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Barring a surprise trade back in to the draft, the New York Giants 2018 NFL Draft is now over.
The Giants’ third day started with a bang with the selection of quarterback Kyle Lauletta out of Richmond with the 108th pick of the draft.
Fourth Round - Kyle Lauletta, QB, Richmond
Lauletta caught the Giants’ eye over the draft process with his quick mental processing and accuracy over short and intermediate distances. He is an experienced quarterback as a fifth-year senior and 3-year starter who went through multiple head coaching changes.
Lauletta is a good athlete who can play from under center as well as execute roll-outs or bootlegs, as well as hurt defenses with his legs if the opportunity arises. He is slightly lacking in arm strength, having to work to generate velocity with his lower-body mechanics. However, his accuracy, anticipation, and lightning release should let him execute about 90 percent of an NFL playbook without difficulty.
The best case scenario for the Giants is that Lauletta will push Davis Webb to improve his consistency and accuracy while Webb will push Lauletta to build his arm strength and improve his deep-ball accuracy.
Fifth Round - R.J. McIntosh, DT, Miami
If the selection of B.J. Hill in the third round was something of a head-scratcher, the selection of R.J. McIntosh in the fifth, with several players at positions of need still on the board, is downright confusing.
At 6 feet, 4 1⁄2 inches, 286 pounds, McIntosh should be able to fit as a 1-gapping 5-technique in the Giants’ new 3-4 defense, or as a pass-rushing 3-technique in nickel packages. Complicating matters is that this is a position at which the Giants already have four potential options in Kerry Wynn, Romeo Okwara, Kareem Martin, and Josh Mauro — not to mention Dalvin Tomlinson and Hill in heavier packages.
However, McIntosh does offer intriguing athleticism. He didn’t perform any drills at the combine, but appears quick and athletic on film — he has been one of the few defensive linemen to legitimately give Quenton Nelson trouble.
While there are still holes to fill elsewhere on the roster, the battle on the Giants’ defensive line should be a fierce one throughout the spring and summer.