Giants Draft Picks 2018: Grades and Analysis for Each Selection
Starting Thursday at 8 p.m. ET, fans across the country will finally find out what their favorite teams have been planning to do all along in this year's NFL draft.
For the New York Giants, whose draft efforts will be headed by new general manager Dave Gettleman, the big resolution fans and media are waiting to see play out is whether the team drafts a successor to 37-year-old Eli Manning.
There are some who believe this year's quarterback class—Wyoming's Josh Allen, UCLA's Josh Rosen, USC's Sam Darnold, Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield and Louisville's Lamar Jackson—features the best group of prospects to emerge in quite some time.
Then there are others who think quantity in the QB class does not necessarily translate to quality and that a team such as the Giants, who have repeatedly backed Manning and his skills, would be better off putting high-quality pieces around him.
Such names include Penn State running back Saquon Barkley and Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson, or the Giants could go in a different direction by adding North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb to the mix.
In the end, it doesn't matter what the court of public opinion thinks. Gettleman, who has tried to create a scenario in which multiple options are still on the table, will soon reveal who he's chosen and why.
As the Giants make their selections this weekend, we'll provide updates below complete with analysis, grades, quotes directly from the Giants hierarchy and, if available, player reaction.
The Picks
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Round 1, No. 2 overall
Round 2, No. 34 overall
Round 3, No. 66 overall
Round 3, No. 69 overall
Round 4, No. 108 overall
Round 5, No. 139 overall
The Giants have six picks to fill needs at running back, offensive guard, offensive tackle, defensive end, quarterback and cornerback.
Will they devote each of their six picks to filling these needs or will Gettleman look to package picks to maneuver around the draft board on Days 2 and 3?
Keep an eye on the No. 2 overall pick. Gettleman has never traded back in the first round of the NFL draft—in fact, the last time the Giants did so was in 2006, when they were at No. 25 overall and swapped places with the Steelers at No. 32 and took defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka out of Boston College.
The Giants are thought to have a steep asking price to trade down, a price that includes multiple first-round picks. But if there is a team out there with a strong conviction on a quarterback and willing to pay that price, there is a chance the Giants could walk away with a nice haul of picks spread over multiple years.
Round 1, No. 2 Overall: Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State
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Not since 2012, when Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for over 1,000 yards, have the Giants had a running back that has made opposing defensive coordinators think twice about stacking the box against them.
With Saquon Barkley now officially on board, the Giants are hoping that changes.
The G-Men, who eschewed a chance to draft a quarterback because they still believe that Eli Manning has a lot of football left despite being 37, made it clear they are building up the offense around him.
In the 6'0", 233-pound Barkley, the Giants are getting a running back who is as pro-ready as they come not just in terms of rushing the ball but also as a receiver out of the backfield and as a pass protector.
How good has Barkley been? In his three-year career for the Nittany Lions, he logged 3,845 yards on 672 carries and 43 touchdowns with a whopping 2,359 yards after contact, according to Pro Football Focus' draft guide.
His average yards per route run (1.9) also led all FBS running backs with at least 40 pass targets, and he is a constant threat to score every time he gets his hands on the ball.
If Barkley delivers that kind of production for the Giants, Big Blue faithful can kiss goodbye the days of predictability in which receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was the sole source of the Giants offense.
Grade: A
Round 2, No. 34 Overall: Will Hernandez, G, UTEP
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Every time Gettleman has taken to the podium since being hired as the Giants general manager, he's spoken about the importance of building the team from the inside out.
So far, he's done just that, putting a focus on fixing one of the Giants' biggest Achilles' heels from the last few years: the offensive line. He added Nate Solder at left tackle and Patrick Omameh at guard via free agency to go along with Brett Jones at center. In the draft, he's now turned the focus on the right side of the offensive line, where UTEP's Will Hernandez, 6'2", 327 pounds, is expected to be a day-one starter at guard for this team.
Hernandez, who if he plays on the right side is an instant upgrade from last year's incumbent John Jerry, brings a nasty streak to the field, one that is very similar to the way former longtime guard Rich Seubert played the game. In addition to that attitude, Hernandez is a mauler, a type the Giants really haven't had on their offensive line for some time.
Grade: A
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Round 3, No. 66 Overall: Lorenzo Carter, OLB, Georgia
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The Giants finally turned their attention to the defensive side of the ball in Round 3, adding outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter from Georgia.
Carter, 6'5", 250 pounds, posted some freakish measurables at the combine, including a 4.50 40-time, 36-inch vertical jump and a 10'10" broad jump, but it's his production that jumped out at the Giants.
Carter, who in four seasons played in 54 games with 26 starts, has recorded 165 total tackles (20.5 for a loss) and 14 sacks over his career. While his career sack total isn't much to write home about—Carter did force 54 pressures over his career—that didn't seem to bother New York's decision-makers.
"He was involved with a team that had a lot of pressures," said head coach Pat Shurmur, whose son Kyle was among those Carter harassed on the field.
"There are some really dynamic rushes that he put on the quarterback, but [the quarterback] was able to step up and avoid the rush. I think what you see on tape most of the time is he can set the edge and turn the run inside most of the time."
"Who wouldn't want to draft a kid that has 58,000 sacks? What you have to appreciate is unseen production. If he's flying his fanny off the edge and creating pressure—sometimes you look at guys who create plays for others—you have to look at that," added Gettleman.
"At the end of the day, no he doesn't have the slack numbers a lot of these guys do, but Lorenzo has great speed off the edge, is explosive and we really believe he's going to help be part of that pressure."
Grade: B+
Round 3, No. 69 Overall: B.J. Hill, DT, North Carolina State
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Continuing their quest to add guys who can run the ball, stop the run and rush the passer, the Giants added North Carolina State defensive tackle B.J. Hill to the mix with an eye toward rotating him in with projected starting nose tackle Damon Harrison.
The Giants, who have taken a page out of the Eagles' playbook by adding more depth along the defensive line with the hope of keeping all their players fresh, finished 27th against the run a year after finishing tied for third with New England.
Hill has 185 total tackles, 25 tackles for losses, 9.0 sacks, 13 quarterback pressures and 10 passes defensed in four seasons.
Grade: B
Round 4, No. 108 Overall: QB Kyle Lauletta, Richmond
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Just when you thought the Giants' draft was becoming too predictable, Gettleman tossed the first curveball out.
After passing on taking a quarterback in the first round, the Giants selected Richmond signal-caller Kyle Lauletta in the fourth round. New York previously had two quarterbacks on the roster (Eli Manning and Davis Webb) and was certain to add one or two for training camp, but the selection of Lauletta ahead of an offensive tackle or a cornerback is a head-scratcher.
In four years in college, Lauletta completed 758 out of 1,194 attempets (63.5 percent completion) with 73 touchdowns and 35 interceptions. He will presumably one day compete with 2016 third-rounder Webb for a chance to eventually succeed Manning.
Gettleman still needs to address cornerback and offensive tackle, but apparently the team valued Lauletta over anyone at those two positions.
Still, the Giants now have two quarterbacks who have never taken an NFL snap in a regular-season game behind Manning. And while Manning has been an iron man, it seems risky to have such inexperience as the contingency plan unless the Giants intend to add a veteran to the mix somewhere along the line.
Grade: C
Round 5, No. 139 Overall: DT R.J. McIntosh, Miami
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The Giants continued placing an emphasis on building the team from the inside out, adding Miami defensive tackle R.J. McIntosh in the fifth round. The 6'5", 286-pound junior could very well be the replacement for Jason Pierre-Paul on the team's defensive line.
McIntosh is a penetrating defensive lineman who has racked up 95 total tackles and 22 for a loss over his three-year career.
He has the size and athletic ability to step in as a defensive end in the 3-4 base, a spot where the Giants need some additional depth given veteran Josh Mauro's looming four-game suspension for a failed drugs test.
McIntosh has 5.5 career sacks. He also recorded nine passes defensed (seven last season) thanks to his habit of getting his hands up and into passing lanes.
Grade: B+
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