New York Giants: Should Gareon Conley Be Considered If He Falls?

Cornerback Gareon Conley could be a steal for the New York Giants, but the club can’t afford to take a flier on him this week.

It was only a couple of days ago that it appeared the New York Giants had no chance of selecting cornerback Gareon Conley in the 2017 NFL Draft unless the team traded up to acquire his services. Walter Football and CBS Sports mock drafts all predicted earlier this week Conley would be drafted before the Giants used pick No. 23 on Thursday night. And New York has no need, on paper, to trade up for any defensive back in this class.

The situation regarding Conley’s draft status changed dramatically on Tuesday, however, when it was learned a 23-year-old woman has accused him of raping her in a downtown Cleveland hotel earlier this month. As explained by ESPN.com, Conley has not yet been charged with a crime, and his attorney denied the allegations while speaking with WOIO-TV in Cleveland. That same ESPN post also claims witnesses, friends of Conley, told police “nothing happened” between the player and the accuser.

Per NFL.com, no warrant has been issued regarding the matter as of late Tuesday afternoon. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported police have not yet spoken with Conley, and also that Conley will not attend the draft. Dane Brugler of CBS Sports Tweeted on Tuesday it “seems unlikely a resolution will be found” in the investigation before the start of the draft on Thursday evening.

As it pertains only to football-related matters and overall talent, the Giants landing Conley with the No. 23 selection would potentially be the steal of the draft. Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com wrote in early March “several people I spoke with this afternoon feel (Conley’s) a better player than (New York CB) Eli Apple.” Apple, like Conley, attended Ohio State, and he impressed throughout the second half of his rookie campaign.

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Earlier this month, Ed Valentine of Big Blue View wrote he believed cornerback was a “medium to low” priority for the Giants in the upcoming draft because of who is already in the team’s secondary, while at the same time expressing his belief that “NFL defenses can never have enough quality cornerbacks.” Conley has the size and physical skills needed to start for a Super Bowl contender such as the Giants this September, and drafting him would give the club some interesting options between now and the fall’s trade deadline.

At what point, if any, would the risks that will come with drafting Conley be worth any possible rewards for the Giants? Assuming Conley does drop to the second half of the draft’s first round — it’s possible, and maybe even a guarantee — he will be the top prospect on the board when the Giants are called to the podium on Thursday. Even if New York passes on him in the first round, those making important decisions for the club may feel they need to revisit his status if he remains available through April 29.

Once it became known Conley is being accused of sexual assault, both Rapoport and Brugler compared him to Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman La’el Collins. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk did the same when writing about Conley’s situation for a piece that was published on Tuesday morning (it was unknown Conley was the accused player when Florio’s piece went public):

"Two years ago, Collins was questioned in connection with a murder. Because he wasn’t cleared from involvement before the draft, he tumbled completely out of the draft, even though he was never accused, arrested, or charged with any crime."

Like Collins, Conley has a first-round draft grade because of talent, but teams nevertheless may pass because so much remains unknown. There will likely be pockets of fans, beat reporters and national observers who will criticize any team that takes a flier on a player accused of sexual assault weeks before the draft. Add in that a franchise that either drafts or signs Conley would have to immediately part ways with him if he is officially charged with a crime at some point down the road, and securing his rights now probably isn’t worth it.

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Like every other NFL team, the Giants have several days to learn all they can about Conley and about these serious allegations before placing any value on him. That’s simply not enough time, even for somebody who could be an All-Pro in the near future. Barring a significant change in the story that involves Conley being cleared of all wrongdoing, the Giants cannot take a chance on him this week.

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