Before the 2019 NFL draft commenced, New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman was reportedly enamored by quarterback Daniel Jones.
Of course, everybody wrote this off as a silly rumor, despite the absolute truth of it. Jones ended up being the Giants’ selection with the sixth overall pick, beginning the succession of Eli Manning after more than a decade of service.
However, the difference between 2019 and 2020 ultimately comes down to the quarterback position. Last year, the Giants were in desperate need of a rookie signal collar to being the process, and they found him in Jones. This year, they require assistance in other areas, and recent reports have Gettleman looking at interior defense of lineman, Derrick Brown, out of Auburn, as a potential option with the fourth overall pick.
This is concerning, as Brown, a 326-pound defender, is considered one of the best defense of tackles in the upcoming draft. However, the Giants can easily re-sign Leonard Williams, who can also put pressure on the quarterback. The reality is, Big Blue needs help at other positions, notably on the offensive line and at the linebacker position. Passing on Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons and a top tackle prospect would be malpractice in the grand scheme of things.
The New York Giants need to be careful letting Gettleman run the show:
Gettleman is a firm believer in winning games in the trenches. In 2017, he made his “hog mollies” statement and ensured that you must win through running the ball and stopping the run.
That boils down to Derrick Brown, and while the Giants have more pressing needs than the interior defensive line, Gettleman just can’t help but indulge in his gut feeling.
Other reports have mentioned that the Giants and Gettleman are open to trading back and accumulating more draft capital. This would be the ideal scenario where they can address multiple positions instead of spending a top-five pick on a position that was filled by Dexter Lawrence just one year ago.