The New York Giants traded their fourth-round pick (No. 116) and their sixth-round pick (No. 187) to the Arizona Cardinals to move up six spots for the 110th-overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft. Then, they used their newly-acquired fourth-round selection to add… a quarterback?!?
Yes, Syracuse’s Ryan Nassib is a great talent. He represents wonderful value for any team in need of a quarterback that could develop into a starter down the road. The Giants are not that team.
Nassib provides quality insurance, sure. But the Giants already have two backups behind Eli Manning (who, incidentally, has played in 135 consecutive games). They didn’t need this rookie and, although some are trying to spin it kindly, the pick was a waste.
GM Jerry Reese has done a spectacular job of putting together a Giants roster that has won two Super Bowls in the past six years. His work signing free agents and finding undrafted studs is unparalleled by any other general manager in the NFL. But he still deserves some flak for picking Nassib.
The Giants need depth at linebacker, cornerback and running back. There were plenty of options to address those needs in the fourth round instead of taking a quarterback — who Reese admitted he hopes never sees the field.
Nor do the rest of the Giants faithful. So why take him?
The assumed goal is to trade Nassib for some big value (players, picks, money) down the line, much like the way the Green Bay Packers were able to score on Matt Flynn and the New England Patriots on Matt Cassel. In theory, it’s not a terrible idea.
The former Orangeman could certainly benefit from learning the game from Manning in a pro-style, high-profile Giants offense. The Giants’ coaches are among the best to learn from. However, there’s no way to guarantee Nassib ever sees the football field. And if he never sees the field, why in the world would any team go big to acquire him in the future?
Many thought teams would come calling for the Patriots’ Ryan Mallett the past two seasons. They haven’t. Much of that likely has to do with the fact that they have little film from which to garner interest.
If the same thing happens with Nassib, or if he does not end up being anything like what draft experts expected, how have the Giants profited from this pick?
And what about Nassib, who may have benefited (I use that term loosely) from landing with a team like the Oakland Raiders? They need a franchise quarterback and selected former Arkansas gunslinger Tyler Wilson two picks later. There’s no room for Nassib to move up within the Giants organization and he may never see enough playing time to earn his way to a starting job for a team elsewhere.
To Reese’s credit, the Syracuse alumnus is one of the better quarterbacks in this year’s draft class. That’s why many had him mocked in the first or second round to the Buffalo Bills.
He is a tough, physical player with ideal mobility for the quarterback position. He shows great zip on his passes and can squeeze the football through the tightest of windows. His footwork can get sloppy however, and this takes a toll on his accuracy. He needs to work on leading his receiver.
Fortunately for the Giants, Nassib has shown consistent progression since his freshman season at Syracuse. He is a gym rat who works hard to make the improvements required to be a successful football player.
His potential is the only factor keeping this pick from receiving a failing grade. If Nassib develops into a stud and the Giants get a second-rounder or better in the near future for him, Reese proves all the detractors wrong again. It wouldn’t be the first time.
Grade: D. For now, give Reese the benefit of the doubt that he knows what he’s doing. This pick is a head-scratcher though… there were better options on the board at the time.
Louis Musto is a reporter and sports talk host for the Sports Journey Broadcast Network. You can follow him on Twitter @LouisMusto.