Why New York Giants Should NOT Reach for a Quarterback in Round 1

Many people want to see the Giants draft a quarterback, preferably in the first round. But here's why they shouldn't force the issue.

Daniel Jones with Commissioner Roger Goodell after he was selected sixth overall in the 2019 draft 2019. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Giants have several decisions to make in the upcoming draft, the biggest of which is whether to draft a quarterback and, if so, where and who.

In some opinions, the only way for the Giants to get a top quarterback prospect is to trade up. Some also feel the Giants could trade down and add draft picks to their haul. And then some believe that if the Giants stay at six, a top prospect will fall to them.

Not all of these options are great, and some have serious pitfalls. But one stands out as the worst the team could make: trading up.

To explain why, let's go back and look at some history. 

The 2019 NFL Draft was a weak draft for quarterbacks. Kyler Murray sat atop the class and would eventually be taken with the first overall pick by the Arizona Cardinals. After Murray, a bunch of guys had question marks, including Daniel Jones, whom the Giants selected sixth overall. 

This quarterbacks draft class is much deeper this year than in 2019, but if you are the Giants, you must determine the value of taking a quarterback and where you do so.    

Conventional wisdom is that all three of the consensus top quarterbacks in this draft will be off the board by the time New York is on the clock at six. 

It can be argued that in 2019 if you had not gotten the top talent at quarterback, you might have been able to wait until the second round to get your guy.  

Jones was not the top guy at his position back then, and to this day, there are still questions about his ability to be elite in the NFL. 

With that lesson in the books, the Giants need to decide if they want to roll those dice again or select an elite prospect at the top of the list. People believe in positional value, but how far should that value extend?

Another reason selecting a quarterback in the early round might be the worst mistake the team could make is the need for immediate help. The Giants need upgrades at key positions and depth at others. Taking another quarterback instead of a player who could potentially improve this team right now is problematic. 

Many believe that head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Scheon are on the hot seat after a disappointing season where they signed Jones to a brand new contract only to watch the team struggle. They may not have time to wait to improve this team, and there is nothing worse than drafting players who will help your successor reach levels you could not while waiting for that talent to be fully realized. 

Instead, reinforcements at wide receiver, tight end, offensive line, defensive line, or linebacker could be better options on Days 1 and 2. Those players could make the difference between a 10-7 season or an 8-9 season. 

The final reason is the thirst for the position. If by the time the Giants are on the clock at six, multiple quarterbacks are still on the board, making the pick even more valuable as teams behind them try to position themselves to grab one of the remaining quarterbacks. This could yield an even bigger return in draft capital, which can be used to fill even more needs if the Giants decide to trade down. 

With a trade down, grabbing a quarterback would not sting as much or leave other positions unaddressed. It would also add more capital for the 2024 and possibly 2025 drafts, putting the Giants in a better position to attack the top picks if the team is all-in on grabbing the quarterback at the top of their big board.

Many believe a team should move heaven and earth to get a quarterback, but that is bad logic. The truth is that one should move heaven and earth to get a generational talent at quarterback, which does not come around daily. Just because someone is capable of starting does not mean they will offer the dynamics necessary to change the fortunes of an entire franchise.

The smarter play is to take advantage of market inefficiencies. In this case, quarterbacks are overvalued, which allows a team with the sixth pick to choose the top three talents because of the desires of other teams to reach for quarterbacks. 

In short, sometimes it is better to zig when they zag. 

---

• Follow and like us on Facebook.
• Submit your questions for our mailbag.
• Follow Patricia Traina on Instagram.
• Check out the Giants Country YouTube Channel.
• Subscribe and like the LockedOn Giants YouTube Channel