INDIANAPOLIS _ Penn State's Saquon Barkley no doubt fits the well-rounded, running back prototype that Giants coach Pat Shurmur described Wednesday for a position he believes is critical to any offense.
"I think certainly I have a high opinion of what a running back brings to an offense, but I also have a very (strong belief) that that guy has to be able to run the ball, he has to be able to pass protect, and he has to be able to catch," Shurmur said at the NFL Combine.
But it wasn't totally clear if Shurmur thinks it's wise to select a running back at No. 2 overall in April's draft. And that is the question right now, isn't it, as the Giants appear to be keeping their options open:
If GM Dave Gettleman and Shurmur don't draft a quarterback, what will they do at two?
Gettleman interestingly left the door open to a potential trade down in the first round.
"Are we open for business? Any decision I make's gonna be in the best interest of the New York football Giants, plain and simple," Gettleman said. "So if someone makes me an offer I can't refuse, would I move back? It depends upon who's there."
But the GM qualified that his decision will have everything to do with the answer to a simple question: is there a future Hall of Famer, a "generational player" as Shurmur said, who is a can't-miss star? Because if that player exists and he's still on the board after Cleveland picks first, then it wouldn't be a tough decision for Gettleman at all.
"If there's a guy worthy of being the second pick of a draft _ and what we're basically saying if we answer that question to the affirmative, you're drafting what you think's gonna be a Hall of Fame player _ you can't get too cute about the whole thing," Gettleman said. "You know what I'm saying?"
And that brings us to Barkley, whose hype is overshadowed only by the potentially unprecedented depth of this year's quarterback class. He has Barry Sanders-like moves and Ray Rice-esque leg power and is considered the total package, from his game to his character. The team that picks him will get an immediate, high-end contributor.
The Giants would see this for themselves Thursday night in their interview with Barkley in Indianapolis, one of 60 15-minute interviews allotted to each NFL team to meet their prospective picks in person.
And while the Browns own both the first- and fourth-overall picks, as Cleveland head coach Hue Jackson said Wednesday: "Do we need to add quarterbacks to our roster? Yes we do." So Browns GM John Dorsey could take Barkley at No. 1 and still get a good QB prospect at No. 4, sure. But he'll also have the first crack at his preferred quarterback at No. 1 overall and it's hard to think the quarterback-starved franchise would let that advantage slide.
Then come the Giants at No. 2. With Gettleman and Shurmur doubling down on Eli Manning, 37, having "years left" in his career, and Shurmur lauding Davis Webb's work ethic this offseason, the Giants' focus with the second overall pick easily could become more about improving the team around Manning rather than planning for life after him.
"We're looking forward to moving forward with Eli, but certainly with the second pick in the draft, we want to draft a player worthy of that pick," Shurmur said. "The last time the Giants had the second pick in the draft, they picked Lawrence Taylor. The last time they had the third pick in the draft they picked Carl Banks. And those were two franchise-changing players. So I think we've got to keep an open mind on this, and we certainly want to make our team better. And I think that's the approach we're taking."
Shurmur obviously referenced two Giants defensive greats in Taylor and Banks, and the Giants are aware there are some defensive studs in this class, too, led by N.C. State defensive end Bradley Chubb, Virginia Tech linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and Alabama safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Still, Shurmur made clear that he puts high value on the running back position, and Barkley clearly checks all the boxes on Shurmur's wish list.
On the other hand, Shurmur also stressed that his "best scenario" involves having a top two-back tandem, both able pass catchers. And recent drafts (see Alvin Kamara to the Saints in last year's third round) and Shurmur's experience in Minnesota have demonstrated that value can be found in later rounds and in roster depth at RB.
"I also believe that in my mind, that's one of the position groups that it takes a village," Shurmur said of running backs. "(In Minnesota last season) we had Dalvin (Cook) go down, and when Dalvin was playing, his primary backup was Jerrick (McKinnon). And when Dalvin went down, then we got Latavius Murray involved. So the best scenario in my mind at running back is when you kind of have a 1., 1a. deal.
"And as a play-caller you can't be worried about what plays you're calling because oh this guy can't catch or oh this guy can only run the ball," Shurmur added. "Because you know what? The defense knows all that, too. So you've got to have a guy at running back in my opinion that's a multi-dimensional guy. I've got no use for any offensive skill player that can't catch, and the running back's no different."
The Giants have Wayne Gallman and Paul Perkins under contract and Orleans Darkwa and Shane Vereen are free agents. Shurmur's emphasis on pass-catching could mean Darkwa's Giants days are finished since, despite a career rushing year last season, Darkwa's five drops in 2017 put him 55th of 56 NFL running backs, per Pro Football Focus.
"One of the things we've got to get better at is catching the football," Shurmur said. "I think the running back is a huge weapon in the passing game, whether you just look down the field or check it down or you dedicate throws to the runner."
Shurmur's ideal running back scenario, though, doesn't necessarily mean he prefers Saquon at two, either. Versatile Patriots free agent Dion Lewis, 27, could be a smart signing to team with able pass-catchers Gallman and Perkins and maybe a later-round pick in a deep RB draft class (Georgia's Sony Michel is a playmaker).
But Gettleman and Shurmur nevertheless kept everyone on his toes Wednesday that Barkley could be in play.
"This whole myth of devaluing running backs. I find it kind of comical," Gettleman said of analytics that suggest RBs are a poor value in the high first round. "If he's a great player, he's a great player. It doesn't make a difference what position it is."
"I think every draft has a generational player in the draft, and the key is to highlight him and then pick him," Shurmur said.
Is Barkley the 2018 class' generational player? Will he be on the board at two? And if he is, will the Giants take him? As of Wednesday, the answer wasn't a definite yes. But it wasn't no, either.
