At this point in time, nobody truly knows what New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman has on tap for the franchise and their number six pick in next month’s draft. New York seems to be stuck in neutral at the moment with no clarity for what the future holds (at least that’s what it seems from the outside looking in).
Big Blue finds themselves in a similar position entering the 2019 Draft as they did heading into the 2018 draft; who will be the successor to Eli Manning?
As we all know, the Giants elected to pass on a potential franchise quarterback in one of the deepest quarterback classes of the last decade and take running back Saquon Barkley with the number two overall pick. The Penn State product was as good as advertised, finishing with 1,307 rushing yards, 91 receptions, 11 total touchdowns, and over 2,000 total scrimmage yards en route to earning AP Rookie of the Year honors.
After passing on Manning’s heir apparent last year, New York should cash in on their opportunity with their second straight top 10 pick to select Kyler Murray or Dwayne Haskins, right?
Only if it was that easy…
Why the New York Giants Should Consider Drafting Rashan Gary in the First Round
Dave Gettleman spoke with WFANs Mike Francesa last month and had high praise for his 38-year old quarterback who is due to make $23.2 million in 2019, “this narrative that Eli’s overpaid and can’t play is a crock. I’m telling you.’’
Sheesh.
There are points to be made for both sides of the coin when evaluating whether the Giants should dump Eli and go with another man under center or stick with the two-time Super Bowl MVP for the 2019 season.
That, my friends, is an argument for another day.
We’re here today to start a series of evaluating potential prospects the Giants could scoop up with their first pick that aren’t named Kyler Murray or Dwayne Haskins.
First up is Rashan Gary, a defensive end from the University of Michigan.
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 277 pounds
Arms: 34 1/8″
Hands” 9 5/8″
The number one prospect coming out of Paramus Catholic high school in New Jersey, Gary did not disappoint while in the Maize and Blue.
During his freshman and sophomore season, Gary played in 25 out of a possible 26 games but missed four games during the 2018 season. Three of those were due to a shoulder injury that caused him to miss the entire month of October while the fourth was the result of Gary electing to skip the Peach Bowl against Florida to prepare for the NFL Draft.
In 35 collegiate games, the 2-time first-team All-Big Ten Selection tallied 57 solo tackles while assisting on another 62 with 9.5 sacks and one forced fumble.
Gary made himself some money at the NFL Combine back in February with his eye-opening performance. He ran an impressive 4.58-second 40-yard dash, posted a 38.0″ vertical, a 4.29 20-yard shuttle, and 10’0″ broad jump which were all good enough to finish in the top seven of all defensive lineman in attendance.
Gary is a raw talent with impressive size who should be able to make a smooth transition into the NFL as an instant starter. He relies on his high motor and explosiveness off the ball to get around the edge to the quarterback. The Michigan product’s go-to move is a straight bull rush while using his length to separate himself from opposing lineman. Gary depended on his pure strength to help him become impactful in college but will most certainly have to develop a secondary move if he wants to be a disruptive pass-rusher at the next level. While the hope is for him to become a productive edge rusher in the NFL, Gary also has a lot of experience lined up on the inside as a three-technique. His aforementioned explosiveness paired with his quick hands creates opportunities for him to become a run stopper as well.
With the Giants running a base 3-4 defense, Gary would become a day one starter opposite of second year man B.J. Hill who had an encouraging 2018 rookie season. Defensive coordinator James Bettcher is basically starting from scratch entering the 2019 season after seeing the departures of Olivier Vernon, Damon Harrison, Eli Apple, and Landon Collins since October of last year.
New York’s young defense that includes Lorenzo Carter, Dalvin Tomlinson, B.J. Hill, and Jabrill Peppers would most certainly welcome the addition of a potential anchor on the defensive line. A potential selection Gary could help provide an optimistic outlook for a Giants defense that placed 24th last season.
