Pick 6 – Daniel Jones, QB Duke
Every Giants fan feared the worst, and they got the worst. With Josh Allen and Dwayne Haskins still on the board, Gettleman pulls the trigger and takes the biggest draft gamble in recent Giants memory.
The Pros
Jones was trained by the same coach as Peyton and Eli Manning, David Cutliffe. Jones has the size and demeanor of a Giants QB at 6’5 with a very quiet and serious demeanor. His ceiling is going to be Matt Ryan, but his floor is going to be a massive bust. This is a head scratcher for the ages.
The Cons
In his final home game as a Blue Devil, Jones led Duke to a 56-7 loss at the hands of Wake Forrest, one of the punching bags of ACC football. Jones threw for 22 TD’s and 8 INT which doesn’t say first round talent. Jones also lacks the arm strength and decision making to be a franchise QB. Yet, he still deserves a chance and I love a good underdog story… I’m just glad he wasn’t at the Metlife Draft Party.
Grade: F
Pick 17 – Dexter Lawrence, DT Clemson
Every Giants fan who decided to keep on watching the draft got hit with another questionable, yet predictable pick. Gettleman went defense at 17 but in a position, he didn’t need to fill. Dexter Lawrence now joins a young and crowded defensive tackle spot with Dalvin Tomlinson and BJ Hill already carving out their spots on the team.
The Pros
Lawrence is an elite run stopper who had 18 tackles for loss in his 3-year career as a tiger. He also had an interception and 3 passes defended in his junior year. Lawrence was mainly drafted to stuff the run and that’s exactly what he’ll do.
The Cons
Defensive tackle is one of the few positions Gettleman didn’t have to focus on as two young emerging stars already staked their claim to the position. Yet, the expectation is that Dalvin Tomlinson gets kicked out to DE and the pass rush still continues to suffer. Lawrence is not a pass rusher, only racking up 10 sacks in 3 years with 6.5 coming in his freshman year. Good player, but not a good pick for the Giants and Gettleman.
Grade: C
Pick 30 – DeAndre Baker, CB Georgia
With a surprising trade back into the first round, the Giants finally address a glaring need with a player that makes sense. Considered the best coverage corner in the draft, Baker only let up 1 touchdown in his ENTIRE career.
The Pros
There’s a lot to love about DeAndre Baker, especially where he was drafted. Getting a great NFL ready corner at 30 is a great steal for the Giants. 40 tackles and 9 passes defended don’t jump out off the page, DeAndre was very rarely thrown to because he is just that good, don’t let the numbers fool you. A 2018 All-American and the 2018 Jim Thorpe award winner for the nations best corner, Baker is going to be a day 1 starter that the Giants nation should be very excited about.
The Cons
Baker has a tendency to not trust his feet, which in turn means Baker will commit his fair share of penalties. He also has a tendency to drop a lot of easy interceptions, that can decide a game. Other than those two weaknesses, Baker is going to be a great player for the Giants.
Grade – B+
Featured Image:
