The New York Giants have nine picks in this week’s NFL draft and there’s a world of speculation right now on exactly how they plan to use them.
Will new general manager Joe Schoen become a wheeler-dealer or will he stay put and take what the football gods throw at him?
There’s a chance he could do both. Schoen didn’t inherit much from his predecessor, Dave Gettleman, but he does have five picks in the top 81 in a draft that is deeper than usual thanks to the delaying effects of COVID-19.
Unfortunately for Schoen, he only has four picks after No. 81 and many insiders believe that Day 3 (rounds 4-7) is the tenderloin of this year’s draft.
“When so many college players had shortened seasons, or no seasons [in 2020], a lot of them chose to stay and play a regular year last year. That’s why the draft’s deeper this year. Not just at the top, but all the way through,” an NFL executive told FMIA’s Peter King recently.
Another general manager told King, “this is the year to have a bunch of day two and day three picks. And I think the pool of undrafted free agents will be better than usual.”
“One of our analytics guys was talking about how COVID-19 made this draft richer,” said another GM. “Look at all the picks Baltimore has in the third and fourth rounds. [The Ravens have seven in the third and fourth combined.] Those picks are absolute gold. They are going to have a great draft. Five years from now, that will be the story to look back on.”
A fourth GM said, “I’m extremely bullish on the third and fourth rounds, into the fifth.”
That’s where the Giants will be mainly on the sidelines watching the world go by. They have one fourth round pick (No. 112), two fifth rounders (Nos. 147 and 173) and one sixth rounder (No. 182). They do not have a seventh round pick.
Schoen has a full roster after dipping into the low end of the free agent pool this offseason and his needs — other than adding quality and building a core — are few. There are a lot of unanswered questions, such as if Daniel Jones is the quarterback of the future, and Schoen might trade back not only to take advantage of this year’s deep class but to prepare for next year should they in the market for a new quarterback.
Either way, Schoen is in a good position. No matter which course of action he decides to take the Giants will be a better team come next Sunday morning.
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