Big Blue View mock draft - Giants get their quarterback of the future

Finally, after long last, after weeks of speculation and scouting reports, rumors and smoke screens, it is officially Draft Week!

In just a few days we will finally know for sure who the New York Giants will select in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft. But until that time, we still have some more time for pointless speculation.

InvictusXI, Dan Pizzuta, and I conspired to do a mock draft, rotating our picks and coming to a consensus for the Giants’ selection.

So, without further ado, here’s the mock!

1. Cleveland Browns - InvictusXI - Sam Darnold, QB, USC

2. Buffalo Bills (trade) - Chris - Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA

3. New York Jets - Dan - Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma

4. Cleveland Browns - InvictusXI - Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn St.

5. Denver Broncos - Chris - Quenton Nelson, OG, Notre Dame

6. Indianapolis Colts - Dan - Derwin James, DB, Florida State

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - InvictusXI - Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State

8. Chicago Bears - Chris - Bradley Chubb, DE, NC State

9. San Francisco 49ers - Dan - Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia

10. Oakland Raiders - InvictusXI - Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Alabama

11. Miami Dolphins - Chris - Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming

12. New York Giants (trade) - Consensus - Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville

13. Washington Redskins - Dan - Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan

14. Green Bay Packers - InvictusXI - Harold Landry, EDGE, Boston College

15. Arizona Cardinals - Chris - Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville

16. Baltimore Ravens - Dan - D.J. Moore, WR, Maryland

17. Los Angeles Chargers - InvictusXI - Vita Vea, DT, Washington

18. Seattle Seahawks - Chris - Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame

19. Dallas Cowboys - Dan - Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State

20. Detroit Lions - InvictusXI - Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech

21. Cincinnati Bengals - Chris - Connor Williams, OL, Texas

22. NYG (trade) - Consensus - Marcus Davenport, EDGE, UTSA

23. New England Patriots - Dan - Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA

24. Carolina Panthers - InvictusXI - Isaiah Wynn, OG, Georgia

25. Tennessee Titans - Chris - Josh Sweat, EDGE, FSU

26. Atlanta Falcons - Dan - Taven Bryan, DT, Florida

27. New Orleans Saints - InvictusXI -Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama

28. Pittsburgh Steelers - Chris - Derrius Guice, RB, LSU

29. Jacksonville Jaguars - Dan - Will Hernandez, OG, UTEP

30. Minnesota Vikings - InvictusXI - Josh Daniels, OC, Iowa

31. New England Patriots - Chris - Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma St.

32. Philadelphia Eagles - Dan - Joshua Jackson, CB, Iowa

Giants’ Picks

Faced with the second-overall pick and Sam Darnold off the board, a trade down appeared on each of our top options, so we took that road. Not only did we want to maximize the value of the pick, but it also allowed us to make multiple picks for the Giants, and force you all to read further.

In exchange for the second-overall pick, the Giants got picks 12, 22, 56, and the Bills’ 2019 first-round pick. It’s possible that the pick could go for more on draft night, but we didn’t want to venture into the territory of being unreasonable.

First Round

Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville - Jackson was a top option for two of us, and was tied with Boston College pass rusher Harold Landry. We decided to take the quarterback and hopefully set the Giants up for life after Eli Manning. Jackson has sky-high potential and is already familiar with NFL concepts from playing in Louisville’s Erhardt-Perkins based offense. Being able to sit for a year or two behind Manning would allow Pat Shurmur and Mike Shula (who is plenty of experience coaching a highly athletic quarterback) to fine-tune his mechanics. Jackson’s quick, compact release, strong arm, and tight spirals are tailor made for playing in the Meadowlands late in the season, and his rare athleticism would give the Giants’ offense a dimension it hasn’t seen since Fran Tarkenton.

Marcus Davenport, EDGE, UTSA - Our patience in passing on Landry paid off quickly, as we were able to land one of the top edge rushers in the draft. Former NFL defensive end, and SB Nation writer Stephen White believes that Davenport is the second-best pass rusher in the draft, behind only Bradley Chubb, and could be at least as good as — if not better than — Chubb in a couple years’ time.

Day Two

*Note: rather than mock out the second and third rounds, we decided to each throw out a player we believe the Giants could, or should, take with each of their four picks on Friday evening

34.

Chris - Frank Ragnow, C/G, Arkansas

Dan - Justin Reid, S, Stanford

Invictus - Braden Smith, OG, Auburn

56.

Chris - Brian O’Neill, OT, Pittsburgh

Dan - Chukwuma Okorafor, OT, Western Michigan

Invictus - Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia

66.

Chris - Terell Edmunds, S, Virginia Tech

Dan - Fred Warner, OLB, BYU

Invictus - Jamarco Jones, OT, Ohio State

69.

Chris - Shaquem Griffin, LB, Central Florida

Dan - Jaylen Samuels, RB, North Carolina State

Invictus - Anthony Miller, WR, Memphis