2019 Redraft: A Better Option for Giants at No. 6?

Receiver over quarterback? That's what one analyst thinks the Giants should have done with the sixth pick in the 2019 draft.

New York Giants QB Daniel Jones Has Clear Chip on His Shoulder /

The New York Giants' decision to draft Daniel Jones with the sixth overall pick in 2019 seemed to immediately cause a divide among fans who were hoping for either outside linebacker Josh Allen or, well, anyone other than the former Duke signal caller.

But Jones was the pick, as then general manager Dave Gettleman was reportedly smitten with Jnes after seeing him shine in that year’s Senior Bowl. Jones went on to have a decent rookie campaign but then went through a lot of ups and downs (mostly downs) since then which have also included durability issues.

Alas, there are no mulligans for the Giants or any team for that matter to re-do past draft picks, but if such a do-over system did exist, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report believes the Giants should have selected receiver Deebo Samuel, who ultimately went to the 49ers.

"While Samuel might not be the best pure receiver to come out of the 2019 class, San Francisco's second-round pick is a versatile and dynamic playmaker,” Knox said in defense of his do-over for the Giants. 

“Valuable as both a receiver and a runner, Samuel has twice eclipsed 1,100 scrimmage yards and was a first-team All-Pro in 2021. He'd give the Giants another potent playmaker to pair with the equally versatile Saquon Barkley for the next five seasons."

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel (19) runs with the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs during the third quarter of Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Since being drafted, Samuel has proven to be a dynamic threat out wide and even in the backfield. In five years, he's caught 283 passes for 4,122 yards and 19 touchdowns while averaging 14.6 yards per reception. In that time, he's also added 1,007 yards rushing with 19 touchdowns as well, with 6.3 yards per carry.

Picking Samuel to replace Odell Beckham Jr., traded a month before the 2019 draft, would have made a lot more sense than going with veteran Golden Tate, who not only didn’t produce at the same level as Bekham but was also older. 

If the Giants had gone with Samuel, that would have given quarterback Eli Manning a No. 1 receiver and a No. 1 running back in Saquon Barkley. Samuel would have been part of a receivers room that included Sterling Shepard, Russell Shepard, Cody Latimer, Bennie Fowler, and Cody Core. 

And had the Giants selected Samuel, they might not have picked Darius Slayton in the fifth round.

But here’s the thing about Samuel. He is a playmaker, but he also plays in an offensive system that's beneficial for him. That’s not to say he wouldn't be dynamic elsewhere, but would he have been schemed up as well if he were on the Giants? 

The answer is likely no, as they had a head coach/offensive coordinator duo of Pat Shurmur and Mike Shula in what would've been Samuel's rookie season. The year after would've been Joe Judge and Jason Garrett/Freddie Kitchens. And Giants fans know full well how those schemes worked out.

There's no denying that Samuel would've improved the Giants' offense. The quarterback situation would've been pushed back another year, but Gettleman and Shurmur apparently didn’t want to wait given that MAnning was in the final year of his contract.  

As for Jones, he had a decent year under Brian Daboll in 2022 but last season took a step back. MAny still wonder if he can be the guy moving forward, a question that is still being asked after five seasons.  

Jones faces a big year ahead in which he’ll have perhaps his last chance to silence his critics and show that the Giants’ faith in him was justified.

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