Big Blue had a total of six picks in this year’s draft, including the franchise’s highest selection since 1981, No. 2 overall.
New York Giants first-year general manager Dave Gettleman used that pick on Penn State running back Saquon Barkley on Thursday evening. The decision was apparently a no-brainer for Gettleman.
The 6-foot, 233-pound running back was going to be the selection no matter who was on the board. The Giants rounded out day two with three draft picks, adding a Hog Molly in Will Hernandez and two defensive fits for James Bettcher’s defense.
Gettleman elected not to trade back on the final day of the draft. He used Big Blue’s last two draft selections on Richmond quarterback Kyle Lauletta and another athletic defensive lineman, RJ McIntosh.
NFL Network draft analyst Chad Reuter gave the G-Men an A- grade based on their selections. ESPN’s Mel Kiper was slightly tougher on Gettleman’s first draft class as Giants general manager, giving them a B grade.
Pro Football Focus gave Big Blue an “above average” grade for the picks.
The Giants addressed some significant needs over the three days. At the same time, they neglected two priority positions, cornerback and offensive tackle. They also only had six draft selections. Gettleman spoke about the process of rebuilding the roster after a 3-13 season, via New York’s team website.
"“Listen, the roster process isn’t over. It’s not over and you build your roster. Roster building is a 12-month period. So am I happy with where we are right now? Yes. Do we have some needs? Yes. Do I want us to be better? Yes. It takes time. Folks, you have to understand, Rome wasn’t built in a day. This is a brick-by-brick deal and at the end of the day we’re going to keep making moves, shake up the back end of the roster until we get it right.”"
An argument could be made that the Giants aced this draft class. Others would argue that Gettleman did a good but not great job in his first draft as Big Blue’s general manager.
Below are the grades for each of New York’s 2018 draft selections, starting with the No. 2 overall pick.