ESPN: Giants Would Love To Draft McCaffrey, Will Select QB In Middle Rounds
- Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com believes the Giants will select a quarterback in the draft, but he does not think Big Blue will use a first- or second-round selection on one. Instead, he suggests New York will target a player like Josh Dobbs or Jerrod Evans in the middle rounds. He adds that the Giants would love to draft former Stanford star Christian McCaffrey, but it’s unlikely McCaffrey will still be on the board when the Giants make their No. 23 overall selection.
Giants Draft Notes: Watson, Kaaya
- With Smith on hand, the Big Blue QB depth chart could get crowded as the team is open to taking a signal-caller early in the draft. The Giants had scouts at the pro days for Clemson’s Deshaun Watson and Miami’s Brad Kaaya, tweets James Kratch of NJ.com. Kaaya had an encouraging showing at his pro day, per Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). He would seemingly be a more realistic target for the Giants than Watson, who could be off the board when the Giants’ first-round pick (No. 23) comes up. Kaaya might have to wait until Day 3 to come off the board.
Jets Have Strong Interest In Mahomes
The Jets are showing strong interest in Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes, according to Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com. Mahomes also met with the 49ers on Thursday night and spent a good amount of time with the Giants, Pauline adds. Giants coach Ben McAdoo, 49ers GM John Lynch, and Seahawks GM John Schneider were all at Texas Tech’s pro day to watch Mahomes throw (Twitter link via Andrew Groover of the NFL Network). It should be noted that McAdoo doesn’t usually attend pro days, so this could be a sign that the Giants’ interest in Mahomes is also at an advanced level.
The stock of Mahomes has been on the rise for the last couple of months. In February, the NFL’s College Advisory Committee gave the quarterback a second-round grade. Meanwhile, with an overall underwhelming crop of quarterback’s in this year’s class, it’s not hard to see Mahomes going somewhere in his first round. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com previously estimated that his floor could be No. 25 overall when the Texans are scheduled to be on the clock. His ceiling, according to JLC, could be as high as top three overall.
The Jets signed Josh McCown this offseason and while he could be the team’s starter in 2017, they haven’t committed to anything of that nature just yet. Gang Green also has Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg on the roster, but it’s not likely that any of those QBs would preclude the Jets from drafting a high-end guy if they felt strongly about him.
The Jets own the No. 6 overall pick in this year’s draft and it seems possible that Mahomes might be a consideration there. It’s also possible that the Niners could beat them to the punch or another intensely-interested club could trade up to nab him. With roughly one month to go before the draft, it’s clear that Mahomes is a player to watch, but his possibly range is still murky.
Giants To Watch DeShone Kizer
- Giants offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan attended Notre Dame’s pro day to get a look at quarterback DeShone Kizer, James Kratch of NJ.com writes. Drafting Kizer would be an opportunity for the Giants to reprise Green Bay’s Brett Favre/Aaron Rodgers scenario, meaning that they would forge ahead with Eli Manning as the starter while taking their time to groom his successor. The Giants are slated to pick at No. 23 and again at No. 55 in the second round. Kizer could be available at No. 23 but odds are he won’t be there near the backend of the second round.
Giants May Add Veteran Kicker
- The Giants are open to adding a veteran kicker to compete with unproven option Aldrick Rosas, per Dan Duggan of NJ.com (Twitter link). Rosas, 22, is the only kicker on New York’s roster, and he’s never attempted a kick in the NFL. The Giants signed the former undrafted free agent to a futures deal in January. Robbie Gould, Big Blue’s kicker in 2016, signed a two-year, $4MM contract with the 49ers earlier this month.
Giants May Draft Quarterback Early
The odds of the Giants drafting Eli Manning‘s successor relatively early in the draft are greater than many may believe, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link). Team co-owners Steve Tisch and John Mara recently spoke to reporters, including Ralph Vacchiano of SNY, about the importance of finding a long-term option under center.
“No, you can’t beat age. I think it’s certainly at the back of everybody’s mind — including Eli’s,” Tisch said. “There’s no urgency. There’s no panic. But I think if you’re a responsible owner, responsible GM, you’ve got to start thinking about it.”
“I think we have to start thinking about it,” Mara said. “I think you always have to look at drafting a quarterback where you can. Our philosophy going into the draft — at least mine — is just take the best player. It doesn’t matter what position he is. I think if there’s a chance to take a quarterback — it doesn’t have to be this year — then you should take him.”
Now that the quarterback draft class of 2004 — Manning, Philip Rivers, and Ben Roethlisberger — is aging, all three’s clubs have noted the possibility of selecting a quarterback this year. Giants general manager Jerry Reese said earlier this year his team would begin thinking about acquiring a youthful signal-caller, and the need is all the more important given that the 36-year-old Manning is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career.
Meanwhile, head coach Ben McAdoo is at least giving lip service to the idea that the recently-signed Geno Smith could be a long-term option for the Giants. “I can’t see why not,” McAdoo said of Smith, per Vacchiano (Twitter link). “We’ve got a long way to go for that.” To be fair, Smith is still only 26 years old, but his sub-60% completion percentage and career touchdown-to-interception ration of 28:36 doesn’t exactly scream starter.
Giants Rumors: Peterson, Hankins
- When asked whether the Giants might have interest in Adrian Peterson, coach Ben McAdoo replied “never say never,” (link via PFT). We’ve been here before. McAdoo also left the door open for Peterson earlier this offseason, but days later it was reported that the Giants were not in the mix. This week, we learned that the Lions have not ruled out a Peterson signing.
- Giants defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins remains on the open market and some believe his agent is to blame, as Dan Duggan of NJ.com writes. Kevin Poston and his brother Carl Poston were once among the NFL’s most powerful reps, but their once impressive stable has been whittled down to nothing. Poston’s contract demands for Hankins have been “outrageous,” according to one league source who spoke with Duggan, and that seems to be the calling card of the Poston brothers.
Giants Notes: Hankins, QB
Giants co-owner Steve Tisch confirmed Monday that the team has an offer on the table to re-up free agent defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, per James Kratch of NJ.com. The Giants submitted the multiyear proposal before the opening of the market, where Hankins hasn’t been able to find a payday to his liking. Contrary to a prior report, the Giants haven’t set a deadline for the 25-year-old to accept their contract, according to Tisch, who’s “very optimistic” an agreement will happen and “pretty convinced” Hankins wants to re-sign.
- Tisch also spoke on the Giants’ long-term quarterback situation, saying “there’s no urgency” to find an heir to Eli Manning, “but it’s in the back of everybody’s mind” (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY). Manning will play his age-36 season in 2017.
Giants Interested In Ex-Jets C Nick Mangold
The Giants have interest in former Jets center Nick Mangold, according to a source who spoke with Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. Mangold has been a free agent ever since being let go by Gang Green in late February. 
The Jets saved more than $9MM by cutting Mangold and there has been no real talk of a reunion at a lower rate. I have Mangold rated as the best center remaining in free agency, but teams have reportedly asked him about moving to guard.
The Giants already have Weston Richburg at center with Justin Pugh at left guard and the newly re-signed John Jerry at right guard. The G-Men also added guard D.J. Fluker in free agency, giving the team additional depth. It’s not immediately clear where or how Mangold would factor into the Giants’ plans. In theory, he could be a tremendous reserve to fill in at all three interior spots – not unlike Stefan Wisniewski’s role last season with the Eagles – but Mangold might be holding out for a more prominent role. Alternatively, the Giants could offer him a chance to compete with Richburg for the starting job in training camp. After finishing near the bottom of the league in yards per game last year, the Giants might be open to some O-Line change.
late last month, allowing the team to clear upwards of $9MM of cap room for 2017. Contending clubs are expected to pursue the veteran and PFR’s Dallas Robinson speculated that the Buccaneers, Bengals, Lions, Vikings, Redskins, and Cardinals could be among the clubs to call on him.
If Mangold joins the Giants, he’ll join fellow ex-Jets Brandon Marshall and Geno Smith.
Giants Offering Hankins Multiyear Deal
It appears the Giants have a legitimate shot to re-sign free agent defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, and if it happens, it’s unlikely he’ll have to settle for a “prove-it” deal. The Giants have a multiyear offer on the table for Hankins, reports the NFL Network’s Kimberly Jones, who adds that the proposal “stacks up well in this free agent market.” New York has had a “solid offer” on the table “for weeks,” though Hankins is holding out for a far richer contract, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com adds (Twitter links).
While it’s obvious Hankins’ goal is a sizable payday, it could be difficult to come by for a player who has only drawn reported interest from one other team, the Dolphins. And unfortunately for Hankins, Miami doesn’t seem particularly gung-ho on the 25-year-old, as it’s only searching for a rotational defensive tackle to play with Ndamukong Suh and Jordan Phillips. On the other hand, Hankins has been a full-time starter in New York since 2014, his second season in the league.
By retaining Hankins, which Jones expects to happen, the Giants would return all 11 defensive starters from last year, she notes. That would be an auspicious development for a team whose defense topped the NFC in DVOA and finished second overall in the league, trailing only the Broncos’ all-world stop unit.
It’s debatable how much of an impact Hankins made last year, as he didn’t post mind-blowing traditional stats (43 tackles and three sacks), nor did he impress Pro Football Focus or some around the NFL. Nevertheless, Giants owner John Mara made it clear Sunday that the team would like to re-sign Hankins if it’s financially feasible.
“We certainly want him back but it’s got to make sense for us,” Mara told Tom Rock of Newsday. “He’s an important part of our team, he’s a great kid, he’s young and he fits in very well with us. So we hope to have him back.”
The Giants have upward of $12MM in spending space remaining, Raanan reported Thursday, which puts them toward the bottom of the league.