with the Scouting Combine looming"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections New York Giants NewsGiants Training Camp 2016Giants vs. Eagles 2015 Michael Strahan Jerseys Stitched , Week 17PodcastsBig Blue View Radio2019 NFL DraftDueling mock drafts from Chris, Dan on latest podcastNew,35commentsDan and Chris get in on the mock draft frenzy with the Scouting Combine loomingESTShareTweetShareShareDueling mock drafts from Chris, Dan on latest podcastKirby Lee-USA TODAY SportsThe 2019 NFL Scouting Combine is almost here, and as you’ve no doubt noticed, Mock Draft Season is only getting more prolific. The vast majority of these drafts have been boring for the New York Giants, but occasionally one that is actually interesting — and gives us a chance to talk about some prospects that we should, but aren’t talking about. One of those rare drafts came across my radar yesterday, a four-round mock from Luke Easterling of The Draft Wire. That mock, and the Giants’ selections, were what inspired this podcast, in which Dan and I created our own mock drafts and compared our picks. But first, here’s Easterling’s mock draft for the Giants:First Round13. Cody Ford (OT, Oklahoma) - Dwayne Haskins is off the board at No. 4 in this mock, and Drew Lock closely follows at fifth. Getting desperate, the Miami Dolphins trade up with the Giants to draft Kyler Murray, swapping the sixth and 13th picks, as well as Miami’s second- (48th overall) and third-round (78th overall) picks. Easterling said of the pick: “I get the feeling old-school general manager Dave Gettleman would prefer to ride with Eli Manning for the time being, and opt to fortify the trenches with his early picks in this draft. After moving back and getting some extra picks, the Giants still get Ford, who would be an immediate upgrade at either tackle spot.”Second Round37. Zach Allen (DL, Boston College)48. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (S, Florida)Third Round(Sam Beal) - made during 2018 supplementary draft78. Michael Jackson (CB, Miami) Fourth Round101. Tre Lemar (LB, Clemson) 125. Brett Rypien (QB, Boise State) Raptor’s Thoughts: See guys, I told you this one was interesting. In reality, if this (not unlikely) scenario comes to pass and Haskins (and Lock) are off the board, it’s unlikely that Gettleman trades back. Instead, it’s more likely that he either sticks to his board and drafts the highest-graded player available or reaches badly and drafts Daniel Jones. But, in our podcast on non-quarterback options at sixth overall, Dan and I game-planned this very scenario — that Haskins was off the board and there’s no way the Giants draft Kyler Murray — and we both said that trading back was our first choice. Outside of landing a franchise quarterback, it is the best way to maximize the value of a pick. And thanks to the trade, there’s a lot to unpack here:First Round: In this case, the Giants landed a player they might have drafted at 6th anyway, while also picking up two more day 2 selections. Ford is a player we’ve talked about a fair bit so far. Formerly a guard for Oklahoma, he transitionedto right tackle this past season and has been rocketing up draft boards. He isn’t quite as tall as the NFL generally prefers, but at 330 pounds Youth Saquon Barkley Jerseys , he has all kinds of power and movement skills that are good for any size, and simply unfair for the size he is. If the Giants don’t find their right tackle in free agency, Ford should lock that position down for a long time. Second Round: I want to concentrate on Zach Allen (Dan and I get into Chauncey Gardner-Johnson in the podcast. Spoilers: we like him). Allen is an interesting fit for the Giants’ defense. He isn’t the EDGE player that they mostly get mocked, but that isn’t to say he is a bad pick either. Allen is a defensive end through and through, and probably best cast as a base 7-technique in a 4-3 front. However, he has the length and power at 6-foot-5, 285 to play the 5-technique in the 1-gap 3-4 that forms the basis of the Giants’ front. Given how often they were in a four-man front last year, scheme fit isn’t a problem. Allen was consistently productive for Boston College over the last three seasons, racking up 40.5 tackles for a loss, 16.5 sacks, 14 passes defensed, and a pair of interceptions. But while his sack numbers don’t leap off the page, he was one of the most consistent and productive defensive linemen in this draft in generating pressure. Adding Allen to Olivier Vernon, Lorenzo Carter, Dalvin Tomlinson, and B.J. Hill suddenly makes the Giants’ defensive front and pass rush much more formidable — provided the team can improve its secondary to keep the ball in quarterbacks’ hands or capitalize on mistakes forced by the pressure. That’s where Gardner-Johnson and Easterling’s third round come in. Third Round: The Giants should be adding Sam Beal as a starting corner in 2019, and Dan and I are high on his potential. He has good length, fluid hips, and remarkably quick feet. He needs to get stronger from what we saw in college to be able to effectively jam NFL receivers, and that might be where his shoulder surgery slows his progress the most. We’ll just have to see. I’m not thrilled with the selection of Jackson for the Giants’ defense. While he has the size and physicality called for an aggressive press-man coverage scheme, he doesn’t have the hips to stick with receivers after jamming them. He is a better fit in a Cover-3 defense, such as Seattle’s than in what James Bettcher prefers to call. Of course, calling hybrid coverages, in which both zone and man are played is always possible, but if one corner is always in zone, that can be exploited by offenses. I might instead have gone with Derrick Baity from Kentucky here, but the Combine will reveal much about both of these corners — and Zach Allen as well. Fourth Round: Because compensatory picks haven’t been awarded yet, Easterling only gives the Giants two fourth-round picks. Personally, I would have gone for Kendall Joseph (LB, Clemson) over Tre Lamar. Lamar is a big (6-foot-4, 240-pound) downhill inside linebacker who brings it against the run. However, the Giants already have B.J. Goodson for that, and Goodson is a much more instinctual linebacker and is better in coverage. Joseph could upgrade Tae Davis as the nickel linebacker and help improve the Giants’ speed over the middle. Easterling could also have gone with Christian Miller (EDGE, Alabama) or Joe Jackson (EDGE, Miami)to improve the Giants’ depth of pass rushers, Tyree St. Louis (OT, Miami) or Dru Samia (OG, Oklahoma) to improve their depth along the offensive line Saquon Barkley Jerseys Stitched , or Damarkus Lodge (WR, Ole Miss) or Antoine Wesley (WR, Texas Tech) to solidify a receiving depth chart that is uncertain behind Odell Beckham Jr. and a soon-to-be free agent Sterling Shepard.Finally we come to Brett Rypien, Mark Schofield’s guy. As I said back in my pre-combine QB depth chart Mark is considering making Rypien his QB 1, measurables and “ideal arm strength” be damned. I don’t hate the pick, especially the way the first round worked out. however, this will be the third time in three years the Giants take a swing on a mid-round lottery ticket quarterback. They had better hope that either Kyle Lauletta completes a remarkable turnaround and becomes more than an afterthought and wasted pick, or that Rypien proves Mark right. Because otherwise, if Eli Manning retires after 2019 the Giants have no quarterback for 2020.Now, that ALL that is over with (you guys are still with me, right?), it’s time to get to the podcast. I’m just going to list our two mock drafts without explaining our picks — we go into depth on them in the podcast itself — but they were both made using Fanspeak with the aggregate big board. Dan’s mock draft1 (6). Kyler Murray (QB, Oklahoma)2 (37.) Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (DB, Florida)3. (Sam Beal)4 (108). Christian Miller (EDGE, Alabama)4 (132). Ben Banogu (LB, TCU)4 (137). Michael Jordan (OG, Ohio State)Chris’ Mock Draft1 (6). Dwayne Haskins (QB, Ohio State)2 (37). Jawaan Taylor (RT, Florida) 3. (Sam Beal) 4 (108). Christian Miller (EDGE, Alabama)4 (132). Connor McGovern (C, Penn State)4 (137). Ugo Amadi (S, Oregon)You can listen to the episode in your browser here or with the embedded player below:Where to subscribeYou can find and subscribe to Big Blue View radio from the show’s home page.You can find all the shows on our Big Blue View Radio Hub Page.You can also find the shows and subscribe on all your favorite podcast apps:Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSSFinally, be sure to check out the home page for all of the shows across the expanding Vox Media Podcast Network. Breaking down the Combine work of the top QBs"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections New York Giants NewsGiants Training Camp 2016Giants vs. Eagles 2015, Week 172019 NFL Draft2019 NFL Scouting Combine: QBs who impressed, and who didn’t impressNew,61commentsBreaking down the Combine work of the top QBsESTShareTweetShareShare2019 NFL Scouting Combine: QBs who impressed, and who didn’t impressBrian Spurlock-USA TODAY SportsWith Indianapolis and the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine in the rear-view mirror for almost everyone, the assorted Pro Day workouts are the next big dates on the draft calendar. However, a few quarterbacks turned in performances over the weekend that might have bolstered their draft stock, likely keeping them on the board for the New York Giants with either that sixth overall selection, or perhaps later into the draft. Here is a quick look back at how the “Big Four” passers rated during their time in Indianapolis, as well as a peek at one quarterback who turned more than a few heads, perhaps playing himself into the Day Two mix. Dwayne HaskinsIf you tuned into the Combine expecting to see a dynamic, athletic quarterback run a blazing fast 40-yard dash from Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins, you may have been misled. Haskins’ game is not the overly athletic, mobile one but rather that of the refined, prototypical pocket passer who will need to rely on his arm, his footwork and his mind to excel in the NFL. While we did not get a chance to see his mind at work - that was done behind closed doors when meeting with the individual teams - Haskins’ display throwing was in line with his status in the draft. His footwork on his drops and throwing mechanics was much improved from what we saw on film Youth Will Hernandez Jerseys , and he displayed the arm talent, as well as accuracy to all levels, that teams covet in a pocket passer. Haskins might lack the big ceiling that Kyler Murray provides in this draft, but he could have the higher floor as a passer. In an industry dominated by risk-averse decision makers, that could really help Haskins’ draft stock as we get closer to April.Kyler MurrayBrian Spurlock-USA TODAY SportsKyler MurraySpeaking of Mr. Murray...The Oklahoma quarterback decided not to partake in any of the workout drills, and therefore his Pro Day out in Norman, scheduled for March 13, is going to be a “must see” event. However, the most important place for him in Indianapolis was the scale, and he passed that test with flying colors. Murray weighed in at 207 pounds and topped 5’10”, numbers that keep him an outlier in terms of NFL quarterback size but put him squarely in the “Russell Wilson” outlier category, and not the Doug Flutie outlier category.Of course, those measurements - particularly the weight - led many to immediately assume that 207 would not be his playing weight, and that he simply bulked up to pass this test at the Combine. That might be so, however, continued fears over Murray’s weight gloss over one of the things that he demonstrates on film: His ability to protect himself. Murray does a very good job at sliding and/or stepping out of bounds, sacrificing potential additional yards for avoiding hits. In all, despite the decision not to workout, this was a good week for Murray. Rumors of him becoming the first overall selection now dominate NFL media. He’ll need a good Pro Day to solidify those rumors, so book your flights to Oklahoma City now.Drew LockTrevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY SportsDrew LockThe University of Missouri product looked to build off a strong Senior Bowl week with another solid performance in Indianapolis, and to a certain extent he completed that task. A big issue to watch with Lock is his footwork and lower body mechanics, as they were very inconsistent while in school. As we saw down in Mobile for the Senior Bowl, his lower body mechanics are becoming more and more crisp, and the work he is putting in seems to be paying off. His drops were much improved over his time at Missouri, his weight transfer on throws was consistent, and he did a much better job of involving his hips to generate torque, something that was also missing on film with him.During the throwing session, you could see his experience on throwing a number of different routes, such as slants in the short game and deeper routes along the boundary in the vertical game. Those are the types of throws and the areas of the field where he has the most experience as a passer. His ability between the numbers and the hashmarks, however, also remains a work in progress. On some deeper routes to the middle of the field, such as posts and digs, those passes were a bit off the mark, and while still catchable, they tended to be behind the target a bit. Something to watch.Something else to watch will be the discussion of his hand size, which came in right at nine inches. Depending on who you listen to, 9.25 inches is the magical threshold for hand size in the NFL. However, recent quarterbacks such as Jared Goff (nine inches) and Patrick Mahomes (9.25) have had success with smaller hands.Where this usually shows up is in weather games. Lock’s final regular season game was against the University of Arkansas in a cold rain. I’d invite you to watch that game to alleviate any concerns. Daniel JonesTrevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY SportsDaniel JonesIn contrast to Lock Will Hernandez Jerseys Stitched , Jones needed to rebound from what was to many a disappointing Senior Bowl week. The Duke University product did that in large part, showing some athleticism during the testing drills and throwing the football much better during the on-the-field drills. Jones posted a 4.82 40-yard dash, which while not electrifying matches what you can see from him on film. Jones can use his athleticism to escape the pocket and extend plays, and can pick up some decent chunks of yardage on the ground with his legs. Having that element to his game might make him a more desirable option than even Haskins. Where Jones needs to step up his game to match the ability of some of the other passers in this group is with his ball placement. Outside of the short game, Jones’ ball placement on film was a big question mark. On West Coast type of concepts, he throws with good placement and shows some understanding of leverage and coverage. However, as you get down the field, Jones’ throws lacked the necessary precision and placement. This was not the case on Saturday, as he seemed a more confident passer and was much more accurate.I still have my reservations about Jones, but if the rumors are true, he seems to be very much in play for the Giants at that sixth overall selection. Tyree JacksonBrian Spurlock-USA TODAY SportsTyree JacksonBack a few months ago I made the case that there was a quarterback in this class that had some of the abilities of Josh Allen, despite worse passing mechanics. That quarterback was Jackson, and the University of Buffalo product might have won the weekend at the QB position. First he wowed during the testing drills, including posting a 4.59 40-yard dash, a vertical leap of 36.5 inches and a broad jump of 10’ feet, showing you the explosiveness that he displayed on film, such as on a long touchdown run against Army two seasons ago. Then during the throwing session, Jackson displayed the arm strength that was not only evident on film, but was also showcased down in Mobile. From routes in the short game to more vertical routes down the field, Jackson’s arm is among the best in this class and he has the ability to dial up velocity to all levels of the field. One of the more interesting moments during Saturday’s session was when former wide receiver Steve Smith implored with Jackson to dial down the velocity during the “Gauntlet” drill, so the receivers would have a better chance at catching the ball.Jackson remains a raw talent, and will need work to fix a lower body issue that has proven fatal for other tall quarterbacks. But if he can correct that front leg of his and work to stop locking it up when he throws, he might be a great value sometime on Day Two of the draft.Reading the Tea LeavesKeeping in mind that this is the lying season, when you should not believe any anonymous reporting, it seems that a few moves at the quarterback position are soon to unfold. The first domino to fall seems to be Nick Foles to the Jacksonville Jaguars via free agency. That might not completely preclude Jacksonville from taking a quarterback at seven, but it decreases the odds substantially. The next domino is likely what the Arizona Cardinals decide to do with the first overall selection. Reporting out of Indianapolis has it all but a “done deal” that Murray is going to Arizona with that first pick. Whether that is a negotiating ploy or not remains to be seen, but if the Cardinals do make such a move, Josh Rosen immediately becomes available. I’ve argued already that I’d be willing to trade the sixth overall selection for him, but with Peter King reporting that both Kurt Warner and a “renowned NFL GM” told him that Rosen’s value is just a third round, you would have to think that Dave Gettleman would pick up the phone and inquire. The other rumor coming out of Indianapolis was that the Giants were interested in Jones. Now, I think he is more of a second round quarterback, so the sixth overall pick is too much in my mind. But if he falls deep into the first round, it might be worth pursuing.