New York Giants: Drafting a quarterback would not mark the end for Eli Manning
By Sean Dyer
Many New York Giants fans don’t want to draft a quarterback because they think Eli Manning still has another good year or two. Drafting a quarterback, however, does not mean Manning won’t be the starting quarterback in 2018.
I personally believe the New York Giants should draft Josh Rosen second overall if he is available. I’m not saying Eli Manning can’t play anymore. Drafting Rosen has more to do with Manning’s age than his on-field play.
Manning will be 37 years old next season and Father Time is undefeated. Eli may have another good season or two in him, but no one can play forever.
If Manning plays well in the next few years, and the Giants get healthy and improve their offensive line, they should have successful seasons and wind up picking in the twenties in the ensuing NFL Drafts.
The hope is that the Giants won’t be picking second overall for a long time. New York has a rare opportunity to draft a franchise quarterback in a year that is considered to have a strong quarterback class.
Drafting Rosen could give the Giants a seamless transition at the most important position in the sport. It could possibly be similar to the Brett Favre-Aaron Rodgers transition that the Green Bay Packers had.
But let me make one thing clear: If the New York Giants take Josh Rosen with the second overall pick, that does not mean Eli Manning won’t be the starting quarterback in 2018.
The Giants can take advantage of this unique opportunity by drafting Rosen and allowing him to sit behind Manning for a year or two and learn from one of the best to ever do it.
More from New York Giants
- Caesars New York Promo Code: Win $250 Bonus GUARANTEED on ANY Bet!
- When will the New York Giants’ First Win Come?
- New York Giants Look Horrible in Loss to 49ers
- New York Giants to Play an Injured 49ers Team Sunday
- New York Giants: Breaking Down the Devonta Freeman Signing
It could be argued that using a second overall pick on a player who won’t play for a year or two is a waste. However, if you can secure your future franchise quarterback while your current one keeps playing, that’s no waste.
New York could end up regretting passing on a quarterback in the upcoming draft. If they stick with Eli for another year or two, he and the team play well, and then Manning retires, the Giants would be without a franchise quarterback and have a first round pick somewhere between 15-32 overall. Finding a franchise QB in that range is much harder than at second overall.
The Giants also can’t pass on a talent like Josh Rosen or even Sam Darnold because they have Davis Webb, who has suited up for just one NFL game and has yet to take an NFL snap.
Some fans argue that the Giants shouldn’t draft another quarterback because they don’t know what Webb can do. I would argue that they can’t afford to pass on a top quarterback prospect because they don’t know what Webb can do. If Webb was in the 2018 QB class, he would rank well behind Rosen and Darnold.
Next: Dave Gettleman’s top 5 draft picks with Carolina
Drafting a quarterback second overall in the 2018 NFL Draft does not mean that Eli Manning’s time with the New York Giants is over. It just means that this will be the best chance for the Giants to find his successor, hopefully for quite some time, and they don’t want to miss out on that opportunity.