Gettleman Offers Hints into Team's Thinking; Remains Open to Trading Down in First Round

Giants general manager Dave Gettleman, in his draft preview conference call with reporters, reiterated that he's open to trading down in the first round. He also left a bunch of clues that are pointing to the Giants selecting an offensive lineman int eh first round of next week's draft.

Giants general manager Dave Gettleman insists that the organization is still having discussions about what direction to go when they are on the clock Thursday night.

But in listening to what he had to say, it certainly sounds as though the Giants brass is leaning toward taking an offensive lineman in the first round given the team’s philosophy and the glaring need along the unit.

“You know my theory; it’s very, very difficult for (running back) Saquon (Barkley) to run the ball if he doesn’t have holes and it's going to be difficult to (quarterback) Daniel (Jones) throw the ball when he's on his back,” Gettleman said during a conference call Friday in which he was joined by Chris Pettit, the team’s director of college scouting. 

“So we're continuing to continue to build the offensive line. Is it a pressure point to a degree. I'm not gonna deny that, but it's about getting the right guys.”

Gettleman, who revealed that he and head coach Joe Judge share the same way about the offensive line setting the tone for the team, noted how the Giants two Super Bowl teams in 2007 and 2011 had offensive lines that set the tone in those games. 

“We're gonna do Everything we can to make sure we replicate that,” Gettleman said.

If that wasn’t convincing enough as to which way the Giants appear to be leaning in the first round of the draft, the Giants general manager sounded lukewarm when asked about Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons, the versatile talent whom some have mocked to the Giants.

“There are a lot of college players like that because the college game is so different,” Gettleman said. “They have a young man with a unique skill set, and they’re going to use him in a variety of ways that maybe hasn't happened before. So there is a number of guys that are being used like this--mid-level defenders, linebackers… They're mixing and matching as defensive linemen not only in a three-point (stance) but also standing up.”

As exciting as that might be to watch, Gettleman indicated that what you see at the college level doesn’t always transfer to the NFL. 

“There's a lot of versatility going on and a lot of different ways that people are using players, but it's not standard,” he said. “And you are seeing it more, so it's up to us to figure out how that player who's been in an unconventional position to figure out how he fits the New York Football Giants.”

With offensive tackle looking more and more like the Giants’ intention, the next question becomes where that pick will occur.

Gettleman, who at the combine declared the Giants “open for business” regarding the fourth overall pick, reiterated that he’s willing to trade down in the first round and that he’s going to be proactive. 

“I'm going to make calls and, and anybody that wants to move up, you're gonna say, ‘Listen, we don't have much time. We can't fool around,’” Gettleman said, adding that the team would use the league-wide mock draft that’s scheduled for Monday to practice such scenarios. “I'd like to get the parameters of deals in place of the deal in place before we get on the clock.”

If he does trade down, the question is, how far would he be willing to go? Gettleman, who at the combine said that one can’t get too cute about moving down a draft board, seemed to revise that thinking during his call, saying that there were a few positions in this draft class that was rich with talent.

“I know that it's a good draft, and as we've set our board, we've got about the same number of players in every round that we've had in last year's draft. So you can't say that if you're not picking up the top 15 this year, you're in trouble.” 

As for who will make the final decision, Gettleman reiterated that it will be a consensus reached after a spirited, yet healthy discussion among the decisionmakers. 

“It's a New York Giants decision; that's what it is,” he said. “We talk it through. I've never had a problem or a big difference of opinion with a head coach. It's about coming to a consensus.”