A contingent of New York Giants front office executives spent Saturday observing University of Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert.
General manager Dave Gettleman, vice president of football operations Kevin Abrams, and scout Jeremy Breit watched Herbert lead the Ducks against Pac-12 foe Utah in Salt Lake City. The 6-foot-6, 240-pound Herbert went 20-of-33 for 288 yards and three touchdowns in the 32-25 Oregon loss.
Herbert, a junior and three-year starter, is projected to be the top quarterback in the 2019 NFL Draft should he decide to enter. Reports surfaced last month he is leaning towards returning for his senior season with the Ducks. Herbert dismissed the reports, saying he will decide his future after the season ends.
Currently, the 1-7 Giants and 1-8 Oakland Raiders are in the running for the No. 1 overall pick. The Raiders have three-time Pro Bowler Derek Carr behind center so they may not be in the market for a quarterback, though rumors of the Silver and Black potentially shipping Carr to the Meadowlands exist.
This due diligence is nothing new. The Giants did their homework on the four quarterbacks taken within the first 10 picks of the 2018 NFL Draft (Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen). Ultimately, the Giants selected running back Saquon Barkley with the second overall pick after Mayfield was taken first by the Cleveland Browns.
The Giants are looking for Eli Manning’s successor. He is in his 15th NFL season and will turn 38 on Jan. 3.
On one hand, Manning has the highest completion percentage of his career (215-of-315, 68.3 percent) to go along with 2,377 yards, eight touchdowns, and six interceptions. Unfortunately, Manning has taken two steps back with his play. He often has the appearance of a punch-drunk prizefighter because he’s been sacked an NFL-leading 31 times entering Week 10.
Manning is sixth all-time in completions (4,639) and passing yards (54,049). His 347 passing touchdowns are eighth in NFL history. Despite these Canton-worthy stats (and the two Super Bowls, two Super Bowl MVPs, and four Pro Bowl selections), Manning is just two games over .500 for his career (112-110). He’s been sacked a total of 390 times, fourth among active players and 15th all-time. He is also the active leader in career interceptions with 234 (14th all-time).
Head coach Pat Shurmur refused to guarantee that Manning will start after Monday night’s road game against the San Francisco 49ers.
The Giants have two other quarterbacks on the roster: journeyman Alex Tanney and rookie Kyle Lauletta. Tanney, who celebrated his 31st birthday Sunday, has played in just one NFL regular season game. Lauletta was a fourth-round pick whose NFL debut may have been put on hold after his arrest during a traffic stop nearly two weeks ago.
The Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, and Seattle Seahawks also had scouts at the Oregon/Utah game, according to KEZI Sports.
– Curtis Rawls is a Managing Editor for Full Press Coverage and covers the NFL, the New York Giants, and the NBA. Please like and follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Twitter. Curtis can be followed on Twitter @CuRawls203.
