Perspectives | Things I Do Not Want to See During the NFL Draft

Welcome to the new (and hopefully temporarily) reality of the NFL Draft where anything can go…including the unexpected.

Welcome to the new (and hopefully temporarily) reality of the NFL draft where anything can go…including the unexpected.

Like many of you, I’m very interested to see how the modifications the league has been forced to make thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic play out. 

But I’m more interested in seeing what happens with some possible scenarios regarding the logistics of the draft and, more specifically, the decisions the Giants end up making.

I’m hoping that when the draft is over, it will have been glitch-free and that the Giants, who right now have 10 picks but only three in the first 100 slots, come out with another strong class.

What I’m hoping not to see is are the following:

The Giants drafting a Wide Receiver in Round 1 

I’ve seen arguments making a case for the Giants to draft a receiver at No. 4 overall. 

But in a receiver class that is historically deep—meaning that guys who in any other year might be first or second-round picks could slide down to the third round or later—I don’t see the value in spending a top-10 pick on a receiver in this draft (unless the team picking a receiver is one player away).

In the case of the Giants, yes, they could use another receiver. Golden Tate is likely not in the long-term plans, and who out there among us isn’t concerned about Sterling Shepard’s history with concussions? 

If the Giants want to run the type of offense that offensive coordinator Jason Garrett has run in the past while in Dallas, they are going to need speed at the position.

But all of those arguments aren’t enough, in my opinion, to make a convincing case to draft a receiver in the first round, not when the offensive line is a work in progress given the uncertainties at right tackle and center.

Dave Gettleman has shown a tendency to build from the inside-out, which is the right way to go. I've argued this before, and we've seen it happen. If the offensive line can't offer consistent protection, it doesn't matter who the skill players are in the backfield.

This is why I don't see the Giants drafting a receiver in the first round.

Manufactured Delays by Teams Needing More Time to Decide

My husband works in the IT field. He has set up many teleconferences and systems throughout his career, and while they’re reasonably routine and reliable given the technology, they’re also prone to human error and unexpected issues.

So during our lunches together, we’ve been discussing the virtual draft and the possibility of a team getting creative if it needed more time to make a pick, especially knowing that the draft will stop if someone has a technical issue.

My husband believes there will be enough safeguards and backups in place to compensate for a malfunction, be it intentional or random. It sounds as though all 32 general managers will have a member of their team’s IT department on standby to jump in if something should happen while the draft is in progress.

But let’s play devil’s advocate here. Would a team needing more time to manufacture a glitch that prevents them from making their pick on time? 

I want to think that “accidentally" kicking out the power line to the computer, for example, or having a VoIP (voice over IP) connection suddenly terminate on purpose won’t happen.

The Giants Not Making an Attempt to Trade Down in the First Round

I believe general manager Dave Gettleman when he says they are open for business, but with that said, it takes two to make a trade happen. And if I’m a quarterback-needy team, I’m not reading into reports from earlier in the week about the Giants researching Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert. 

Why? Because every NFL team worth its weight in salt is supposed to do due diligence on every player out there. And every smart general manager will use the information gained from draft visits as a way to get information that potentially can be used down the line. 

For example, when the Giants met with Dwayne Haskins last year, you don't think for a moment that the topic of what he was comfortable running didn't come up, or that the Giants didn't take note of how he broke down film?

I would be thrilled if the Giants traded down and come away with an offensive tackle (sorry, Isaiah Simmons fans, but unless the tea leaves are sending the wrong message, I'd be shocked if it wasn't a tackle). But I also hope that it won’t emerge after the draft that Gettleman wasn’t more proactive than in the past in trying to make a trade down happen.

“War Room” TV Images of General Managers With Multiple TV Monitors

Seriously, who cares? General managers, just like you and me, have one set of eyes and can probably only focus on one monitor at a time. And about those multiple monitors, like what Seattle general manager John Schneider has in his home? 

My guess is that teams have set up one monitor per event, meaning one will be hooked up to a computer that will lead to a full conference, another with just the coaching staff, another with the other general managers, etc.

Regardless, I highly doubt at the end of the draft that people will be buzzing about or grading who had the most creative TV monitor setup in their home war room.