Mailbag: New York Giants Draft and Free Agent Priorities
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What's up Rueben? I think one can make a case for there being a need at every position on the offensive side of the ball, but if I had to rank them in terms of priority, I would go with the following order and for the following reasons:
Receiver: This has been discussed countless times, but the Giants need a legitimate No. 1 receiver. I think if they bring in a guy who warrants bracket coverage consistently, you're going to see a new look to the Giants offense they meant to roll out last year but weren't able to do so.
Running Back: Saquon Barkley and Eli Penny are the only two running backs under contract with NFL experience. If I'm the Giants, I look to draft a Wayne Gallman clone to complement Barkley (as suggested in this article), as I don't think the Giants will be able to bring Gallman back (though I hope they do).
Offensive Line: The Giants addressed backup center/guard with their signing of Jonathon Harrison, but if I'm them, I look to add another tackle in the event they lose Cam Fleming in free agency.
Tight End: I have this lower than the other spots because the Giants seem to roll with Evan Engram again. But I would like to see them add a solid blocker, as I suspect they're going to move on from Levine Toilolo. I think tight end this year is a position that maybe they can staff with an undrafted free agent or another low-cost veteran unless Kyle Pitts of Florida falls into their laps.
Quarterback: I don't think I'd spend a draft pick on a quarterback, and I could live with another year of Colt McCoy as a backup. But if there's a chance to upgrade to someone with a stronger arm and who is more athletic, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
So far, in two seasons, Daniel Jones has missed multiple games each season, and the last thing I'd want to see if for the Giants to be in the hunt only to have to lose Jones for multiple games again, and the whole campaign falls apart.
Hey Brian, how are you? I think you hit the nail on the head in terms of the priorities, but as I have said all along, I don't think the Giants will be able to get all three of those guys back.
I think if it comes down to Tomlinson or Williams, you go with the pass rusher rather than create a major hole on a pass-rushing unit that's already lacking a stud. I don't mean to downplay Tomlinson's abilities, but I think he's someone they can replace in the draft, and in my upcoming three-round mock draft that's posting later today, I have a name that caught my eye as I was going through all y draft stuff.
Fackrell is a guy I'd bring back on a one-year incentive-filled deal, and if I couldn't work something out with him, then I'd look to move on. (For what it's worth, I do feel optimistic right now about him returning to the Giants, given his history with Patrick Graham.)
There have been plenty of people who say that this is another bad class for finding a stud pass rusher. I don't see the Giants having much success in free agency in this regard unless I'm overestimating the number of teams that might be planning to tag their pass rushers. But maybe things will fall their way, and they'll get lucky.
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