Gettleman's responsibility

I wanted to just narrow this down in terms of the specific responsibility of Gettleman when it relates to draft picks. I know there is a healthy back and forth debate in the pinned thread, but some of the points are getting lost in the enormity of the thread.

No, Gettleman can not foresee a draft pick committing armed robbery or similar felonies. Is that the bar, though?

Most of us understand that 1st round picks, in particular, are more crucial to getting right because of the high investment in terms of dollars in these picks, but also because of the most often overlooked factor...the opportunity cost of getting it wrong. In any draft, when you are picking in that top 40 or 50 players, and you really whiff, there is still likely to be a pretty good concentration of players that are real talents that went off the board behind you.

The point is, the Giants didn't NEED to trade back up in the first round, but they used an extra 4th and 5th rounder to do so, to go with #37 overall. That's three picks expended for DeAndre Baker. And the point is, while there was nothing in his draft profile that said "future violent felon," what was in his draft profile were character flags, work ethic issues, not intelligent, didn't take the pre-draft process seriously, didn't test at the combine well, average size, average speed for the position, poor hands, scheme-specific (zone coverage not a strength). And I won't ignore the positives, either...he only allowed 1 TD I believe in his college career...ultimate competitor, highly confident, swagger, rises to the challenge, an "island" type of corner, Jim Thorpe Award winner.

But I posted this in the other thread...here are the CBs that went off the board following the #30 pick:

Player------------Overall Pick # Drafted
Byron Murphy--#33
Rock Ya-Sin--#34
Sean Murphy-Bunting--#39 (All-Rookie Team for the Bucs taken after Giants 2nd round pick at #37 they traded up from).
Trayvon Mullen--#40
JoeJuan Williams--#45
Greedy Williams--#46
Lonnie Johnson--#54

That's plenty of talent at the position. They could've still traded up and taken Byron Murphy, who was Sy's guy. They could've stayed put and taken Sean Murphy-Bunting, who was taken just two picks after #37, the pick we moved up from. Murphy-Bunting made the All-Rookie Team and had a tremendous year for the Bucs, 3 INTs (with a pick-6) and a FF, 8 passes defensed. And there of course were the other corners.

So did it make sense to spend those picks on a trade up there? My thoughts last year were that they should trade up...back into the top 50 with the extra picks they had...get an extra 2nd. I certainly realize the extra value in the 5th year option, but there were a lot of similarly rated players in the top half of the 2nd round. The guy I really loved was A.J. Brown, taken far too late at #51. But what I would've done isn't important.

The greater point here is that when you have a prospect that has flags, like Baker, you should be reticent to use a premium pick on those guys. And for Baker, they used #37, #132, and #142 to get him, which is, no matter how many extra picks they had, a tremendous amount of draft capital expended on a guy with his draft profile and who interviewed poorly. Character and intelligence should be high up there when making decisions with premium picks. Bill Belichick puts a huge emphasis on intelligence. I hope that Judge's influence in the coming years helps to avoid repeating this kind of mistake.

Here is what Sy'56 wrote immediately after the draft:

Quote:

ROUND 1 - #30 OVERALL Deandre Baker � CB/Georgia � 5�11/193 Summary: Baker was a three year starter for the Bulldogs that progressively improved as a prospect from the beginning of 2017. The two-time all SEC defender (1st Team in 2018) brings the kind of confidence and swagger that can take on the numerous challenges of playing cornerback in the NFL. He can be left alone on an island and stick with anyone on all levels of the route tree as well as make plays on the ball like a receiver. His issues can be correctable, mainly the technique-based and mental ones. The lack of power presence can be an issue at times but in a league where contact is allowed less and less in coverage, the corners that can get the job done via instincts, agility, and speed stand out a bit more. *I was surprised by the trade up, and I was surprised by the selection. Before I get in to why, know that I had a top 15 overall grade on him and I think it was a great value-grab. What surprised me was the fact he didn�t receive a lot of love from the UGA coaching staff when it came to character and work ethic. In addition, it was public knowledge he didn�t interview very well. While that is all subjective and it shouldn�t be a make or break, with how NYG has been trying to steer this �team culture� idea back on the straight and narrow, a trade up for Baker was puzzling. In addition, there were a handful of corners there that fit the similar grade. Was it necessary to trade up? I�m not sure but I do understand why. They had picks to burn, Baker was their top guy that probably fits the scheme more than the others, and there is one more thing that may go unnoticed by some. Drafting Baker in round 1 allows for the 5th year team option to be added to the rookie contract so that if he does indeed become a big time player, they won�t have to pay him big time money until his sixth season. Baker will likely compete for a starting spot opposite Janoris Jenkins with Sam Beal and if I had to pick a winner right now, it is Baker. He is a competitor that shows up on game day and plays well in the highest-pressure situations. Really good fit and a really good pick. WHO I WOULD HAVE TAKEN Byron Murphy � CB/Washington - 5�11/190 Summary: Third year sophomore entry. Murphy missed 7 games in 2017 with a broken foot but came back with a 1st Team All Pac 12, 2nd Team All American performance. Despite the lack of game�experience, Murphy proved to be one of the more NFL-ready corners in the class with his top shelf athletic ability and ball tracking. He does play a little light which will need to change in the NFL, but his aggressive style and fast twitch reactions make him scary to throw near. If the technique can get cleaned up and he can improve in zone coverage, he has starting corner written all over him. *The need for more talent at corner was obvious. With NYG back on the clock, Murphy was my top available player and because I like the upside and character with him more so than Baker, I leaned in his direction even though he may struggle to handle bigger, more physical receivers more so. Murphy is Mr. Smooth out there with the anticipation and reaction I always look for from the position. He screams �dependable� every time I watch him and I love who this kid is off the field.

Link: https://corner.bigblueinteractive.com/index.php?mode=2& thread=582854

With all the facts that were known, and given extra resources were used for a trade up for this player...criticism and blame should be rightfully placed at Gettleman's feet. No matter who else is in the room pounding the table, sans the owner or VP of Player Personnel, the buck stops with the GM, and they are ultimately judged on these decisions. Baker's red flags were known. They were known by Sy'56, they were known by the Georgia staff, they were known by Walter Football, they were known by Tony Pauline. But the Giants

That was a poor choice. And I say that as a fan that believes Gettleman has been getting this franchise back on the right track. But certainly, the job could've been done quicker without big missteps like this one. And it's also important to note that Baker was not the consensus top corner, either. Murphy was very close and was also considered by many as the top corner in the draft, who reportedly left UW with a 3.5 GPA. And I know many will scoff at academic achievement, but it's about how a person takes care of their responsibilities. All of those things should matter, because if they are taking care of responsibilities in other aspects of their life, the chances are greater they will take care of the responsibilities given to them on your football team.

I know this is long, so I'll put a bow on it...the pick itself might not have been the worst gamble in the history of the draft had he been there at #37, but trading up, using extra resources on a player with this profile and considering the other players still on the board, that's a terrible decision, one that should be greatly criticized and DG should take a hit on this.

And as I've said, I've been a DG defender plenty of other times...particularly when it comes to drafting Saquon, but it isn't fair to completely whitewash his responsibility just because you can't see an armed robbery coming. Not being a felon IS NOT the bar for the smart allocation of premium draft picks. And with his job, and their resources as an organization and a scouting staff...using those picks to move up in the first round for this player with these flags...it's kind of inexcusable.