2018 NFL Draft: The Giants, scenarios, QB debates, more

Peter King and Albert Breer have a mock draft out that takes a look at four picks for each team. It’s an interesting idea and could be how teams look at drafts. The idea comes from a story Greg Gabriel recounts when the Giants were caught off guard picking fifth in the draft in 1996.

“There wasn’t a plan for all four to be gone,” Gabriel, a veteran scout now working as an NFL analyst for Pro Football Weekly and 670 The Score in Chicago. “We were on the clock and didn’t have a player we really liked, so George got on the phone and tried to trade down, and we just couldn’t get a good offer.” The Giants ended up picking defensive end Cedric Jones from Oklahoma. He went sackless in his first 28 NFL games and was a near-bust in five NFL seasons.

Said Gabriel: “I learned more from that draft than from anything: You gotta be prepared for the worst.”

Some would accuse this of happening to the Giants with Eli Apple as well.

Pat Traina (who makes a stop on over here to Big Blue View on occasion) opines and explores the reasons why the Giants should NOT draft a quarterback with the second overall pick.

As for me, I can opine why the Giants should draft a QB at No. 2 in the draft. If you take personal bias out of it and you read the next sentence in this article about any team in the last 20 years of modern NFL football your immediate response would be that teams QB must be terrible. It’s been two years since the New York Giants have scored at least 30 points in a game. Two WHOLE years! This team has generational wide receiver talent on it in Odell Beckham Jr. I mean, I don’t think the Cleveland Browns have scored 30 points in the last two years either, but we don’t want to be compared to the Browns ever.

Maybe Eli Manning bounces back this year and has a career year and if he does that a) the Giants will compete for the playoffs even if they have a No. 2 overall pick not playing and b) he’s still nearly 40 years old no matter what happens. I personally think it’s reckless and irresponsible for the Giants to not draft a QB at No. 2 overall with this QB class and this draft position. The only caveats are a monster trade down deal (with the Broncos at No. 5 where they still could get a QB there potentially) or they believe Davis Webb is a long term top 10 starter in the league.

With the release of Dallas Cowboys WR Dez Bryant, Lance Zierlein has the top candidates to replace him in this draft article. Bryant’s release shouldn’t be a surprise either. While he was once a menacing WR he hasn’t cleared a 1000 yards or 10 touchdowns since 2014.

Tony Pauline is talking offensive linemen and believes that three centers will be drafted by the middle of the second round. Interior offensive linemen are becoming more and more important in the league.

The NCAA has passed a new rule in which kickoffs caught as a fair catch inside the 25 yard line will have the same impact as a touchback. This bears monitoring for the NFL it seems likely the NFL could trend this way as well here in the near future.

Enjoy your weekend!