With top two QBs gone, I opted for a two-way star
I recently had the privilege of playing GM for the New York Giants in Pro Football Network Content Creator/Beat Writer Mock Draft. The results of that Round 1 mock draft went live at PFN Monday morning, so let’s discuss it.
Let’s get into how it worked, how PFN’s analysts reacted to it, how I think it would set up the Giants on Day 2 of the draft and, of course, what you think of it.
Cam Ward, of course, went No. 1 to the Tennessee Titans with veteran beat writer and Pro Football Hall of Fame voter Paul Kuharsky making the selection.
The Cleveland Browns, with Tom Moore of SB Nation’s Dawgs By Nature as the selector, chose Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. As we have been learning, that may not be the way the draft actually goes down.
Back-to-back quarterbacks at the top, though, meant I didn’t even have to consider Sanders. I had to choose between Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter and edge defender Abdul Carter.
I chose Hunter.
Here is what I wrote at PFN:
“This could be the scenario GM Joe Schoen actually faces. You can make good arguments for Travis Hunter or Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter here. I will opt for Hunter because I see him as really a player-and-a-half with his ability to impact both sides of the ball.
“I don’t know which side of the ball the New York Giants would play him the most, but I can’t imagine an offensive coach like Brian Daboll not wanting to get the ball in his hands. Either way, it’s a nice problem to have.”
Here is how PFN reacted to the pick:
Stats & Insights Analysis: The value of a quarterback on a rookie deal is well known; if the G-Men elect to use Hunter as a Shohei Ohtani-like weapon, could you not argue that this pick could help seriously accelerate the rebuild?
In 2024, New York ranked 28th in the percentage of opponent deep passes that resulted in a touchdown and 29th in deep completions of their own. Either version of Hunter is of use to this team, and his rare potential to impact both weaknesses at some level is appealing.
Truthfully, I think I pick Hunter every time in this scenario.
I think Carter will be a wonderful NFL player, and there is never anything wrong with adding a potentially exceptional pass rusher. There are, honestly, few situations in which I would pass on a player with Carter’s potential for a non-quarterback.
The opportunity to select Hunter, which the Cleveland Browns may deny the Giants in the real draft less than three weeks from now, is one of those.
I hate the “generational talent” phrase and prefer not to use it. So, I won’t use it in reference to Hunter. I like the phrase “transformational player,” and I think that is what Hunter can be at the NFL level.
Hunter would be a difference-maker on either side of the ball, or both.
If you’re the Giants, why not use him on both sides? You have enough talent and depth at both wide receiver and cornerback that he wouldn’t have to play 100% of the snaps on either side of the ball. Maybe it would be a 70-30 split one way or the other, perhaps with some kickoff or punt return duties sprinkled in.
If I were making decisions for the Giants, I would love the opportunity to figure out the best way to capitalize on a player like this.
What about quarterback?
I fretted about what would happen with Jaxson Dart, Jalen Milroe and even Tyler Shough in Round 1. As I did Sunday in my weekly 7-round Giants mock draft, I held my water and did not trade draft assets to get back into the first round.
Selectors for the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 21 and Los Angeles Rams at No. 26 both admitted considering Dart, but passed on the opportunity. After Ward and Sanders with the first two picks, no other quarterback went off the board in Round 1.
Unlikely in the real draft? Perhaps. A quarterback-needy team like the New Orleans Saints might make a move at No. 9. The Las Vegas Raiders or New York Jets could move for a quarterback late in the round. There is always the possibility of an unexpected team grabbing a quarterback.
Yet, here, unless the Browns trade No. 33 to a team wanting to jump the Giants for the quarterback of their choosing, I have my choice of Dart-Milroe-Shough. There are pros and cons to grabbing each.
I always default to Dart is QB3, but there are valid arguments for Milroe and even Shough.
Your thoughts, Giants fans?
