NASHVILLE -- Giants general manager Dave Gettleman has an incredible opportunity, beginning Thursday night, to rebuild a roster that has won just eight games over the past two seasons during the 2019 NFL Draft. Gettleman, who is armed with 12 picks, believes this is among the strongest class of incoming prospects that he’s seen in his career. “The board is really basically set," Gettleman said last week during his pre-draft press conference. "I am looking at it and we have more players rated as first, second, third or fourth-round values that I have had in any draft. This is my eighth draft as a GM. In terms of the volume of players on the board, this is the thickest.” With needs at offensive tackle, EDGE rusher, cornerback, linebacker, wide receiver and a potential successor for 38-year-old Eli Manning, the Giants’ roster could use an infusion of talent in the starting lineup and lower across the depth chart. Here is a final complete 7-round prediction for which players will make up the Giants’ 2019 draft class: Round 1 Pick No. 6: Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State Haskins is arguably the premier pocket-passer in this year’s draft class, and had a record-setting performance in his lone season at Ohio State. Haskins’ arm-strength, football acumen and his ability to consistently hit on short and intermediate passes could make him an ideal fit for Shurmur’s offense, even if he would benefit from sitting behind Manning in 2019. Pick No. 17: Montez Sweat, EDGE, Mississippi State There’s a chance that Sweat isn’t even available after producing 19 sacks over the past two seasons and 98 total tackles over that span.However, league-wide concerns over a recently discovered heart condition, and the chance that quarterbacks such as Haskins, Duke’s Daniel Jones and Missouri’s Drew Lock could all be chosen in the top-15 picks, Sweat just might slide to the Giants with their second-round pick, or perhaps close enough to trigger a trade up. Round 2 Pick No. 37: Dalton Risner, OT/OG, Kansas State Risner is a versatile, and nasty, offensive lineman with the build and skill-set to play either offensive tackle or guard. A three-year starter at Kansas State, Risner developed into a road grader in the running game and reliable pass protector. If Risner is available when the Giants go on the clock in the second-round, he could be an ideal fit at right tackle, rounding out a two-offseason rebuilt of a once maligned offensive line. Round 3 Pick No. 95: Oshane Ximines, EDGE, Old Dominion The Giants’ 30 sacks last season were the second fewest for a defense, and rebuilding the front-seven is a top priority. A four-year starter at Old Dominion, Ximines created a lot of buzz during the pre-draft process after producing 11.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss as a senior. He’d step in and start immediately for the Giants. Round 4 Pick No. 108: Isaiah Johnson, CB, Houston The Giants’ cornerback depth chart is a mess. Janoris Jenkins will start outside, Grant Haley seemingly has the inside track for the nickel job, but supplemental pick Sam Beal is a virtual unknown after undergoing shoulder surgery that shut him down last season. Johnson is a long and quick cornerback with solid ball-skills, who could push for a starting job opposite Jenkins. Round 4, pick No. 132: Tre Watson, LB, Maryland Giants linebackers coach Bill McGovern put Watson through on-field drills between having dinner with the Maryland linebacker the night before the program’s pro day showcase and meeting again with him afterwards. Watson is a cerebral and tenacious linebacker capable of both leading a defense and having the versatility to play either inside or outside linebacker. A physical playmaker, Watson could push for reps immediately with the upside of potentially developing into a three-down linebacker. Round 5, pick No. 142: Michael Dogbe, DL, Temple Dogbe flashed an explosive first-step in pass-rush drills and an impressive swim-move during Temple’s pro day showcase that people around the program have been raving about as he continues to improve on his flexibility and bend. A three-year starter, Dogbe logged 8.5 career stats -- including a career-high seven in 2018 -- and made 158 total tackles with five forced fumbles. Dogbe impressed the Giants scouts in attendance for his pro day and earned an invite to the team’s local workout. Round 5, pick No. 143: Gary Johnson, LB - Texas Texas’ Gary Johnson is a tenacious downhill linebacker who does a nice job of getting after the quarterback and making plays in the backfield while also holding his own in coverage against running backs and tight ends. A thumper, Johnson is plenty capable of delivering punishing blows that could help set the tone for a revamped Giants’ front-seven. Round 5, pick No. 171: Kevin Givens, DT, Penn State The Giants’ defense has lacked consistent interior pressure the past several seasons, which is a strength of Penn State defensive tackle Kevin Givens’ game. A three-year starter in the middle of the Nittany Lions’ defensive line, Givens produced 10.5 tackles for loss and five sacks in a breakout junior season. Givens has the potential to contribute quality reps immediately as a rotational defensive lineman. Round 6, pick No. 180: Reggie White Jr., WR, Monmouth After trading Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns, the Giants’ receiving corps lacks a vertical threat. The Giants dip into their backyard for Reggie White Jr., who stands 6-foot-2, 208-pounds and caught 71 passes for 1,133 yards and 11 touchdowns during his senior season. Round 7, pick No. 232: Myles Gaskin, RB, Washington Saquon Barkley logged 352 total touches last season, and even the best running teams in the league have complementary backs. Gaskin has the chance to be a special teams standout and change of pace back after averaging 4.9 yards per carry and scoring 12 rushing touchdowns last season. In four collegiate seasons, Gaskin caught 65 passes and scored five receiving touchdowns, which would make him an ideal fit for how running backs are used in Shurmur’s scheme. Round 7, pick No. 245: Byron Cowart, DL, Maryland<doc-sep>It’s also the time of year when many mock drafts begin to look the same, which usually means they’re all wrong! So here’s my one and only 2019 NFL Mock Draft that breaks the mold and doesn’t trust even a little bit these NFL GMs’ abilities to avoid temptation at QB.<doc-sep>No chance. Zero. That is Dave Gettleman’s estimation when it comes to the Giants missing out on a stud defensive player with the No. 6 pick Thursday night in the first round of the NFL draft. There are enough of them ripe for the picking this year, that no matter how the top five selections go, a defensive player capable of stepping in and making an immediate impact for the Giants will be on the board, awaiting the stamp of approval from the general manager. The lousy 5-11 record in 2018 gave this lofty pick to the Giants and they do not need to use it to find their next franchise quarterback. That is because the prize in the gift box from Cleveland in exchange for trading star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the Browns is the No. 17 overall pick in this draft. At 17, the Giants sit on an advantageous launching pad, with the vantage point to move up a few picks to get the successor to Eli Manning — after attending to what far and away is their most pressing need: Landing big-time help for a shabby defense. The deficiencies are glaring at edge rusher, cornerback, coverage ability at linebacker and a difference-maker on the interior of defensive coordinator James Bettcher’s three-man line. Sign up for the Starting Lineup newsletter and submit your NFL draft questions. We’ll answer our favorites weekly until the draft. There is some late buzz/speculation that Josh Allen of Kentucky could fall to the Giants at No. 6, a scenario that feels farfetched, given the NFL’s adoration with pass rushers and Allen’s 17 sacks last season in the Southeast Conference. If Allen is available, figure Gettleman will invent some sort of transportation portal and beam himself directly to Nashville, site of the draft, to triumphantly make the selection in person. Barring that sort of stunner, the Giants realistically should be able to choose from among LSU inside linebacker Devin White, defensive ends Clelin Ferrell of Clemson, Rashan Gary of Michigan and Montez Sweat of Mississippi State or defensive tackle Christian Wilkins of Clemson, or, if he drops, Ed Oliver of Houston. Ferrell at 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds has been compared by some scouts to Chandler Jones. Ferrell had 11.5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss, helping Clemson win a second national championship in three years. Gary looks the part of an NFL star and some of his measurable athletic qualities — he ran 4.67 at 283 pounds — makes him a dream in many ways. What is a bit of a nightmare is his paltry production — he had 9.5 sacks in three years at Michigan and does not have a single deflected pass on his college résumé. Gary’s upside might have made him a slam-dunk pick for Jerry Reese, the former general manager, but Gettleman prefers a blend of talent and productivity. Sweat wowed all who witnessed him run 4.41 at the combine, setting a record for a defensive lineman. He had 12 sacks in 2018 and devoured the offensive linemen asked to block him during the week of Senior Bowl practices. Sweat, though, had issues at Michigan State and landed in junior college before surfacing at Mississippi State. Sweat also was diagnosed with a preexisting heart condition that is considered low-risk, a medical wrinkle that will drop his draft stock in the eyes of some teams. Oliver is this year’s iteration of Aaron Donald, in theory, and likely will be gone by No. 6. Wilkins at 6-3 and 300 pounds is one of the undersized interior linemen making a comeback in the NFL. With the Giants, there would be some duplication with B.J. Hill, a third-round pick last year who started 12 games as a rookie. Wilkins is as clean a prospect as there is, never missing a game in four years at Clemson and attaining Academic All-America status. The real wild card at No. 6 for the Giants is White, a 6-foot, 240-pound inside linebacker — a position many NFL personnel evaluators do not value highly in a draft. White was voted a permanent team captain in his final two years at LSU and has a bold personality that makes him a natural leader. He could become the face of the defense, a fierce competitor to rival Saquon Barkley as the face of the Giants offense. “Love him,’’ Dan Shonka, general manager and national scout for Ourlads’ scouting service, told The Post. “That wouldn’t be too high to take Devin White. You got to have that multiple-purpose linebacker, that guy who can play in space. He can run, he can cover, he can play the run, he can play the pass, he can go sideline to sideline, he never comes off the field. You walk him out in the slot, can play man-to-man. That would be big-time for New York.’’<doc-sep>Flip Reddit 23 Shares The New York Giants have been rumored just about every top 10 player in the 2019 NFL draft ranging from Quinnen Williams to Dwayne Haskins. The expectation is that GM Dave Gettleman will spend the 6th overall pick on a true impact player, which would indicate a defenseman as the draft is stocked with premium pass rushers. The New York Giants could make an interesting move with the 6th pick: However, rumors have bubbled that the Giants could elect to take Duke quarterback Daniel Jones with the first of two first-round picks. This would be a reason for a riot…why? Because Jones is outside the top three quarterbacks in a weak crop and has inadequate numbers to support the claim. Despite those concerns, Jones has a solid arm with above-average athleticism for a passer, which makes him an enticing pick, at No. 17, but certainly not in the top 6. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah explained why the Giants would potentially take Jones over Haskins: “The first question is, it’s a philosophical question of if you’re the Giants, do you take a quarterback at 6, a little bit higher than you’d like, or do you wait at 17 and hope that the one guy you really want is there. I just think you kind of look at the teams for the most part, we’ll see — Lamar Jackson worked out well last year for the Ravens as their second first-round pick, but for the most part teams that have picked a quarterback with their second first-round pick, the Browns have done it three times, it never really worked out,” Jeremiah said. “I just think if you have conviction in a guy and you want a quarterback, there’s no such thing as taking him too early. You take him in the first round, you’re putting your job into his hands anyway, you might as well guarantee you get the one that you want. That’s why quarterback at 6 to me made more sense than 17.? The idea would essentially be – if the Giants are high on a specific quarterback, they shouldn’t hesitate to take them. Selecting an impact player that can change the course of a franchise shouldn’t be a matter of when, but a matter of “how soon.” Why does Jones stand out? With Haskins and Kyler Murray showing effectiveness in only one year of college, Jones has been productive for multiple. The experience and refinement are valuable, but it shouldn’t deter the Giants from taking ‘their’ guy. His abilities are clear and visible on tape, but it’s his potential that worries me the most.<doc-sep>
When NFL Insider Peter King delivers his final mock draft, we tend to take notice. King has been in the business for longer than most current analysts and his mock drafts are based on what he thinks will happen based on conversations with NFL executives rather than his own evaluation of the draft class. This is an important distinction. In his final mock draft of the 2019 season, the Monday before the draft, King predicts the New York Giants will be one of the most active franchises on the first night (Round 1) of the draft. King feels confident the Giants will not budge from the No. 6 overall pick (with their first of two first-round picks) and they will select the best pass rusher (and player) on their big board. We agree with King's prediction and drafting a defensive playmaker was heavily hinted at by general manager Dave Gettleman during his pre-draft press conference. King has Kyler Murray, Nick Bosa, Ed Oliver, Quinnen Williams, and Devin White coming off the board in that order before the Giants use the No. 6 pick on Kentucky outside linebacker/EDGE Josh Allen. "A veteran personnel man who knows Dave Gettleman said the other day, “Dave wants a pass-rusher in the worst way," King said, via PFT and NBC Sports. "He won’t reach for one, but he’ll get one with one his first three picks.” Giants pick 6-17-37, and if they have their heart set on one of the young quarterbacks—Gettleman, as usual, has been a good poker-player here, because even those who know him do not know which quarterback he likes—they should be able to get him at 17. Or, perhaps, if they play their cards right, to trade back up into the low first round with that fifth pick in the second round as bait. (The Rams would love to dump out of the 31st pick.) One other thing Gettleman would figure to love in Allen: No top-prospect rusher is more experienced: He played in 51 college games." King's mock draft gets interesting after the No. 6 pick for the Giants. King believes the Giants will make a trade on draft night, but not in the direction most have predicted for the franchise. King believes the Giants will trade to move back in the first round and acquire additional draft capital. This is King's projected trade, "Houston sends 23rd and 55th picks to Giants for this choice." In this scenario, the Giants would acquire their second of now two third-round draft picks (they also own No. 95 overall via the Cleveland Browns). This would give the Giants three total draft picks on Day 2 -- Friday -- an area they are believed to want to attack in what is considered a very deep draft class -- Gettleman admitted as much in his pre-draft presser. The NFL Draft is just days away and the New York Giants have the most draft capital since 2003. Stay up to date with everything Giants by taking a second to sign up for our FREE New York Giants newsletter! At No. 23, King has the Giants selecting Duke quarterback prospect Daniel Jones. "The Giants could just sit at 17 and pick Jones, or Drew Lock, too," King said. "In my scenario, the Giants get their QB for 2020 and beyond after trading down with Houston … and they pick up a late second-round pick to go after a long-term safety to pair with Jabrill Peppers, or maybe take a shot on the right tackle Gettleman knows he needs. As for Jones the player, there’s a wide disparity in opinion in the man who went 17-19 as a college starter. Very smart, but he doesn’t have the deep arm of the three other first-round candidates. In Bob McGinn’s annual deep dive into the top draft prospects, the veteran scribe quotes a NFL scout saying of Jones: “He reminds me of Ryan Tannehill. There’s just something missing with him.” Damning, but the four first-rounders seem to all have zits this year." According to former NFL scout turned lead NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, Jones to the Giants fits exactly what the new regime has preached and acted on since taking over last January. Long-time NFL talent evaluator Gil Brandt recently said that watching Jones on game film reminded him of what he saw when he watched Peyton Manning on game film during his collegiate career.