Our Draft Analyst Wonder has many thoughts on this year’s Draft. None of the following comments are in quotes… but they are all Wonder’s thoughts at the Top of the Draft.
Much has been shaped by today’s news that CLE has traded a Round 3 pick for Tyrod Taylor. Getting past the fact that this is idiotic, it sends a pretty clear picture that they will take Saquon Barkley (pictured) at #1 Overall.
The Giants pick at #2 overall.
If they think they have a John Elway/Peyton Manning/Andrew Luck slam dunk QB, take him. IF NOT, TRADE DOWN.
If the Giants think Josh Allen, Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen or Baker Mayfield is the guy, take him. (Lamar Jackson is not in this category, rail thin, a Terrelle Pryor clone, cannot take the pounding at QB.)
Sidenote: Huge feather in Gettleman’s cap if the Giants land Norwell. One more lineman and you have transformed your OL to Top 15 overnight. They need a Tackle. If the Giants trade down and get a bevy of draft picks, grabbing a Tackle, a Linebacker, and a few other positions will transform the team.
If the Giants trade down to 10-12, one of those 4 QBs will probably still be available. Theoretically the Giants can still trade down, get a bevy of picks and still find themselves with a QB. And if all 4 QBs are gone quickly, so be it because they did not see the slam dunk anyway.
Right now, I do not know who of these 4 is going to be a slam dunk. They all have their selling points and they all have their weaknesses.
Josh Allen is 6’5″ and 240 lbs. He has the best arm that I have seen since Matthew Stafford. He reminds me of Dan Marino, a big strong guy who can move around in the pocket and throw the hell out of the football. His accuracy issues can be coached. His footwork can be fixed. His backpedal is as smooth as silk. He has to learn how to step into the ball with his legs and not just use that powerful arm. Brady is not athletic, so his technique has to be excellent, which it is. Allen has gotten away with things because of his athleticism. Allen has the highest upside and probably the lowest floor too. The Giants scouting and evaluation of the QBs will determine their approach to the draft. As it should always, but here in 2018, there is no choice but to get it right. This one decision is going to affect the Giants for the next 10 years. You better be right, whatever you do. You cannot draft Ryan Leaf or JaMarcus Russell. JaMarcus Russell should have failed the interview and fallen in the Draft because he was not smart enough to play NFL Football.
I really like Sam Darnold. But there are some things I see that I do not like that are harder to fix. I preferred Marcus Mariota over Jameis Winston because Winston was a turnover machine. It is hard to change that. He is still a turnover machine. Darnold turns over the ball too much for my liking. Unforced errors. There is a difference between trying to make a play down in Q4 and turning the ball over at other times and circumstances. Ultimately, not sold on Darnold, and he is my #2 in preference after Allen.
Josh Rosen. I do not like his frame. He could put on 15-20 lbs of muscle. That may change the way I feel. He is the most natural thrower of the group. It would not shock me if he is the best of the 4 QBs five years down the road.
Baker Mayfield, if he had 3″, would be #1 far and away. But he is not. There have been 2 QBs to model at a shorter height who have done well in the NFL: Ruseell Wilson and Drew Brees. So the odds are against Mayfield. Pros- the kid is a winner, great accuracy, fighter, desire, a ton of intangibles. Unbelievably accurate. Lesser version of Joe Montana. Montana was 6’3″. But today the OLmen are taller and the sightlines are harder.
Who is going to make the call? The Scouts will advise Gettleman. If the scouts are split on who to take, you have to trade down. You need to have unanimous consensus that this is the guy to take that QB. They all need to be worked out, and interviewed.
Saquon Barkely is the nuts. He’s big, strong, fast, a great receiver, and he can block. There is zero downside. There is nothing he does that he cannot do well. Barkley can take a pounding and still deliver. His running game reminds me of David Johnson. He is like an Eric Dickerson receiver. Barkley is an animal in the screen/flare game. This is what makes him such a monster pick in today’s NFL. If the Browns did not take him #1, the Giants should then take Barkley ONLY if they do not like one of the QBs. In this year, where the Giants have a 37 year old starting QB, they have to take the QB if they are at least 90% sold on the fact that 9 times out of 10 he is your franchise QB. But the point is moot now. Because CLE traded for Tyrod Taylor, they have signaled they aren’t going QB. It looks like Barkley is gone before the Giants pick.
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