The New York Giants will have a tough choice to make when it comes to the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, at least that’s what they want you to believe.
General manager Dave Gettleman has been steadfast in his backing of quarterback Eli Manning, leading some to believe the Giants will not select Manning’s successor with the second-overall pick, and instead will take a positional star like Saquon Barkley or Bradley Chubb.
But this might not be the case.
While the Giants appear to be trying to hide their hand, an anonymous NFL talent evaluator told Mike Lombardo of NJ Advanced Media that New York knows who it will take if that player is available.
“If (Sam) Darnold is available, they’re taking Darnold,” the evaluator told Lombardo. “They don’t like (Josh) Rosen.”
Here’s the issue — Darnold might not be there at No. 2.
The Cleveland Browns own the first and fourth picks in the draft and almost everyone expects them to select a quarterback with one of their two picks, with Darnold and Wyoming signal-caller Josh Allen seeming to be the leaders in the clubhouse.
New York, however, reportedly has a contingency plan if Darnold is drafted by the Browns, as the league executive told Lombardo the Giants have their eyes on three prospects with Darnold leading the pack.
“Their top three choices are Darnold, Saquon Barkley and Bradley Chubb,” the executive said. “They are debating Barkley vs. Chubb, because they need an edge rusher but the scouts love Barkley.”
Of course, the Giants always could trade down and give a team like the Buffalo Bills an opportunity to select the QB they so desperately covet.
Only one thing is certain though: the 2018 NFL Daft should be quite the ride.
