The 2019 NFL Draft is officially upon us, and that means the New York Giants are about to embark on one of the most important three-day stretches in their history.
That stretch begins with two picks in the first round, which could yield the Giants anything from elite edge rushers to a franchise quarterback to help at right tackle.
There is no consensus on which direction the Giants will go, including here at Giants Wire. But that doesn’t mean we’re not going to make some predictions anyway.
Dan Benton
I’ve bounced around a lot in recent weeks when it comes to what I believe the Giants’ approach would be, what mine would be and what I think will ultimately happen.
I can see any number of scenarios playing out, but I’ve settled on the following:
At No. 6, I see the Giants diving in and snagging one of the elite edge rushers based on availability. It’d be great if that player turned out to be Josh Allen, but I can’t say for certain he’ll fall (who can?). Whether he does or not, edge rusher goes to the Giants with their first pick.
With pick No. 17, I can see the Giants taking Daniel Jones if he’s still there, but I can also see them taking an offensive tackle. And if Jones, Dwayne Haskins and Drew Lock are, by some chance, all off the board, then I can see an tackle for certain.
So what do the Giants do about the quarterback position? A trade of their third-round pick for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen.
John Fennelly
The Giants are in the market for several positions in this draft – EDGE, QB, DL, OL and CB – to name a few, so any player they select will be construed as a “need” pick.
At No. 6, I see them taking a defensive player — whichever of the “Big Four” (Quinnen Williams, Nick Bosa, Josh Allen and Devin White) falls them. I do not anticipate them selecting a quarterback. That is what pick No. 17 is for.
If by chance Daniel Jones is available, I believe they will grab him. If not, I see this pick being used on either an OT like Jonah Williams or a DL such as Jerry Tillery, Christian Wilkins or Dexter Lawrence.
Mike Moraitis
I’m putting my money on a team trading ahead of the Giants to take Dwayne Haskins, with Kyler Murray going first overall and the Big Three of this draft (Nick Bosa, Quinnen Williams and Josh Allen) going after that.
With a second quarterback off the board at No.5, the Giants will land a freak athlete in LSU linebacker Devin White at No. 6, addressing one of the team’s biggest needs.
At No. 17 is when the Giants will get aggressive. Look for general manager Dave Gettleman to trade up to nab Jonah Williams inside the top-15, securing another huge area of need at right tackle.
Kevin Hickey
No 6. Ed Oliver, DT, Houston
No. 17. Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State
There are so many ways the Giants can go with their first-round picks on Thursday night. They could add to the trenches, front seven or even look to grab a potential franchise quarterback.
Despite the need to find Eli Manning’s successor, I think the Giants focus on the defensive line at No. 6. There are likely going to be several options, but the prediction is Oliver, who would fill in immediately as an impact rusher from the three-technique. He’s explosive off the ball with some of the best athleticism in the class.
At No. 17, I could see the Giants taking Daniel Jones if he is there or even Drew Lock from Missouri. However, Jones might not be there and it Big Blue might feel it’s wiser to add a starter on the offensive line in Dillard. Despite some work needed as a run blocker, Dillard has excellent footwork to go along with some of the best pass protection in the class.
Pat Ragazzo
Dwayne Haskins at pick No. 6:
If you read between the lines, the New York Giants have done the most work on Dwayne Haskins than any other team. This new regime in the front office went through the exact same process with Saquan Barkley leading up to last year’s draft, which made their pick far from a surprise.
Both Haskins and the organization are also on the same page as each other with the Kansas City Model blueprint of wanting to learn and grow behind Eli Manning. Haskins also idolizes Manning after growing up in New Jersey as a die hard Big Blue fan. He allegedly bonded with the 38-year-old quarterback during his visit and shared lunch with Manning while he was there.
Haskins was also seen working out in the gym recently in a cut-off Giants hoodie. While it is obvious he received this from his visit with the team, this is very similar to the Saquan situation a year ago, where he was seen at the barber shop sporting Giants gear prior to the draft.
Clelin Ferrell at pick No. 17:
If the Giants do decide to go with Haskins at six, look for them to grab Clelin Ferrell at 17 if — a big if — he is still there. Giants are in desperate need of pass rushers and a defensive end opposite of B.J Hill. If Ferrell is still on the board by their second pick he’d be a no-brainer.
Ferrell recorded 26.5 total sacks in three seasons at Clemson, where he had a very impressive track record. Ferrell took home the 2018 Ted Hendricks award (best defensive end in college football), 2018 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and was named First-Team All-American for the past two seasons in a row.
He also won two National Titles’ with the Tigers with the first one coming in 2016, where he was awarded the Defensive MVP award, and the second championship his final season with the squad in 2018. Ferrell already knows how to win, which seemingly makes him a perfect fit in a culture that’s currently in the works of building a contender.
Serena Burks
The Giants have a lot of needs to fill in this year’s NFL Draft, and while many think they will take a quarterback at six, I think it’s more likely that they will take a defensive player with the sixth pick and grab a quarterback at 17.
The defense took a serious hit this past year and needs a lot of help to add depth, especially along the line. Look for Gettleman to address this need first as the depth of quarterbacks in this draft is thick. Regardless of which teams pick quarterbacks, there will still be great options left when pick 17 rolls around.
Tyler Henry
No. 6: Ed Oliver, DT Houston
The Giants need defense and help on the line. Between last offseason and now they’ve lost Jason Pierre-Paul, Damon ‘Snacks’ Harrison, Olivier Vernon and Kerry Wynn. Oliver has been tied to the Jets at 3, but I think he makes it down to 6 as the talent is too stacked in the top five to pass up. Giants have stressed best player available and with the way I’m seeing the top 5 go, Oliver might be the best of what’s left.
No. 17: Devin Bush, LB, Michigan
Defense again? You bet! Dave Gettleman has said he will not force a pick of a quarterback if he doesn’t believe he is first round talent. The Giants fill another need here with this pick while also getting a very talented player. Bush is a bit undersized but with speed to cover and be used in blitz packages, James Bettcher could have a new toy with a selection of Devin Bush.
