MIAMI, FL – DECEMBER 29: Kyler Murray #1 of the Oklahoma Sooners in action against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Hard Rock Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
If the Giants are serious about finding a franchise quarterback in this year’s draft, the only logical solution is to trade up for Kyler Murray.
The New York Giants insist they are committed to Eli Manning for the 2019 season, but they have to come out of this year’s draft with a potential starter for the future. Instead of settling for a mediocre prospect like Daniel Jones, Dave Gettleman needs to go bold.
Move up to draft Kyler Murray.
The difference between Murray and the other quarterbacks in this class is sizable. There’s a chance that Dwayne Haskins, Drew Lock or the aforementioned Jones can develop into quality starters. However, NFL scouts are understandably split in their opinions about all three. Only Murray looks like a potential Pro Bowler to most NFL talent evaluators.
In terms of proper team building, it’s imperative for the Giants to build their future around a quarterback on a rookie contract. Last year’s decision to use the No. 2 pick on Saquon Barkley leaves the team with a very highly paid running back. Giving a big-money contract to a veteran signal caller would make it very difficult for New York to spend sufficient funds elsewhere on their roster.
When it comes to Jones, recent reports that claim the Giants have Jones as the top signal caller on their board should terrify their fan base. Jones wasn’t good enough to get Duke to a bowl game last season. The idea that he’s going to be ready to guide New York’s offense to the playoffs anytime soon is laughable.
Admittedly, it would cost the Giants a fortune in terms of draft capital to move up far enough to take Murray. They would need to strike a deal with the Cardinals to get the No. 1 overall pick. Negotiations would start with Arizona requesting both the No. 6 and No. 17 selections New York currently owns in this year’s draft and they include more. It’s very likely the Giants would need to give up a second round pick this year or a future first to convince the Cardinals to give up on Murray.
The Cardinals should be open to the idea though. They invested a first-round pick in Josh Rosen last season and giving up on him after just one unstable season is not a good use of resources. Arizona’s roster has plenty of holes and could definitely benefit from adding high-level picks to restock their roster. The Cardinals could really win this sort of deal if they came out of this year’s draft with potential starters at offensive tackle and defensive end. That might not be quite as flashy as taking a quarterback with the first pick, but it’s a better way to build an NFL team.
If the Giants want to compete for a Super Bowl anytime soon it’s going to require their front office to make some really bold personnel decisions. Playing it safe with the quarterback position isn’t enough to move the needle. Gettleman needs to pay the heavy price to bring Murray to the Big Apple.