Bradley Chubb the pick for Giants at No. 2 in SB Nation writer’s mock draft

The SB Nation writer’s mock draft is off and running, and yours truly has made his selection at No. 2 for the New York Giants. It’s one that I’m certain is going to raise more than a few eyebrows, so let’s get right to it.

Valentine: Surprise! Not a quarterback! Sam Darnold is my top QB here, and I believe the top QB on the Giants’ board. I’m not settling for second choice at that spot. Also, I believe strongly in this scenario the Giants would be likely to trade for a haul of picks, but I can’t do that here. So, it’s Saquon Barkley, Quenton Nelson, or Chubb. I went with Chubb simply because of the positional value. You can get good running backs and guards later. I don’t think you can get players on Day 2 or Day 3 with Chubb’s skillset. The Giants traded JPP and will play Olivier Vernon at LB in their new defense. There is a need. There is value. The Giants appear to be trying to revamp or reload, not rebuild. Chubb is the pick.

Analysis: Trading off the No. 2 pick is intriguing, but there’s a real risk if the Giants drop out of the top 10. Regarding going after Chubb, it’s certainly a risk. Is he the type of player who can turn around New York’s fortunes? While it’s true that Chubb has greater positional value, someone like Barkley would help them win more games this season. Or a player like UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen would obviously give them a franchise quarterback of the future.

More explanation

I have said many, many times in the past few weeks that I think Sam Darnold of USC is the quarterback the Giants are targeting at No. 2. I said it again on Friday morning. I will reiterate that now. That could change, but as of now I believe the Giants are honed in on Darnold as the heir apparent to Eli Manning.

Unfortunately, in this mock draft the Cleveland Browns snagged Darnold at No. 1 in their latest effort to find a franchise quarterback.

If this scenario plays out in the real draft on April 26, I do not believe the Giants will be picking second overall. There will be a number of suitors for this pick, and the Giants should be able to trade down and acquire a bevy of picks they can use to help them in a number of spots.

The writer’s mock, though, doesn’t allow trades. So, the choice comes down to Chubb, Quenton Nelson, Saquon Barkley or the second quarterback on the board. I’m not taking my second choice at a position with the second pick in the draft, so that rules out quarterback.

Out of the Chubb-Nelson-Barkley triumvirate I chose Chubb because of positional value. As good a player as Barkley is, I kept remembering something that former NFL scout and current Scouting Academy Director Dan Hatman said during a recent appearance on ‘Locked on Giants.’

Hatman said that former Giants GM Ernie Accorsi drilled into him that quarterback, left tackle and pass rusher are the three most important things a team must have. If you prioritize positions, running back comes in at or near the bottom of the list.

With that, and the knowledge that there will be quality running backs available in each round, in mind I chose Chubb.

Remember, though, given the option I’m trading out of this spot. That just wasn’t available to me here.