New York Giants: 3-Round 2018 mock draft, top needs

No. 1 need: Quarterback of the future

Eli Manning is going to be an expensive tutor. The Giants have limited options when it comes to moving him, because he’s guaranteed $12 million and has a no-trade clause. So, the Giants aren’t necessarily drafting a quarterback to insert him in 2018, but they are definitely drafting for 2019 and beyond (and perhaps 2018 still, depending on how the chips fall).

Manning is definitely on the back-nine of his career. So it will be prudent for the Giants to draft a quarterback to take them to the promised land. If they take Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson or Baker Mayfield, all of those players need some work and will require time to develop at the professional level. Being the backup for a season would suit all of them.

The Giants are set up perfectly to draft the quarterback they need for the future and have a smooth transition from Manning. They’re in the same situation the Colts were in when they drafted Andrew Luck, but the Giants will do a better job of surrounding their franchise quarterback with talent. It’d be hard for them to hire anyone that was quite as bad at being a competent general manager as Ryan Grigson was.