Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive

Eli Manning is not going to play forever, even though it sometimes feels that way. And though the Giants won't dismiss the idea of him still being their quarterback in 2020, their ideal scenario remains finding his successor right now.

So who can they get? For this year, there seem to be only six possibilities, using either of their two picks in the first round of the NFL Draft, or maybe through a trade. Here's an early ranking of the contenders based on the likelihood that they'll end up as the Giants' guy:

1. Josh Rosen - Is he even available? The Giants weren't sure as of last week, and the suspicion is that any move by the Cardinals to really shop Rosen won't happen until closer to the draft. Until then, all everyone is left with are rumors that they're taking Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray No. 1. If they do - and only if they do - they'll deal Rosen. The Patriots and Chargers are reportedly interested too. It's hard to believe the Giants' third-round pick (95th overall) would be enough to get him, but their second-round pick (37th) could do it. That's a steal for a franchise quarterback. And many people around the league think that A) he will be available at some point and B) the Giants could get him for that price.

2. Dwayne Haskins - The Giants have dug into Haskins a lot since this process began and they seem to be impressed with everything they've found. The 6-3, 231-pounder is the best pocket-passer in the draft, has a big arm, is smart and charismatic would seem to be a good face of the franchise. Do the Giants like him enough to take at six? That's still unknown, but if they do take a quarterback there he'd be the likely choice. The Ohio State product won't be around at 17. The Giants seem to be leaning towards taking a defensive player at six, but he's too big of a talent to rule out yet.

3. Daniel Jones - A lot of people around the league suddenly think the Giants are the perfect match for Jones, though that might be because of the easy comparisons to Eli Manning since both were coached by David Cutcliffe (Manning at Ole Miss, Jones at Duke). Jones is big (6-5, 221) and polished and scouts love his accuracy even though his arm strength isn't in the top tier. Some do think he's more of a Round 2 prospect, but quarterbacks tend to rise late and it only takes one team to like him. The Giants and Pat Shurmur have had a long relationship with Cutcliffe, and if his recommendation is strong enough that could sway the Giants to be that one team.

4. Drew Lock - Generally he's thought to be a better talent than Jones and a better fit at 17. Some think he's much more likely to land in the Top 10. The 6-4, 228-pounder draws more comparisons to Jay Cutler than Eli Manning. He's got a big arm, but scatters the ball a little much for the taste of some. It's hard to say if the Giants think they can rein in those tendencies. Someone will, though, and his skills might mean he'll be gone somewhere between the Giants' two picks.

5. Kyler Murray - They have done their due diligence on Murray, but an organization that has long been married to measurables still seems unlikely to gamble an early pick on a 5-10 quarterback. There also still seems to be a pretty good chance that Murray either goes No. 1 to the Cards, No. 4 to the Raiders, or a team trades up with the Jets to No. 3 to grab him. If he's sitting there would the Giants grab him? Not over Haskins. Probably not over a top defender. Regardless, the world will likely never get the chance to know.

6. Will Grier - A bit of a dark horse at 17, but the Giants seem to have him in their group of top quarterbacks in this draft, even though many scouts think he's a Day 2 talent. He's got good size (6-2, 217). He's incredibly confident, bordering on cocky, but his teammates apparently loved him. He can be a bit of a gambler with his throws. He really struggled at the Senior Bowl, which the Giants (and Shurmur) put a lot of stock in. There's a lot to like, though, if they look beyond that week.

Popular in the Community