Friday 20 April 2018 10:04, UK
New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman does not feel any pressure to draft a quarterback with the No 2 overall pick, despite the advancing age of Eli Manning.
Gettleman told reporters on Thursday that the idea he must use the rare opportunity to take a signal-caller is "hogwash".
Earlier in his pre-draft press conference, he touched on the dangers of picking the wrong QB.
"When you're picking this high, if you make a mistake - if you miss on a quarterback, you've hurt the franchise for probably five years," he said when asked about the importance of succeeding with the No 2 pick. "It's a five-year mistake."
Gettleman did offer a few thoughts on this year's quarterback class - with the top four widely considered to be Wyoming's Josh Allen, USC's Sam Darnold, Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield and UCLA's Josh Rosen - calling it a "really neat group to evaluate" because "they're all different flavours".
Since being hired as the team's new GM in December, Gettleman has repeatedly supported the 37-year-old Manning, saying all offseason that he believes Manning has quality years remaining in his career. New head coach Pat Shurmur has seconded that assessment.
Accordingly, the Giants have frequently been connected to non-quarterbacks at the top of the draft, such as Penn State running back Saquon Barkley, North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb and Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson.
Gettleman led the front office that selected a running back at No 8 overall last year, when the Carolina Panthers took Christian McCaffrey, and he affirmed on Thursday that he doesn't subscribe to the idea that running backs aren't worthy of a top pick.
"I think the devaluing of the running back is really a myth," he said. "If you have a great running back, he immediately makes your quarterback better, your offensive line better and your passing game better. That's the way it is."
Speaking specifically to Barkley, Gettleman said he's "a tremendous talent, I'm not going to lie".
"He's one of those guys that my mother could have scouted," he added with a laugh. "She could have figured that one out."
Whether or not his comments are indicative of which way the Giants are leaning on draft day, Gettleman was insistent that no decisions have been or will be made until the action gets underway at 8 p.m. ET in AT&T Stadium next Thursday.
"You can't close your mind," he said. "You don't know what's going to happen. We'll know when we know. I'm not making any decisions before the draft."
Gettleman also confirmed the Giants have released veteran wide receiver Brandon Marshall after he failed his physical.
The 34-year-old Marshall was scheduled to make $5m this season.
After signing a two-year, $12m contract as a free agent a little more than a year ago, Marshall played in five games last season. He was hurt against the Los Angeles Chargers in early October and had season-ending surgery to stabilise his ankle.
Marshall finished the season with a career-low 18 catches for 154 yards and no touchdowns.
