BIG BLUE SPENDS NIGHT OUT WITH HASKINS
Giants meet with Haskins as they evaluate their draft plan
Alarge Giants contingent wined and dined Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins on Tuesday night in Columbus and then closely observed his impressive Pro Day on Wednesday.
If the Giants are going to draft a quarterback with the No. 6 overall pick, Haskins is the leader in the clubhouse. Head coach Pat Shurmur, offensive coordinator Mike Shula and ass’t GM Kevin Abrams chatted with Ohio State coach Ryan Day during the workout, and Shurmur and Haskins even embraced before parting at the end of the session.
“Being able to sit down with them (Tuesday) night was awesome,” Haskins told NFL Network. “Had a great time. Had some good talks, ate some good food, and it was a great experience.”
The question now is whether the Giants will go all-in on Haskins or if this will only amount to due diligence that informs the selection of a different player at No. 6.
Some Giants officials also had dinner with Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams on Monday night, for example. And defense is the strength of this draft class and a major Giants need.
And if the top of the draft goes as expected — i.e. Kyler Murray to Arizona, Nick Bosa to San Fran, Jets trade out with a team looking for a QB — then the Giants would be guaranteed one of three standout defensive prospects: Williams, Kentucky edge Josh Allen or LSU linebacker Devin White.
It is unlikely Haskins would grade anywhere close to those players on the Giants’ big board. The Giants also own the No. 17 overall pick in the first round and the fifth pick of the second round (No. 37 overall).
So they could believe an equally-effective QB would be available for better value later. Duke’s Daniel Jones is the player to watch at 17. His Pro Day is next Tuesday. Drew Lock’s at Missouri is Thursday.
At the same time, there are some sources around the league who do believe the Giants are seriously considering a quarterback at No. 6 and they simply haven’t made their decision yet. Would they possibly trade up if they believed 100 percent in Haskins? Unlikely but not impossible.
They might have to if they want him. Haskins has meetings or workouts scheduled in the upcoming days with the Giants but also the Raiders (No. 4 pick), Dolphins (No. 13), Washington (No. 15) and Broncos (No. 10).
He is 6-3, down to around 225 pounds, intelligent and has a strong arm. Immobility is a knock against him, but his footwork and movement looked good Wednesday. At least one team will fall in love with him. Shula spent extended time with him at the NFL Combine last month.
If the Giants do want Haskins, though, the most important player in this recruitment is Shurmur.
The head coach is known for his work with quarterbacks. His franchise needs a QB of the future, and Shurmur would love to start developing one after a 5-11 first season impeded by a poorlyconstructed roster and a past-his-prime quarterback.
So it would be fascinating to be a fly on the wall in the Giants’ meetings and draft room come April 25, to see how hard Shurmur bangs the table for a QB, if that player is Haskins, if Dave Gettleman agrees, and if the GM would reach for a need when that’s against his nature.
Gettleman, who continues to scour film in East Rutherford, said at the NFL Combine that he wants nothing more than to do what friend, mentor and former Giants GM Ernie Accorsi did in 2004 and find the Giants’ next franchise QB.
So whether the Giants use the No. 6 pick on a QB or not, Gettleman and his staff are going to exhaust all resources scouting the top QBs in this draft.
And they’d be expected to check in on a potential trade for Arizona’s Josh Rosen, too. And Accorsi did make a trade of No. 4 pick Philip Rivers with the Chargers’ No. 1 pick Manning that year, too. So anything’s possible. One would hope that somehow, too, Gettleman’s trade of Odell Beckham Jr. was designed to help the Giants get their quarterback of the future. Because if you’re going to trade away your best asset, you would hope it was done to fill the team’s biggest need.
Is Haskins the next Giants franchise QB? He seems to understand what they’re looking for.
“I think the biggest thing with drafting a quarterback is you want a guy that’s gonna be there for 10, 12, 15 years,” Haskins said. “That’s a guy you want to lead your franchise. So every meeting I go to, I want to show how charismatic I am, how smart I am, and to be able to relate to everyone in the room.”
The question is whether the Giants feel Haskins is their No. 1 guy — and if they will do anything to get him in late April.