On Saturday, we here at Giants Wire postulated that New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman may be more in his element for the 2020 NFL Draft than some are willing to consider. Not necessarily because of the tech side of it, but because of the limited ability to meet with players and the increased reliance on film and word-of-mouth data.
As it turns out however, Gettleman may also benefit from this being a virtual draft after all.
“Can’t trust him. Dave’s smart, man. He’s throwing all the curve balls out there,” Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane said of Gettleman during an appearance on Pardon My Take. “He’s actually pretty tech savvy. Don’t let him fool you in all seriousness.”
While the world of virtual drafting may be new to other general managers and draft-heads, it’s something Gettleman is already intimately familiar with.
Back in 2014, while serving as general manager of the Carolina Panthers, Gettleman was in Worcester, MA to see his son graduate during Day 3 of the draft. In order to juggle both events, the Panthers sent an IT team to Gettleman’s hotel where they set up a draft room, allowing him to conduct all draft-related business virtually.
Panthers GM Dave Gettleman's son is graduating Becker College in Worcester, Mass. So he's actually drafting via Skype. Very 2014.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 10, 2014
Cool what #Panthers did for GM Dave Gettleman. Sent IT to Worcester, MA to set up a “draft room” in a hotel so he can see his son graduate
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 10, 2014
At the time, Gettleman was praised for his forward-thinking and ability to use technology to draft from a distance. The rest of the NFL, of course, filled Radio City Music Hall in New York City where massive stacks of paper were handed out with information on the prospects.
“Through the process of technology, nothing will change,” Gettleman said in 2014, per The Associated Press. “The process will be exactly the same.”
Needless to say, this is not going to be Gettleman’s first rodeo and that experience should serve him well.
[lawrence-related id=645000,644991,644982]