The key decision-makers for all 32 NFL teams will descend upon Indianapolis, Indiana this week as the 2019 Combine officially gets underway, kicking off a month of non-stop NFL Draft discussion.
For the New York Giants and general manager Dave Gettleman, there are a plethora of questions that must be answered, decisions that must be made and players who must be evaluated.
Headed into Day 1 of the NFL Combine, here are five pressing questions the Giants must ponder.
Which quarterback is the right quarterback?
Dating back to last year, the New York Giants have been pegged to select a quarterback in the NFL Draft. However, they passed on that option a year ago, instead taking running back Saquon Barkley in Round 1.
The Giants did add Kyle Lauletta later on, but similar to Davis Webb before him, Lauletta is a mid-round pick and more of a long-term project than an upcoming successor to Eli Manning.
In 2019, the Giants find themselves in a similar position, picking at the top of Round 1 and looking at a crop of potential quarterbacks, including Kyler Murray, Daniel Jones, Dwayne Haskins and Drew Lock to name a few.
Already, the Giants seem disinterested in Murray because of his size (5-foot-10), which leaves them with fewer options.
“I fancy guys that are tall,” Pat Shurmur told reporters in April. “You can see. Some of us are challenged in terms of height, so even in a setting like this, you’re trying to find sight lines. It’s no different for a quarterback when he is behind a very tall offensive line.
“All else being equal — as long as all the skill sets are equal or maybe even a little better than equal — guys that can see have a chance to be very good.”
Jones has potential, but seems to be more of a project than the other top-end quarterbacks despite his quality mentoring at Duke, while Lock and Haskins bring question-marks of their own.
General manager Dave Gettleman has said previously that if you make yourself fall in love with a player, the union is doomed from the start. And while it’s unclear what they’re thinking about this class of quarterbacks, it’s beginning to shape up similar to last year.
If the Giants do feel compelled to take a quarterback in Round 1 come April, then all eyes will have to be on the quarterbacks at the NFL Combine. One is bound to separate themselves from the pack.
Where do things stand with Eli Manning?
The Giants seem prepared to move forward with Eli Manning under center and nothing they have said or done so far this offseason would indicate otherwise. However, a final decision day is looming as Manning is due a $5 million roster bonus on March 17, which would lock him in for 2019.
With both Dave Gettleman and Pat Shurmur scheduled to speak at the NFL Combine, you can almost guarantee the first series of questions will center around Manning, his future and what that means for the NFL Draft.
It’s possible the Giants have already made an internal decision on Manning, but the week-long stretch at the Combine is when they’ll be forced to hold their feet to the fire. Reporters will want answers and if the Giants don’t have any, drama and rumors will begin to run rampant.
While the actual Manning deadline is roughly three weeks away, the final decision on his immediate future will likely be made on Wednesday.
If not a quarterback, then who?
Should the Giants opt to pass on a quarterback for the second consecutive year, the question then becomes, “who is the Round 1 target?”
The Giants have needs at defensive end, outside linebacker, cornerback, safety, offensive guard, offensive tackle and depth at the wide receiver position.
It’s easy to see why they might pass on a quarterback at No. 6 overall, but they’ll receive only one first-round shot at an impact player at one of those other positions.
Most pressing are their needs for a pass rusher and quality talent at right tackle, so it may be safe to assume those players are the ones who will draw Giant eyes at the Combine.
In terms of edge rushers, it’s likely Nick Bosa (Ohio State), Quinnen Williams (Alabama) and Josh Allen (Kentucky) will all be off the board before the Giants pick, leaving them with players like Ed Oliver (Houston), Clelin Ferrell (Clemson), Devin White (LSU), Rashan Gary (Michigan) and a few others to consider.
Meanwhile, along the offensive line, Jonah Williams (Alabama), Jawaan Taylor (Florida), Greg Little (Ole Miss) and Cody Ford (Oklahoma) are all options, but may not be ranked as high as some of the stud defensive players on the Giants’ board.
To trade up/down or not to trade up/down in NFL Draft?
Dave Gettleman has proven himself open to a little wheeling and dealing, so why would that change when it comes to picks in the 2019 NFL Draft? After all, he does have 10 of them.
If the Giants do decide that Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins is their guy, it’s possible they’d have to trade up in order to get him. If not, most other players they’d be interested in should fall well within their range.
Depending on how the first five picks stack up, the Giants may also have the option to trade down, acquire more picks (they lack a third rounder after using it on cornerback Sam Beal in the Supplemental Draft) and still target an impact player on their draft.
Of course, the Giants don’t necessarily have to limit themselves to a first-round trade — there are plenty of other options.
So, who might be some of those potential trade partners? That’s one benefit of the NFL Combine, as teams can openly float some ideas across the table and see what may or may not be there come April.
Is Odell Beckham Jr. available for trade?
Shortly after signing wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to a long-term contract extension last year, Dave Gettleman made it abundantly clear that all trade speculation should cease. He reiterated that later on.
“We didn’t sign him to trade him, if that’s what you’re asking,” Gettleman said in January before quipping once again at the repeated questioning. “You heard what I said.”
For a while, the rumors had quieted. Then FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer made it his bold prediction that OBJ would be traded in the coming months and all heck broke loose.
While it’s still highly unlikely that Beckham will be traded this offseason, the NFL Combine presents the perfect opportunity for things to change. With executives rubbing elbows for a week, ideas and proposals will be floated and perhaps one could intrigue the Giants.
Although they would absorb a $16 million dead cap hit by trading him pre-June 1, if some team were to offer the Giants two first-round picks and more, who could blame them for entertaining the possibility?
The possibility of that happening is slim-to-none, but as it’s often repeated in NFL circles, “never say never.” Just say, “about as likely as the world ending in the next 10 years.”
