Prior to last week’s NFL Draft, Giants GM Dave Gettleman made light of the fact that he had never traded down in the past…and so, when he actually did so not once but twice in the first two days of the Draft, he had to crow about it again to the media in his end-of-day Zooms.
So, when he joined Moose & Maggie on WFAN on Monday, of course they asked Gettleman about becoming Dealin’ Dave, and he had another laugh about it before giving a simple synopsis of why the Giants selected at No. 20 instead of No. 11.
“I had this crazy idea you don’t trade just to trade, there has to be legitimate value behind it. This year I had to prove I could do it, but part of me didn’t want to do that, because then you’d still have something to talk about next year!” the Giants GM laughed. “But here, opportunity met need – just like in a murder case, we had means, motive, and opportunity. It happened, it worked out, and I’m glad we did it.”
The GM also noted that the Bears’ offer was “unbelievable,” and it helped them actually get two players they loved – the latter coming when they were able to use the fifth-round pick they got as part of a package to move up in the third round and select UCF cornerback Aaron Robinson.
“Only time will tell what next year’s picks will be, but the extra pick this year allowed us to move up in the third round and get Aaron Robinson, which was big for us,” Gettleman said.
And with that No. 20 pick, the Giants landed Florida wide receiver Kadarius Toney, whom they are very excited about.
“A guy like Toney affects your offense on a number of levels. He’s a tough kid who will help us,” Gettleman said. “Like every player, everyone has to earn the right to play, but I think he will.”
As it relates to that deal overall, though, Moose & Maggie specifically asked if the Giants had called the Cowboys, thinking the Eagles might want DeVonta Smith (which is exactly how it turned out) – Gettleman flat out said no, and even if the team did covet Smith, he’s just one piece of the puzzle.
“I was happy with where we were at, and we had other options. You can guess and have a feeling, but at the end of the day, it’s if you’re comfortable with what you want to do,” Gettleman said. “Due to the uniqueness of football, everybody is going to play, so I don’t subscribe to the one player theory; I subscribe to get as many quality players as you can and let’s go, so I’m thrilled we have Kadarius.”
So how would Gettleman evaluate the Giants’ draft overall?
“No GM after the draft is going to sit here and say it was awful! We felt very good, and with grades, beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” Gettleman said, adding this warning: “You’re not gonna know for three years what your draft class is like, so I guess in we’ll see. In three years, we’ll know if we drafted well.”
That last quote was part of Gettleman explaining that he thinks in today’s NFL, the old adage that a player makes his biggest jump from Year to Year 2 has moved back a year, with the big jump now coming between Years 2 and 3.
“That used to be the common perception, but now, with the style of play they use at the college level, where it’s scheme over fundamentals, the biggest jumps come from Year 2 to Year 3,” he said. “For instance, you have offensive linemen you draft high, who have never been in a three-point stance.”
Oh, and as for another question about why the Giants didn’t add to the offensive line with any of their 10 picks?
“We rushed for 164 yards against Seattle, and did a lot of good things as the season progressed with the line, but the perception persists this group is not good enough. Obviously, we have a different opinion,” Gettleman said. “We have a number of young, talented players, nut again, it’s learning how to play the NFL game, where every week you’re going to play a guy who is trying to rip your lungs out.”
Gettleman likened that to how, in any profession (and he specifically mentioned media), not everyone is at the top of their game right away, and has to learn the ins and outs of the trade. That’s especially true going back to his thought on the college game he said, and the Giants saw big improvement in the three linemen they did draft in 2020.
“We all have to learn and become professionals in our field. These young kids are talented who have to learn how to play, and they did plenty of things last year to learn,” Gettleman said. “I’m not looking for an offensive line that’s good enough; these guys have the ability to be really good. The other part is that if the value is not there, you can’t force the pick. What happens more often than not is you reach for a guy, and then you’re mad from the jump. “
You can listen to Gettleman’s entire appearance on Moose & Maggie below!
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