The New York Giants know that finding Eli Manning’s successor is becoming paramount, but just as they couldn’t pass on running back Saquon Barkley a year ago, they may not be able to pass on an elite edge rusher this year.
With the Giants potentially riding things out with Manning through 2020 and a thin quarterback class behind Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray and Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins, Big Blue is trending heavily towards one of the elite pass rushers at No. 6 overall.
“There are a ton of great defensive players in this draft,” a team source told Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv. “As much as we need a young quarterback, I honestly don’t know how we can pass on one of the pass rushers at 6.”
The Giants could still land a quarterback at No. 17 overall, but waiting on a franchise quarterback to fall doesn’t exactly speak volumes about the team’s potential approach or their belief that one of the second tier quarterbacks is the answer.
Meanwhile, despite telling reporters the team would like to find Manning’s replacement “sooner than later,” head coach Pat Shurmur has also been adamant about their need for game-changing pass rushers.
“We all want pass rush,” Shurmur said at the NFL Coaches Breakfast last week. “And we all want guys that can affect the quarterback. Being an offensive coach, I know how difficult it is for a quarterback to function when he’s being rushed. So on the flip side of that it’s safe to say we need to get someone that will affect the quarterback.”
The Giants have not finalized their draft board to date, so things are subject to change between now at the 2019 NFL Draft, but it certainly seems like New York will go defense with their first pick in the first round.
