There's no other way to put it: Eli Manning is not good. He wasn't good last season, when the Giants limped to three wins, and he wasn't even replacement level in 2016, when the team won 11 games and went to the playoffs. New York's plight isn't all on Manning; the offensive line has been an issue and the defense, which was very good in '16, was a disaster last season. Not a whole lot has changed over the first five weeks of the season.
The point, and it's not an original one: You can make all the excuses you want but a team without a franchise quarterback is a team that will struggle to consistently win football games. Armed with the No. 2 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Giants decided to pass on Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen and Lamar Jackson and instead take running back Saquon Barkley. Barkley has been as good as advertised while Manning has been ... exactly what everyone expected.
Before Sunday's game against the Panthers, Odell Beckham Jr. said in an interview that he "didn't know" if the Giants had a quarterback issue, and when asked if he was happy in New York, called it "a tough question." And while Beckham shouldn't have made those comments publicly, the underlying sentiment isn't wrong. It's why the Giants should seriously consider drafting the quarterback they didn't in 2018. Oregon's Justin Herbert is the top prospect in a thin class but it's October; a lot can change between now and late April.
And because you're wondering, we've ordered the picks based on each team's records this season, then sorted by how they finished in 2017.
Sorry to interrupt your reading, but just a quick PSA here. We have a pretty amazing daily NFL podcast you may not be aware of. It's hosted by Will Brinson and it's all the things you're looking for: news, fantasy, picks, really, just football stuff for football people. Subscribe: via iTunes | via Stitcher | via TuneIn | via Google
Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon. This quarterback class isn't nearly as deep as last year's, and that obviously raises questions about the Giants' decision to take Saquon Barkley second-overall and roll with Eli Manning for another season. But through five weeks, it's crystal clear that Manning's best days are way behind him and delaying the inevitable only squanders the prime years for players like Barkley, Odell Beckham Jr. and Evan Engram.
Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State. The Week 5 loss to the Patriots aside, the Colts defense has been a pleasant surprise this season under Frank Reich. Even though they have 17 sacks (and 10 more than their opponents), there's no way they pass on Bosa here. The Ohio State standout is still sidelined with a groin injury and while he's not quite at the level of his brother, getting, say, 80 percent of Joey Bosa is still a top-2 selection.
Ed Oliver, DT, Houston. Oliver can dominate the line of scrimmage and while he's not an edge rusher he's a difference maker that has drawn comparisons to an Aaron Donald-type player. That may be unfair but there's no denying he'd make the Raiders' suspect defense a lot better.
Jonah Williams, LT, Alabama. Joe Staley is 34 years old and in his 12th season. The 49ers drafted right tackle Mike McGlinchey ninth overall in the spring and it would make sense to bookend him with the best tackle in this draft class, Jonah Williams.
Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State. The Cardinals need a lot of things, including some semblance of an interior pass rush. Simmons provides that and then some, though there may be some off-field issues that affect his draft stock.
Clelin Ferrell, DE, Clemson. Against the Steelers on Sunday the Falcons didn't sack Ben Roethlisberger once and only got their hands on him four times in a game that wasn't as close as the 42-17 final. The takeaway, of course, is that Atlanta is desperate for a pass rusher, even though they have Vic Beasley and Takk McKinley -- both former first-rounders -- on the roster.
Greedy Williams, CB, LSU. Williams has all the attributes you look for in a shutdown corner (at least the 2018 version of it in today's offensive-geared NFL). With former first-rounder Kevin Johnson sidelined with an injury and 34-year-old Jonathan Joseph seeing regular snaps, Williams makes sense here.
D.K Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss. At 6-4, 225 pounds, Metcalf is a huge downfield target for Sam Darnold who can also run past defenders. He excels on deep balls (though, to be fair, this is a function of playing in Ole Miss' offense) and would be a welcome addition to a passing attack that already includes Robby Anderson and Quincy Enunwa.
Raekwon Davis, DT, Alabama. After giving up a mind-blowing 323 yards on the ground to the Jets in Week 5, which works out to 8.5 yards per carry, the Broncos might want to consider bolstering the middle of their defensive. With the defensive line crop as deep as its been in years, Davis would be an immediate difference-maker on a unit that includes first-rounders Von Miller, Bradley Chubb and Shane Ray.
Rashan Gary, DL, Michigan. And another defensive linemen comes off the board. The Lions are coming off a huge win over the Packers but their run defense remains a liability. Gary can play anywhere along the defensive line and would be a much welcome addition to a unit that ranked 27th going into Week 5, according to Football Outsiders.
Brian Burns, DE, Florida State. Sean McDermott deserves serious consideration for Coach of the Year; the Bills are somehow 2-3 despite having one of the league's least-inspiring rosters. Burns, who plays for a bad Florida State team, already has seven sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss this season, and would bring an imposing presence to the defensive line.
Yodny Cajuste, OT, West Virginia. Russell Wilson has been sacked 18 times in five games and the offensive line ranks near the bottom in both pass protection and run blocking.
Kelvin Harmon, WR, NC State. Because the Cowboys can't draft a head coach here they're going to get the big-play receiver they forgot all about during the 2018 season. The team was right to part ways with Dez Bryant but when Cole Beasley is your receptions leader through five weeks, something has gone horribly wrong. Harmon is a big, playmaking target, which is exactly what Dak Prescott is missing.
Kris Boyd, CB, Texas. Jalen Mills has been repeatedly toasted this season and Boyd has had an impressive senior season to date. He might be one of the most polished draft-eligible cornerbacks though we certainly have a long way to go in the evaluation process.
Deionte Thompson, S, Alabama. What do you get one of the league's most exciting young teams with first round picks at nearly every defensive position? Another first-rounder, this time at safety where Thompson joins 2017 first-round safety Jabrill Peppers. Greg Williams already has this unit playing like their possessed and that'll only intensify with Thompson roaming the secondary.
Montez Sweat, DE, Mississippi State. The Bucs' pass rush has improved with the additions of Vinny Curry and Jason Pierre-Paul but Sweat could be a special talent, and one that will immediately earn playing time on a defense that currently ranks dead last in the NFL.
Mack Wilson, LB, Alabama. Wilson is an every-down, sideline-to-sideline player and the latest big-play linebacker to come out of Alabama. He'd replace the reliable but unspectacular Blake Martinez in Green Bay.
Jachai Polite, EDGE, Florida. At first glance, Polite looks like James Harrison if he had dreadlocks and grew a couple of inches. Watch a while longer and it's clear that Polite is a disruptive presence off the edge and has the game-changing abilities. The Steelers love T.J. Watt and while Bud Dupree continues to grow into his role, you can never have enough top-shelf pass rushers.
Dalton Risner, OT, Kansas State. The Vikings' offensive line, which was a concern coming into the season, has been replacement level through five games. If not for Kirk Cousins completing one contested throw after another against the Eagles, the Vikings probably lose that game.
Drew Lock, QB, Missouri. Lock looks like an NFL quarterback. The problem is you don't know if you're getting the guy who dominated Purdue earlier in the season or the one that bumbled his way through a loss to South Carolina last week. Either way, Ryan Tannehill doesn't appear to be the long-term an answer in Miami.
Devin White, LB, LSU. The Chargers found a gem in the secondary in rookie first-rounder Derwin James and they'll hope to do the same at linebacker with White, who might be one of the best athletes in college football.
Noah Fant, TE, Iowa. Marcus Mariota desperately needs playmakers and Fant fits the bill. After losing Delanie Walker for the season, the pass-catching tight end has become all but extinct in Tennessee. Fant fixes that.
Quinnen Williams, DL, Alabama. How deep is Alabama's bench? Williams played behind Da'Ron Payne last season and the redshirt sophomore has been impressive over the first half of the season. So impressive, in fact, that if he continues along this trajectory he could find himself among the first 32 players drafted. Williams also looks like a Ravens defender, one who would fit in nicely with one of the league's top units.
Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State. From the perspective of October, it's probably a stretch to think three quarterbacks go in the first round, but Haskins has been quietly impressive this season, which is something you can't say about Blake Bortles, whose biggest enemy continues to be ... Blake Bortles. Is this the year the Jaguars finally decide to find his replacement?
J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, WR, Stanford. In the Mike Evans mold, Acega-Whiteside would complement Phillip Dorsett, Chris Hogan and Julian Edelman, and would offer insurance against another Josh Gordon slip-up. He'd also make life easier for Rob Gronkowski, who regularly draws double-teams.
A.J. Brown, WR, Ole Miss. The Redskins would love Arcega-Whiteside but Brown isn't a bad consolation prize. The team lacks a legit downfield threat and Brown solves that problem.
Zach Allen, DE, Boston College. It's hard to envision a situation where the Raiders don't take at least one pass rusher with their two 2019 first-round picks.
Kaden Smith, TE, Stanford. Greg Olsen is 33 and has been hobbled by injuries the last two seasons. Smith would give Cam Newton a reliable middle-of-the-field option just as Olsen did consistently during his first eight seasons in Carolina.
Greg Little, OT, Ole Miss. Aaron Rodgers has been sacked 16 times this season and that's not a sustainable game plan if he really does plan to play several more years. Little has been good but not great over the first half of the season but he has all the attributes scouts look for in an NFL-ready offensive lineman.
Deandre Baker, CB, Georgia. The Bengals had a stretch from 2012-2016 when they drafted a cornerback in the first round every other draft. They haven't taken one in the last two years so that means they're due. It also means their defense will likely remain among the AFC's best for the foreseeable future.
Jerry Tillery, DL, Notre Dame. The NFL's worst defense needs help, well, everywhere. The defensive line is currently dead last against the run and not much better against the pass. Tillery is almost impossible to move and can regularly collapse the pocket.
Dre'Mont Jones, DT, Ohio State. The best pass-rushing defensive tackle in the draft joins a Rams defense whose secondary was occasionally exposed against the Seahawks. A defensive back's best friend is a consistent pass rush.