The New York Giants have two top-ten picks in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The belief is that the Giants will utilize these draft picks to add talent to their roster and build around quarterback Daniel Jones. But is there a chance that the Giants could shock the world and draft a quarterback? New York is having pre-draft meetings with all of the draft’s top quarterback prospects.
According to Mike Garafolo, UNC quarterback Sam Howell’s pre-draft visit list includes the New York Giants. The Giants are on this list along with a bunch of quarterback-needy teams like the Saints, Falcons, Steelers, and Panthers. The Giants stand out as the oddball on this list considering their public commitment to the quarterback that is already on their roster.
Sam Howell is not the only quarterback prospect that is meeting with the Giants and he is certainly not the top-ranked quarterback that New York is meeting. The Giants have already met with the consensus top-quarterback prospect in this year’s draft, Malik Willis. The Liberty quarterback met with the Giants, Steelers, Saints, Falcons, Titans, and Panthers. Again, a list comprised of teams widely expected to draft a quarterback early in the draft, minus the Giants and Titans.
General manager Joe Schoen also made the trip out to Cincinnati recently for the university’s Pro Day. While the Giants were likely there to get a closer look at cornerback Sauce Gardner, they also could have been taking a look at quarterback Desmond Ridder. Ridder could be an option for the Giants in round two.
Why are the Giants meeting with the draft’s top QBs?
The future is uncertain for Daniel Jones and the New York Giants. New head coach Brian Daboll has expressed excitement about coaching the Giants’ current starting quarterback. Joe Schoen has demonstrated commitment to Daniel Jones, too. However, the Giants have not yet picked up Jones’s fifth-year option and it does not seem likely that they will.
The Giants signed Tyrod Taylor this offseason to bet the team’s backup quarterback. But Taylor signed a two-year deal, meaning he could be utilized as a bridge quarterback in 2023. Could this move combined with the Giants’ interest in the draft’s top quarterbacks foreshadow a potential change at the sport’s most important position?
Alternatively, the Giants could just be doing their due diligence. With a murky future ahead for Daniel Jones, the Giants are likely just exploring all of their options. If Joe Schoen happens to fall in love with a quarterback prospect, the Giants are in a position to draft him with one of their two top-ten draft picks. Furthermore, the Giants could be fishing to see if any other teams have fallen in love with one of the draft’s top quarterbacks. Interviewing these quarterback prospects could allow the Giants to uncover information regarding other teams’ interest in the players, positioning the Giants in a perfect trade-down situation.
Daniel Jones seems to be the penned-down starter for the 2022 season. However, it seems unlikely that the Giants will make a commitment beyond this upcoming season. New York could potentially draft a quarterback this year with the plan to give him the keys to the car next year. Or the Giants could even be practicing quarterback evaluation for the next offseason. The New York Giants’ true intentions are unknown, but it is worth noting how diligent they are being with their evaluation of this year’s quarterback class.