The 2018 NFL Draft is in the books, and we’re wrapping up our coverage with my New York Giants draft grades. What’s that? A Nashville blog covering the G-Men? That doesn’t make sense.
No, it probably doesn’t, but the First Lady of SoBros is from New Jersey, and I’ve sort of adopted the Giants as my NFC team. Plus, hey – I’m the EIC here. I can write whatever I want to write, and I happen to think the Giants had a damn good draft.
2018 New York Giants Draft Grades
Round 1: Penn State RB Saquon Barkley – How can you complain about this? Everyone said the Giants were going to go quarterback, but I had one name mocked to them all draft season: Barkley’s. The shockingly durable Eli Manning still has a good season or two left in the tank, they drafted Davis Webb early last year and still haven’t gotten a real look at him in game action, and Pat Shurmur has already committed to Manning for 2018. Everything was right there, and y’all STILL said they were going quarterback.
Running back is the true missing piece on this Giants offense (since they signed T Nate Solder in free agency), and they didn’t just get a starter. They got a guy who could potentially be elite in the NFL. He’s the best player in this draft, and should provide a spark for this Giants team that they haven’t had at the position since Tiki Barber retired.
Grade: A+
Round 2: UTEP OG Will Hernandez – Hernandez is raw, but I still think he’s one of the three best offensive linemen in this draft. He’s a power guy and projects as a true road-grading guard that’ll help bolster a Giants rushing attack that was veritably anemic in 2017. I love the pick. I thought Hernandez could go as high as the early 20s, so getting him in Round 2 was a steal. This guy could be a cornerstone piece on the offensive line of the future.
Grade: A
Round 3: Georgia OLB Lorenzo Carter – Are you kidding me? Could the rest of the NFL have made this any easier for the Giants? I thought Carter could’ve been an option for the Titans at #25, but he slipped out of the first two rounds altogether. He’s a pure pass rusher that needs to develop more of an all-around game to be an effective linebacker in the league. But, he has potential to play early on as a pass rush specialist. Elite talent.
Grade: A
Round 3: NC State DT B.J. Hill – Hill is a natural, athletic defensive tackle. He’ll have to get a little stronger to take on NFL talent, but has a lot of potential and comes to the NFL with a ton of production for the Wolfpack. Could become a serviceable rotational player.
Grade: B+
Round 4: Richmond QB Kyle Lauletta – Some thought Lauletta might sneak into the first round if the run on quarterbacks didn’t stop at Lamar Jackson. So, getting him in the 4th round is a solid value. He and Davis Webb should get a fair competition to become Manning’s successor. Lauletta has a lot more polish than Webb, but I still like Webb’s athleticism and potential.
Grade: C+
Round 5: Miami DT R.J. McIntosh – Another athletic defensive tackle with disruptive potential. But, both of the guys the Giants drafted at DT seem to be projects. Like Hill, McIntosh is a solid athlete who had a productive college career, but will need to hit the weight room to take on NFL talent.
Grade: C+
Overall – The Giants somewhat lucked into their first three picks. Those were easy no-brainers that not only filled needs, but could provide foundational pieces for the future. Barkley, Hernandez, and Carter all three guys who could be starting for this team for years to come. I was extremely high on all three heading into this draft. The defensive tackles are both “project” type of guys, but both have a lot of potential. Then, adding Lauletta, a guy who presents a different skill set than Webb, should make for a hearty competition at quarterback. All around, a solid draft – needs were met, quality was added, and there was still room to take fliers on high-potential guys.
Grade: A
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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