The self-appointed draft experts only want the New York Giants to take Saquon Barkley.
That’s their only answer, and the rest of us are wrong for considering anything but Barkley. Not to say that taking the talented Penn State running back at No. 2 remains out of the question. But other than spraying Fabreze onto an unsettled offense, drafting him means continuing to ignore the obvious. Mainly, that this roster is not in shape to compete for a Super Bowl title in 2018.
General manager Dave Gettleman undoubtedly sees there’s more work to be done than just righting the ship in 2018. And Gettleman knows the objective isn’t to just make the playoffs, it’s to compete for titles.
Already this team stands as better than the 2017 version. By adding left tackle Nate Solder and linebacker Alec Ogletree, key pieces were acquired. Essentially free agent Kareem Martin replaces Jason Pierre-Paul, so that impact has yet to be determined.
Replacing cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and casting Eli Apple as a key cog are concerning issues. Obviously, there’s still work to be done at cornerback.
Right now, old friend Tom Coughlin’s Jacksonville Jaguars are light years ahead of the G-Men. How’s that for irony? As you know, they snapped up free agent guard Andrew Norwell away from Big Blue.
New York Giants
Pro Football Focus called the Norwell signing an “A” move. Meanwhile, Big Blue grabbing Solder only garnered a B- grade. Per PFF:
"“The Jaguars entered the offseason with the offensive line easily being their biggest need and addressed it by replacing struggling Patrick Omameh (53.6 overall grade) with the top free agent offensive lineman in Norwell.”"
Seemingly the Giants picked up the scraps by signing Omameh to bolster their offensive line. That likely represents an acknowledgement by Gettleman to where his team is. It also represents how far the G-Men still have to go.
Barkley or Bust
Truthfully, the fans who clamor only for Barkley simply want the quick fix. They also ignore history. Folks need to comprehend this: three quarterbacks went in the top 11 picks in the 2004 NFL Draft. You know them as Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger. All of these guys are still playing.
The best running back in that draft was Steven Jackson (St. Louis Rams). Jackson was essentially finished as an NFL player after the 2014 season. He was 30-years old.
Does anyone in the draft Barkley crowd think the New York Giants are Super Bowl bound in 2018?
Pointing at Ezekiel Elliott and the Dallas Cowboys compares apples and oranges. The respective offensive line situations are night and day. Plus can anyone declare with absolute certainly that Dak Prescott is a franchise quarterback?
Understand this: Barkley may end up as rookie-of-the-year, but he won’t have the lasting impact of a franchise quarterback.
The Decision
Right now, it seems that the Cleveland Browns would be crazy to bypass Sam Darnold with No. 1 overall. That puts the New York Giants on the clock. At quarterback, that puts Josh Rosen (UCLA) and Josh Allen (Wyoming) in the mix.
First, if Gettleman thinks Allen or Rosen are the real deal, then that’s your answer. In 2004, then-general manager Ernie Accorsi felt that Eli Manning was worth the risk.
He turned out to be right.
If Gettleman is not sold, then the pick is for sale. The Browns might be in on the bidding if they want Barkley desperately enough, as well as the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills. With Denver’s pick at No. 5 Gettleman can select guard Quenton Nelson (Notre Dame).
A trade would also net other picks that could translate into guard Will Hernandez (UTEP), tackle Kolton Miller (UCLA) or running back Derrius Guice (LSU). Accumulating picks will allow the New York Giants to accumulate good players.
Overall, you also hope that you’re never in this draft position for at least another decade. For that reason the franchise quarterback needs to be in play.