A patient approach best for team, rook
IT IS said the true measure of a draft isn’t known for at least three years. By then, those drafted either will have proven to be productive or wasted picks.
If the Giants get their wish, Davis Webb won’t even play for at least three years. Still, he could be the most important draft pick in Jerry Reese’s career as the Giants general manager.
By all accounts the Giants were stunned Friday night that the Cal quarterback was still available in the third round when it was their turn to utilize the 87th pick overall. The Giants were so convinced he would have been selected by then, vice president of player evaluations Marc Ross didn’t bother to have head coach Ben McAdoo meet with Webb before the draft.
“I thought he would be gone at this point,” Ross said. “To me he wasn’t one of the guys that was a priority for Ben to meet.”
But Webb was available and now the Giants may have secured their quarterback of the future. If that’s the case, finding the successor to Eli Manning would make Reese’s tenure with the Giants complete much the way former GM Ernie Accorsi’s legacy is tied to trading for Manning.
“We think [Webb] has a high ceiling and can come in and learn the pro game,” Reese said, adding, “Hopefully, he can sit behind Eli for two or three years.”
No one is pushing Manning out the door. But he’s 36 years old and it’s time for the Giants to at least be thinking about his heir apparent. Webb could be that guy.
“We’re hoping Eli plays a long time for us,” Reese said Friday night. “But we know he’s not going to play forever.”
The Giants used their second-round pick to fill an immediate need at defensive tackle by selecting Alabama defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson. He figures to play right away, replacing Johnathan Hankins, who signed a free agent deal with the Colts.
It would be ideal if Webb didn’t play at all. The Giants hope Manning, who has made 199 consecutive regular season starts, remains healthy. And like it or not, former Jet Geno Smith likely will be the backup, at least early in the season. But make no mistake: Webb is regarded as the quarterback of the future. The only question is when that future will arrive.
“We’re hoping he doesn’t have to be the guy that’s thrown into the fire,” Ross said. “We hope he can work on his skill.”
Webb seems happy with any approach the Giants want to take.
“I’m just excited to be part of a great organization,” he said. “I’m just thankful for the opportunity.”
Quarterbacks who are high picks often are asked to play early in their careers to justify their draft position. Smith fell victim to that with the Jets. Webb doesn’t have to worry about that, which should give him the best chance to succeed. The challenge will be to develop while being essentially a third-string quarterback.
“Reps are tough to come by,” McAdoo admitted. “We just need to get him in here and throw as much at him as we can and see how he handles it.”
Webb’s pedigree suggests he’ll be ready. The son of a coach, “he’s football all the time,” Reese said. He transferred from Texas Tech to Cal, where he spent 2016 as a graduate transfer. He played well enough to be drafted by the Giants, who like his arm, leadership skills and mobility.
“I think this guy has a high ceiling and can come in and compete,” Reese said.
That’s fine as long as he doesn’t actually play for a while.
“Obviously, we’d like for him to have a couple years and be the caddy,” Reese said. “Hopefully, he can sit on the sidelines and learn the game.”
If he learns well enough, Webb would be the most meaningful selection of Reese’s tenure as the Giants general manager.