The New York Giants will not be looking for a new starting quarterback this season, as Daniel Jones has signed a four-year, $160 million contract extension. Should the Giants still try to draft one later this month?
No. 1 in Round 1. Perhaps the inverse is true. In the unlikely event that one of the four top quarterback prospects falls that far, general manager Joe Schoen may trade down from the Giants’ No. 25 pick. Take the Los Angeles Rams, for example. The Rams, as usual, do not have a first-round pick this year, but they are ranked 36th in Round 2. They currently have only Matthew Stafford, 35, under contract, who is recovering from a spinal cord contusion and possible concussion.
Could they?
Some people believe that the Giants should use their second round pick on a player like Hendon Hooker. It’s unlikely, but not outlandish.
Hooker’s stock has risen and fallen in recent months, as draftniks lusted after his rocket arm while fretting about his age, ACL tear, and the limitations of the Tennessee offense in which he played. Consensus big boards currently have him ranked in the second round, right around where the Giants will draft him after having him as a fourth-round pick as recently as February:
Hooker is said to be very interested in the Giants, who have already met with him and will host him as one of their 30 permitted prospect visits:
The Giants still have a number of significant roster needs, only one of which can be addressed in Round 1: a true No. 1 wide receiver, a cornerback, and a center. If the draft falls their way, they’ll almost certainly try to address another one of these in Round 2. If Hooker falls to No. 57, the Giants have several reasons to select him:
If they believe Hooker can be an elite NFL quarterback and subscribe to the best player available philosophy, especially when that player is of high positional value.
While they have committed to Jones, if the worst happens, they can get out of his contract after two years with only $18 million in dead money.
