We are just a few days away until the kickoff of the 2017 NFL Draft in Philadelphia. The talk around the New York Giants is that the team may end up taking a quarterback in the early rounds.
It is unlikely that the Giants will get one of the bigger names expected to go early. By the time the Giants are picking, Mitchell Trubisky and DeShaun Watson are likely to be off the board and it is likely that Patrick Mahomes could be gone before then as well.
Nevertheless, if the Giants are serious about looking for a successor for Eli Manning, the 2017 NFL Draft may be the time to do it. Especially with the expectation that a ton of quarterbacks will be off the board within the first two rounds.
A few weeks ago, the talk was DeShone Kizer, whom the Giants scouted and had shown some interest. However, Kizer’s head coach from Notre Dame in Brian Kelly might have hurt Kizer’s value when he said he should have stayed in school and waited to become a pro.
If the Giants end up getting scared off from that and decide to pass on Kizer, or if Kizer is already gone by the time the Giants are picking in either the first or second round, then the Giants may be turning to someone like California quarterback Davis Webb.
Scouts are viewing Webb as not being as polished as players like Watson, Mahomes or Trubisky are. Webb is more of a project type than a lock to start next season like some of the others.
However, for the Giants case, that might be just fine since they do not need a quarterback immediately. Manning still has three years left on his deal. By the looks of it, he is not showing any signs of slowing down.
So if the Giants were to use their second round pick, being that they use the first rounder on an offensive lineman or tight end, on someone like Webb, it sets them up for the future. In their NFL Draft predictions for quarterbacks, Bleacher Report had Webb going to the Giants. Nevertheless, they did not have them taking Webb until Round 2.
By taking Webb in the second round, it puts a plan in place. That plan would be to have Webb sit and learn the offense and learn from a future Hall of Famer in Manning. When Manning and the Giants part ways, Webb would then be in place to take the reins.
Right now, he has the physical build to be an NFL starter at 6’4″ and 220 pounds. His accuracy is something that would need to improve once he gets to the pros. He was at 61 percent this past season in California, which was not terrible, but it could be better.
Davis Webb’s arm is considered very live and a strong one. Which is likely what the Giants would be looking at. Having a receiver to throw to in Odell Beckham Jr. makes for a nice landing spot for a young quarterback. With Beckham and Sterling Shepard as solid targets, Webb’s transition from college to pros could be an easier one.
If the Giants really do think that this is the time to start looking at life after Eli Manning, then Davis Webb could be the person they view as that possible successor.
Life after Eli Manning is something that scares many Giants fans. Quite honestly, they have a right to feel that way. It took almost 11 years to find the next franchise quarterback after Phil Simms retired. From Dave Brown to Danny Kanell, to Kent Graham, to Kerry Collins. Then briefly, Kurt Warner, before life with Manning.
Maybe Davis Webb can make that life a little easier. Especially, if he develops into the pro some think he can be.