Joe Judge's first NFL Draft as New York Giants head coach is in the books, and he is setting the tone early with his rookies.
Judge said he told first-round pick Andrew Thomas not to ever speak of the Super Bowl to the media after he told Giants college scouting director Chris Pettit that he was "trying to win that Super Bowl."
"You talk about coming up here, getting work, putting your head down and improving," Judge told Thomas, according to ESPN's Sal Paolantonio. "That's all you have to worry about."
Judge's message was the same to every draft pick, and it stood out to Giants co-owner John Mara, who made a lofty comparison of his rookie head coach.
"It almost sounds like something Tom Coughlin or Bill Parcells would have said, to be honest," Mara told Steve Serby of the New York Post.
In fact, Mara had plenty of praise for both Judge and GM Dave Gettleman — who entered the draft on the hot seat — and the way they worked together.
"It was terrific, they had great communication," Mara said, per Serby. "There's a lot of discussions, a lot of meetings, and I was really pleased with the way the whole team operated. They obviously respect one another, and I was very pleased with how it all worked out. You never know how that's gonna work out with a new head coach …. I thought it went far more smoothly than I ever could have imagined."
The Giants honed in on the offensive line woes throughout the draft, using three picks on offensive linemen, and it was something Mara was also pleased to see.
"I do believe we're on the right path," he said. "But I'm sure our fans are saying, 'I've heard you sat that before.' So until we start winning games, I understand there's gonna be some doubt. But I do feel good about where we are right now."
