NFL Draft 32 for 32 - New York Giants Outlook

March 31, 2019

Brandon Murchison's 2019 NFL Draft team previews moves on to the New York Giants, a team that is becoming a laughing stock in the league based on recent moves. What impact will the rookies drafted have on the fantasy values of this team?

If you look in the dictionary for the definition of a team with no direction you will find the New York Giants. Dating back to last year's draft where the team declined to find Eli Manning's successor in a loaded QB class, the Giants appear to be stuck in the mud. Sure, they hit it big with Saquon Barkley (RB2 with 383.80 FP), but outside of that, the team's offense was nonexistent. With the team opting to stick with Manning for yet another year, the story will likely be the same for this team again in 2019.

At least the offense has another spark returning this season in wide receiver Odell Beckham. Oh, wait, never mind that. As the front office, David Gettleman, in particular, came up with the boneheaded idea to move Beckham in a trade to the Browns. This deal tells you that the team is looking to start over and rebuild right? Wrong. They then turn around and sign an aging receiver in Golden Tate. Safe to say that this offseason has been one to shake your head at when it comes to the Giants.

As we head into the draft, it's tough to say what direction this team is leaning towards with player evaluations based on the recent moves. Do they go with the best player available similar to a team that believes they can make a run? Or will they draft pieces that they can begin to build around as they start the process of life without Manning? It's hard to put a finger on just exactly where the Giants feel they are in terms of competitiveness in the league.

Top Three Projected Selections

First Round- Devin White, LB LSU (6th overall); Daniel Jones, QB Duke (17th)
Second Round- Dexter Lawrence, DT Clemson (37th)

Remaining Picks
Third Round- 95th
Fourth Round- 108th, 132nd
Fifth Round- 142nd, 143rd, 171st
Sixth Round- 180th
Seventh Round- 232nd, 245th

The selection of Devin White gives the Giants perhaps the best linebacker prospect in this year's draft. A high impact player, White's knack for finding the ball carrier and stopping him in his tracks is second to none. He can shoot a gap to get into the backfield easily or he can play sideline to sideline and use his speed to sniff out a play. Even as he is still rounding out as a player, White should quickly develop into a solid three-down player on this defense and one that could see some value in IDP formats in his rookie season.

With their second pick in the first round, the team finally grabs the QB that may be the heir apparent to Manning, in Daniel Jones. The team has been linked to Jones for what seems like the entire offseason so far. He is a prospect that is good at most things, but not great at any. He has a fair assortment of mechanics but does not have a pro level arm. He throws with a decent amount of accuracy and his deep ball is good, but not the best in this class. Completing just 59.9 percent of his passes in his college career raises some eyebrows as well. In terms of his fantasy potential, he is more of a dynasty option for sure as he will sit behind Eli Manning in 2019. But extrapolating his potential out long-term, Jones has the makings of a game-manager type of QB. The type of player that will never be in the discussion as a QB1 in fantasy.

After the departure of Damon Harrison, the selection of Dexter Lawrence gives the team his replacement. His size, length, and power are all well above average and will allow him to be plugged into the middle of this defensive line from day one. He is mostly one-dimensional as strictly a run-stuffing defensive tackle. But he has the athleticism to develop into a potential inside pass rusher as well. Look for Lawrence to primarily play on early downs as a run defender in his first couple of years, limiting his potential as an IDP player in fantasy.

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