New York Giants: Early-round targets in 2019 NFL Draft

The New York Giants are trudging their way through a miserable 2-7 campaign. Here we take a look at some early round targets in the 2019 NFL Draft.

As the New York Giants slog through the rest of this forgettable 2018 season, it’s time to take an early look towards the 2019 NFL Draft.

Big Blue should have a top-five pick with the way things are going, so what will their focus be in the opening two rounds of the annual extravaganza?

Here’s a quick peek at the players who should be at the top of the Giants board in the first two rounds.

First Round: Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon

The G-Men passed on drafting their signal-caller of the future last year, but they can select the heir apparent to Eli Manning this time around. Now there is a chance that Justin Herbert will stay for his senior season with the Ducks in 2019. However, if he enters the draft, he’ll most likely be the first quarterback selected, and the Giants will pounce on him.

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Herbert has excellent size (6-6, 233 pounds) and possesses the arm strength to make all the throws necessary to be successful in the NFL. His height gives him the ability to process and choose passing lanes effectively and his athleticism provides him with the ability to scramble to avoid pressure.

With that being said, Herbert has a tendency to have happy feet in the pocket. That leads to bad decisions from time to time. His stats are a little disappointing compared to 2017 — his completion percentage has dropped from 67.5 in 2017 to 59.4 this year. While he has fired a career-high 25 touchdown passes this season, his passer efficiency rating has dipped from 167.5 to 148.8.

Herbert is far from perfect and needs more time to develop but he projects to be a franchise quarterback down the road.

Second Round: Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida

With a new quarterback in the fold, the Giants will need someone to help protect him in the pocket and the 6-5, 339-pound Jawaan Taylor fits the bill. The junior standout has tremendous size and quick feet for such a big man. He’s athletic and is known to be a strong pass blocker.

Taylor projects as a right tackle and is improving with each game for the Gators as a run blocker at the point of attack. He needs to be more consistent though. His ceiling is pretty high and Big Blue desperately needs to revamp their disappointing offensive line heading into 2019. Taylor can step right in and take over for Chad Wheeler next season and give the G-Men a potential Pro Bowler in the near future.