When the request was passed on by his head coach, John Mara knew what was at stake. The Giants co-owner will not be enlisted unless it is a high priority courtship, and this is certainly qualified.
The Giants were on the trail of wide receiver Kenny Golladay, and coach Joe Judge, after extensive discussions and encounters with the player, suggested that Mara, who cuts the checks with Steve Tisch and ultimately signs all the deals, make a personal appointment. . connection with Golladay.
Mara knew the price would be high and the stakes were huge, as far as ticking the top priority box at free agency. He knew, just as importantly, what the addition of Golladay meant for the team’s approach on April 29 during the first round of the NFL draft, and also the next day in Round 2.
“I felt a sense of urgency,” said Mara. ‘We didn’t want to lose him. We thought he would be an essential part of what we want to achieve in the future. To have a receiver with those skills in addition to the guys we already have, we thought it would be a huge piece for us.
“It also takes the pressure off us to get in the draft. We don’t have to take a receiver in round 1 or round 2, we can sit there and just take the best player available when it comes to our spot. I think that’s another reason why it was so important to us. ”
Mara has sat – and walked – in so many draft rooms over the years that he knows how different it is when the Giants are on the clock and can make a choice from a strong position, without a well-advertised and eye-catching hole to be filled. The priority, after last season’s 6-10 showing for a franchise saddled with the NFL’s No. 31 scoring violation: add playmakers – guys who are dangerous and productive with the ball in their hands. This would give Daniel Jones a fighting chance to prove his worth as a quarterback.
Taking into account the recipient’s free agent landscape, the seemingly limited resources for the Giants’ salary ceiling, and the plethora of chances of catching passes coming out of college, it thought the big money available would be spent improving the pass rush through a cornerback or upgrading the offensive line. The number 11 choice in the design was ostensibly aimed at a receiver. With Golladay on board, the handcuffs are off and the Giants are free to go in different directions early in the draft.
Of course, they can still choose a wide receiver, although that’s a much less desperate requirement now. If they believe one of Alabama’s two stallions, Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith, will make a difference, it makes sense to double the position. Besides Golladay, Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton are capable players, but do both have the long-term potential of Waddle or Smith? One of those two Crimson Tide talents should be there for the Giants.
The signing of cornerback Adoree ‘Jackson gives the Giants a starter on the outside to pair up with James Bradberry, but there’s no such thing as’ we’ve got enough’ in that position. One of the two top corners in this design, Caleb Farley or Patrick Surtain II, should be on the board at number 11. Both would instantly blow the talent level of an already intriguing young defensive backfield.
Despite their belief in their young players, it feels like the Giants are at least one talented offensive lineman who doesn’t deserve the right to feel confident in this group. Penei Sewell will likely be gone by 11am, but Rashawn Slater may be available – and he would immediately challenge Matt Peart to the starting right tackle job or enter as a deadly guard.
If the Giants are adamant about upgrading their pass rush – in a year when edge rushers aren’t abundant – there will be options at No. 11. Kwity Paye, Micah Parsons, Jaelan Phillips, Jayson Oweh and Gregory Rousseau all have clear strengths and some weaknesses, but they would all make defensive play and give coordinator Patrick Graham another weapon to work with.
Even after the free flight, Mara stressed, “We are certainly not a finished product by any imagination,” and pointed to the design as the next testing ground. By signing Golladay and Jackson, the Giants can go in with a clear head, which usually leads to healthier choices.