Abundance of QBs means Big Blue’s options are open
The San Francisco 49ers’ blockbuster trade up to the No. 3 pick in April’s NFL Draft reinforced an encouraging reality for this pivotal Giants spring: Four quarterbacks are going to be picked in this year’s top eight, if not the top four. There could be five selected in the top 10. This means there will be a ton of talented position players sliding down the board into the Giants’ laps at No. 11.
That sounds like one of them good problems, to quote Marlo Stanfield of “The Wire,” for a team that is riding or dying with Daniel Jones into his third NFL season.
The question is just how fortunate the Giants will be and whom they’ll choose if faced with an unexpectedly difficult dilemma.
What if, for example, Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons, Alabama wideouts
DeVonta Smith and Jaylen
Waddle, and offensive linemen
Rashawn Slater (Northwestern) and Alijah Vera-Tucker (USC) are all still on the board — along with a slew of talented pass rushers?
Then what? All are players at positions of need for this team and could be the best player available at that draft slot, depending on the Giants’ evaluations.
At the moment, at least, the Giants are doing a lot of in-person scouting of the top pass rushers, edges and linebackers, Parsons included.
Head coach Joe Judge was at the University of Miami’s pro day on Monday watching edges Jaelan Phillips and Gregory Rousseau, who are projected late-first round/early second-round picks.
Judge was shown on the ACC Network chatting up his former Patriots boss Bill Belichick and sharing a word with Giants assistant director of player personnel Tim McDonnell.
The Giants also were well represented at Georgia’s pro day earlier this month where projected mid-first round edge Azeez Ojulari dazzled, with director of college scouting Chris Pettit and defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson in tow.
Judge was up close at last Thursday’s Penn State pro day where Parsons and defensive end Jayson Oweh showed their projected early and late first-round talents, respectively.
Giants senior personnel exec Kyle O’Brien was at Michigan’s pro day last Friday watching projected midfirst round defensive end Kwity Paye.
And later this week, it will be interesting to see which Giants executives attend Tulsa’s pro day to watch linebacker Zaven Collins, another projected middle first rounder.
Parsons and Collins are both intriguing prospects because they are linebackers by trade who also have terrific pass rushing traits and upside — possible perfect fits for Pat Graham’s versatile 3-4 scheme.
At any rate, the Giants look like they’ll have their pick from a talented group of position players because of how quarterback-heavy the NFL Draft board has become.
The expectation is that Jaguars, Jets and 49ers are all going quarterback with the top three picks. And the Falcons could take one at No. 4.
Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence is a lock at No. 1. BYU’s Zach Wilson seems like the Jets’ man at No. 2. And then North Dakota State’s Trey Lance, Ohio State’s Justin Fields and Alabama’s Mac Jones are all possibilities for both the Niners and Falcons.
Whoever remains likely wouldn’t fall past the Panthers at
No. 8.
Between the Bengals at No. 5, the Dolphins at No. 6 and the Lions at No. 7, it’s easy to see LSU wideout Ja’Marr Chase, Oregon OT Penei Sewell and Florida TE Kyle Pitts off the board, if not three wideouts.
So the Broncos at No. 9 could be a threat to take Parsons but also might prefer a corner like Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II, and the Cowboys are expected to go corner at No. 10, where South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn is another stud.
If it sounds crazy that both of Alabama’s wideouts would fall to No. 11, that’s fine: put him in the top 10, then remove one of those other blue-chip players and put them in the basket of assets the Giants will have at their disposal at their pick.
Any draft pick will come with risk. Parsons in particular has some offfield flags that require homework.
Plus, the Giants also must be aware that whomever they do not select at No. 11 will fall to the division rival Eagles at No. 12. Philly moved back from No. 6 in the three-way trade with the Niners and Dolphins.
But the bottom line is that the 49ers’ bold move up the draft board to No. 3 only reinforces that there will be high-end position talent available for GM Dave Gettleman and Judge. They just have to decide who the best player is there and make sure they don’t miss.