It seems as though the entire NFL community has shifted into all-out draft mode in recent weeks with free agency at a crawl. That means plenty of rumors, reports and "guesstimation."
The New York Giants select 23rd overall in the first round of this year's draft. Where are they headed? For whom, especially at quarterback? That seems to be the concentration of this week's mailbag questions.
As always, feel free to offer up questions on Twitter with the hashtag #GiantsAfterDark, Instagram, Facebook or via email at Jordan.raanan@espn.com.
This week's questions came from Instagram. Make sure you follow @JordanRaananESPN. I'm almost always open for business.
@anava0810 Do you think they'll draft a QB in this year's draft?
Yes. The question is more likely at what point of the draft. It still remains highly unlikely the Giants take a quarterback in the first round, unless Deshaun Watson or Mitchell Trubisky slip badly. Even the second seems doubtful. They were not especially high on the quarterback class entering the combine and it's unlikely much has changed now. Some of these prospects might have intrigued them, but it would be a surprise if they're willing to take a risk on any of these risky projects in the first two rounds. The best bet is they take a shot on someone like Nathan Peterman, Josh Dobbs or Jerrod Evans in the middle rounds.
@frankie_lazz Does Mahomes now get added to the list of QBs they'd take a long, hard look at if there at 23?
No. The presence of Giants coach Ben McAdoo at his pro day makes you wonder, but I would think it's more likely they're doing their due diligence in case Pat Mahomes is there in the second round. Most evaluators I've spoken to have thought that is where the Texas Tech quarterback will land. The Giants are big into minimizing risk in the first round. Mahomes would contradict their traditional philosophy because he's such an enigma and a difficult evaluation coming out of that system at Texas Tech that has so few pro concepts and where he never took a snap under center.
@adamgoldfarb02 With Zach Cunningham in your first mock, are there other potential WLB they could take at 23? How does the re-signing of Robinson affect the way they view LB need if at all?
Florida's Jarrod Davis (who killed his pro day) and Temple's Hassan Reddick are other quality options at pick 23. Definitely keep them in mind. And, no, the re-signing of Keenan Robinson doesn't affect anything. You're not drafting players specifically for this year. That would be foolish and shortsighted. You're drafting for the next three to four years, at minimum, and Robinson is on a one-year deal while Jonathan Casillas and Devon Kennard are on the last years of their current contracts. So linebacker (which could benefit from an upgrade) makes complete sense, in any round.
@kapo640 Why do people assume Cunningham will play weak side? I think they'd draft him to play middle.
He's not strong enough or physical enough at this point to be considered a full-time middle linebacker in a 4-3 defense. He's best suited to run unimpeded sideline to sideline. With his ability to run and cover, teams have Zach Cunningham pegged as a weakside linebacker right now.
@simonjlesperance Likelihood of Giants taking McCaffrey at 23 if he's still there?
Strong, to quite strong. Problem is it's less than 50-50 that he makes it there. The Giants need more playmakers (look at their offense last year) and the answer longterm isn't the signing of a 33-year-old wide receiver in Brandon Marshall. Christian McCaffrey is highly regarded and can be used in multiple roles as an offensive weapon. The Giants need offensive weapons.
@nickprose If Peppers was available at 23rd, would the Giants take him or is he too similar to Collins?
Very doubtful. Most teams seem to view Michigan's Jabril Peppers as a safety. With the Giants having invested a second-round pick (Landon Collins) and third-round pick (Darian Thompson) over the past two drafts, it wouldn't make much sense to add Peppers.
@jargon0303 Hey Jordan ok my question for you is in your dealings with Odell has he been respectful and nice or more Flowersish? Some people make it seem as if he is the spawn of Satan? Has he really done anything that bad?
Not even comparable. Odell Beckham Jr. has almost always been courteous and respectful in my dealings with him. He's been rather accessible even though he's one of the league's biggest stars and getting pulled in so many directions. He's not a bad young man. Immature, sure. And he's made mistakes along the way. That rubs some the wrong way and spawns distaste for his act. Those are the consequences he faces for his actions, but it doesn't mean he's a bad person. From my personal experience, far from it.