So about that bidding war for No. 2
The New York Giants were seen as a possible trade partner with the San Francisco 49ers and this was because of their possible need for a quarterback. If some recent reports suggest anything, their need to trade up to No. 2 is not near as necessary as before.
Reports came out over the weekend from SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano that the Giants are prepared to roll with Eli Manning in 2019…and 2020. While this doesn’t prevent them from selecting a quarterback, the fact they are willing to give Eli Manning two more years indicates they aren’t about to trade up some real estate for the No. 2 pick. That of course is speculation. After all, they could be planning to take a quarterback and have him sit for two years. It worked for Patrick Mahomes to sit for one year behind Kansas City Chiefs starter Alex Smith, and the same idea can work here.
Well except for the fact the Giants know what they want to draft with that No. 6 pick: a pass rusher.
If true, this starts to make a bit of sense why the Giants were so stubborn in getting that No. 2 pick from the 49ers in exchange for Odell Beckham Jr. I’ve written extensively on how the Giants trading up to the second pick to draft a quarterback was a bit of overkill given the draft order. Considering they could easily get Dwayne Haskins at their sixth spot if they stayed put (based on some mock drafts) the furthest they would need to go is three, but the Oakland Raiders at No. 4 could have been the partner to give them their quarterback.
If they wanted No. 2, and were prepared to roll with Manning (and draft a pass rusher) it means the Giants may have been after one of the trio of Nick Bosa, Quinnen Williams, or Josh Allen, depending on what the Arizona Cardinals were after and what the Giants want for their defense.
These recent reports hurt the value of that No. 2 pick because if the Giants are after a pass rusher, history shows they won’t pull the trigger near as easily as, say, they would for a quarterback. This further weakens the value of the No. 2 pick that the 49ers hold and pulls someone out of the bidding war we all hope for. Behind the Giants, getting to the second pick is going to be more and more expensive. The Giants were the ones with the ammo capable to make a deal.
Now that they don’t need a quarterback, and want a pass rusher, it seems less likely that they would be in the running to trade with the 49ers on draft day.
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