelson, then suddenly their biggest weakness becomes a strength. Or at least half of one. With Nate Solder and Quenton Nelson, Eli’s blind side is protected. But I get the feeling Gettleman thinks he can find some diamond-in-the-rough Hog Mollies later in the draft.
Then there’s Chubb. With JPP jettisoned, the Giants could sure use the young Chubb anchoring the 3-4. But with Olivier Vernon still on board, it’s not the Giants biggest position of need.
Who does that leave? Say it with me. Saquon. The dynamic RB from Penn State. If Darnold is there, the Giants might take him. But if the Browns take Darnold, look for the Giants to take the best player in the country. Imagine the Giants offense with Odell (anything going on with that guy), Barkley, Shephard, and Engram. I got a Chubb of my own.
Come back tomorrow for Mel Kiper’s assistant, Angry Ward. You can follow us on Twitter at @BenWhit8, @MeetTheMatts, @Matt_McCarthy00, Instagram @MeetTheMatts and like our Facebook page, Meet The Matts.
