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New York Giants: Eli Apple will determine Jerry Reese’s fate

By Nikhil Potpally

Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Eli Apple (Ohio State) is selected by the New York Giants as the number ten overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Eli Apple (Ohio State) is selected by the New York Giants as the number ten overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New York Giants selected cornerback Eli Apple with the 10th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, as general manager Jerry Reese tied his fate to the raw prospect.

With the 10th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the New York Giants selected Ohio State CB Eli Apple.

From many angles, Apple looked like a major reach at 10th overall, considering he wasn’t even the best cornerback on the board at the time. Vernon Hargreaves III was still available when the Giants made their selection, but general manager Jerry Reese went ahead and chose Apple.

Maybe it was the name that drove Reese to pick him. I mean, Eli Apple in the “Big Apple” playing on the same team as Eli Manning? It only seems right. However, if Reese was using any form of this logic, then we may see a new GM in town next year.

After Reese handed ex-Rams corner Janoris Jenkins a 5 year/$62.5M contract (28.8M guaranteed), many fans thought cornerback wasn’t an immediate area of need for the Giants. If they wanted to go secondary, a safety would have made sense. At the very least, a slot corner would have been nice because both Jenkins and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie are not nickel corners. Apple isn’t a nickel corner either, whereas Hargreaves had major upside as a slot corner, if needed.

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Many draft analysts and draft experts had Apple rated as a mid-first round pick at best, and Hargreaves as a top-10 pick. When Hargreaves dropped down to #10, many fans thought he would be a great fit, since projected targets Jack Conklin and Leonard Floyd were already off the board.

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Instead, the Giants chose Apple and when asked about the selection, VP of player evaluation, Marc Ross said “We like Eli just because he’s the number one corner on our board,” Ross said. “The guy is big. He’s fast. He’s athletic. He’s clean off the field.” The issue-free side of Apple was echoed by Reese, who said “He holds all the tools to be a starter. He was the highest graded player on our board, beyond the guys with issues.”

First off, if Apple was the No. 1 corner on the Giants’ board (over Jalen Ramsey), then they may need to replace the whole scouting department. Excluding Ramsey, Apple wasn’t rated even higher than Hargreaves by many other teams.

The Giants historically take clean players, ones who stay out of trouble. If both CBs turn out to be clean in the NFL while Apple gets outperformed, then we will be regretting this move in the future. If Apple doesn’t develop, then we will also be regretting the move.

Reese stayed true to his recent draft philosophy, which is overdrafting players. Last year, he reached for Ereck Flowers who was solid, but may not have been worth the pick they took him at. This year, they took Apple early instead of trading down a few spots or taking Hargreaves instead.

If this move doesn’t pan out (or if the rest of their draft is terrible), then Reese will be out at the end of the year. We knew the Giants weren’t taking Laremy Tunsil as soon as word got about his Twitter and Instagram hacks (whether or not they were accurate), and they stuck to their philosophy of taking the “best player available who is 100% baggage-free”.

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Safety, offensive line, and linebackers are still major areas of need, and the Giants must address all three of these areas with a majority of their remaining picks.

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