The job of New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman may very well be on the line after just two seasons in blue, but don’t tell that to Pro Football Hall of Fame executive Gil Brandt, who believes Gettleman is doing an “outstanding job.”
“I think he’s doing an outstanding job,” Brandt told the New York Post. “I don’t care what they say, I just know the players that they got, and how I graded those players. See, what Gettleman does is a lot like we used to do. He rolls the dice that they can be great players. They may be a bust, but they can be great players.”
So far, it’s too early to call any of Gettleman’s investments “great players” or “busts.” Some, like guard Will Hernandez, have all the potential in the world but aren’t playing well. Meanwhile, you have others like fifth-round rookie wide receiver Darius Slayton who are blowing expectations out of the water.
“They’ve done a great job of accumulating young players, and especially in the later rounds,” Brandt said. “Like the guy from Auburn [Darius Slayton], the wide receiver, he is gonna be, I think, a really good player. The left guard [Will Hernandez] I think is a good player, I think the guy they got from Clemson [Dexter Lawrence] is a good player. I think the Giants’ future is very bright.”
There have been a few flubs in Brandt’s eyes however, including the decision to trade up in Round 1 of the 2019 NFL Draft for cornerback DeAndre Baker, who has struggled for much of the season but come on late.
“DeAndre Baker, I think, might be a better safety than he is a corner,” Brandt said. “He was very good as a cover corner at Georgia, I think he lacks a little quickness to be a really great corner in the National Football League.”
Interestingly, Brandt also gave Gettleman credit for acquiring defensive lineman Leonard Williams from the New York Jets — a move widely criticized by fans and media members alike.
“I thought coming out of the draft, Williams was a top-five player,” Brandt said. “And I got to know him quite well. Was a great character guy there at USC. This is a quality, quality individual, I think. I would love to have him for a third-round pick. I don’t think you’re gonna find anybody as close to his ability in the bottom half of the first round.”
All things considered, Gettleman has done a relatively good job freeing up cap space, unloading bad contracts and stocking the team with young talent. And while it hasn’t yielded any positive results yet, it’s only been less than two years.
Maybe, just maybe, Giants owners will see it the same way and keep Gettleman on board.
