The New York Giants have consistently featured one of the worst offensive lines in the league from quite some time now, and we shouldn’t bet on the unit changing that narrative anytime soon if history has taught us anything.
Rumors have emerged recently that the Giants could go after 2018 Arizona Cardinals first-round pick Josh Rosen, but the primary reason it would be a bad idea is related to the offensive line.
Last season, Rosen was rated as one of the worst passers in the league, per PFF – ranked as the 37th best QB in the league with a 49.1 rating. To put that into perspective, Blake Bortles had a better rating (64.1). The reason Rosen struggled so much – 11 touchdowns and 14 interception – was because of his offensive line.
The Cardinals had the worst ranked line in the league, allowing 45 sacks over the course of the season. So, we know what Rosen is capable of behind an incapable line, so why on earth would the Giants even consider bringing him in to replace Eli Manning.
The New York Giants need to utilize their draft selection:
Sitting at no. 6 allows Big Blue to have their pick of the lot if no other quarterback-hungry teams move up. It’s very possible that another team could move up and grab a player like Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins. The New Jersey native has publicly stated that he would love to play for the Giants and he grew up a fan of the team.
https://twitter.com/Giants/status/1101957854376968194
The passion to play for a specific team can’t be taught but it’s rather grown. Haskins would be a great fit in an offense that already has Saquon Barkley and Odell Beckham Jr. Despite his lack of mobility, he’s a pure pocket passer that fits a Pat Shurmur scheme focusing on the intermediate passing game.
Rosen is also deadly accurate in the intermediate, but having already spent a year in Arizona and his confidence pummeled to a crisp certainly doesn’t bode well for his departure. Now, having weapons like Barkley and OBJ make things a bit easier, but I would prefer to see a guy like Haskins come in with a fresh start and spend a year learning behind Eli Manning. Following the Kansas City model and refining your young talent before plugging them in has proved to be an effective method.
Haskins has a few kinks in his game to work out, but he has the tangible and intangible traits to become a franchise quarterback for any team.