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Did the New York Giants make the right decision by selecting quarterback Daniel Jones sixth overall in the 2019 NFL draft? Were they foolish to draft running back Saquon Barkley at No. 2 overall in 2018?
Those are questions that continue to persist and even gain steam with each passing year.
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Jones was less than stellar in 2020 despite making some marginal improvements, while Barkley has endured back-to-back injury plagued seasons and has yet to participate in a full practice this year.
On Tuesday, Giants co-owner John Mara and general manager Dave Gettleman were both pressed on those decisions and each remain confident that the right choices were made.
“We believe in Daniel, we’re excited to see what he’s going to do in the second year in the system. Before this last year, it was his third system in three years, so this’ll be the second year in a system. You know how diligent the kid is, we’ve talked about it all the time. He works just as hard on the field as he does off the field. He’s more comfortable, he’s more prepared. It’ll be fun to see what happens when we finally give him a full complement of players out there,” Gettleman told reporters.
Mara was a bit more reserved when it came to Jones, but expressed a hope that the young quarterback plays so well it makes a future decision on his contract an easy one.
“Well, I think before you make that type of decision, yes, you have to know, and this will be his (third) season. Hopefully he stays healthy, hopefully he’ll make it an easy decision for us by the end of the year,” Mara said.
Asked if acquiring an additional 2022 first-round pick from the Chicago Bears was a sort of security blanket in the event Jones falters this season, Gettleman was quick to dismiss that notion.
“Not even a thought. No. The trade was made because the opportunity was there and there was an opportunity to get an incredible amount of value and we really liked the position that we were in. So, no, that was not done as any kind of hedge,” the GM said.
Gettleman was even more bullish on his 2018 selection of Barkley.
“Absolutely. Absolutely,” Gettleman said when asked if he’s still passionate about the Barkley pick. “Stuff happens, not everything’s perfect and there are guys all over this league who get hurt, big-time players. He’s done a great job and I feel the same way about him. He’s different and he’s going to be ready to go when he’s ready to go.”
Meanwhile, Mara stopped short of saying Barkley is guaranteed a long-term contract extension, but he sure made it sound like the potential is there for one.
“Well, you need to see him back on the field producing, which we expect that to be the case. Our medical people feel very good about where he’s at right now. I like what I’ve seen from him out on the field and hopefully that’ll be an easy decision for us as well,” Mara said.
There is no sway in these Giants. They have hitched their wagon to Jones and Barkley and believe the pair will eventually lead them back to the promised land.
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