The New York Giants would select 10th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft if the season ended today. With two games remaining the 5-9 Giants could end themselves higher in the order by season’s end after their trip to play the smoking hot Baltimore Ravens this week and the season finale at home against the streaking Dallas Cowboys.
A 5-11 finish would net the Giants a pick somewhere between No. 4 and No. 8 in the first round. A 6-10 record would keep them pretty much where they are and a 7-9 finish would likely send them tumbling down towards the middle of the round.
Who they will select is anyone’s guess, especially if Dave Gettleman is doing the drafting. Gettleman — if he is still around — has surprised draft purists in each of his first three drafts with the Giants.
In 2018, he used the second overall selection on a running back (Saquon Barkley) in a quarterback-rich draft. The consensus was that Gettleman should have either selected a quarterback and/or traded back in the order to secure more draft capital.
In 2019, Gettleman took his quarterback (Daniel Jones) with the sixth overall pick, but again, could have made more out of that pick and still ended up with Jones. This year, he took an offensive tackle (Andrew Thomas) with the fourth overall selection. Thomas has leveled off after a horrendous start to his career but with all of the tackles in this draft, Gettleman could have leveraged that pick and still got a franchise tackle.
The odds of Gettleman keeping his job should the Giants fail to make the postseason are unknown. Keep in mind, this would be their third consecutive losing season under Gettleman’s stewardship.
They are currently 14-32 over that time, a .302 winning percentage. That is unacceptable in the 21st century NFL. The league has balanced out the playing field to the point where teams should never have more than three consecutive losing seasons. It’s set up for the meek to inherit the earth, so to speak.
Do the Giants trust that Gettleman has this team headed in the right direction? Most fans don’t that is for sure.
[lawrence-related id=662055,662050,662048]