New York Giants: 3-Round mock draft with, without Manning
By Henry Buggy
The G-Men have lost their identity.
The New York Giants are known for their loyalty and for being one of the league’s more stable franchises. That’s clearly not the case in 2017, as second-year head coach Ben McAdoo has benched the greatest quarterback in Giants history to get a better look at Geno Smith.
Smith will get his first start for Big Blue on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders, but the five-year veteran has already started 30 games during the course of his career. Many Giants fans could understand the franchise’s reasoning for wanting to see rookie quarterback Davis Webb, but Smith’s resume and one-year contract has left most fans scratching their heads.
Giants ownership released a statement in November that changes would not be made in-season, but that evidently did not include New York’s two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback. Giants co-owner John Mara discussed the quarterback change Wednesday and made it clear nothing is definitive regarding Manning’s future with the franchise, via New York’s team website.
"“I don’t think we should be writing his obituary just yet. A lot of things can change between now and next spring and next season. And the reality is (Steve Tisch and I) have some tough decisions to make at the end of the year, and who knows what’s going to happen?”"
While it’s unclear whether Manning will be back or who will be leading the front office, one thing seems certain, Big Blue will have their highest draft pick in over a decade. The Giants currently hold the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
G-Men HQ has already taken a closer look at some of the top prospects to target and below are two three-round mock drafts. The difference between the two is whether Manning remains with the franchise.