Articles

Not the Quarterback You were Expecting

by Michael J. Basile @MdoubleJB

The Giants drafted a quarterback.  Just not the quarterback you wanted and not in the round you expected.  In the 4th round (pick – 108) the Giants drafted Kyle Lauletta from Richmond.

Earlier in the draft, Mayfield, Darnold, Allen, Rosen, Jackson and Rudolph all were taken off the board.  The Giants passed, but two days later decided to jump on the QB train and selected Kyle Lauletta of Richmond in the 4th round.  He his 6-foot-3, 215-pounds and will join Davis Webb on the depth chart;  The two will compete for the right to backup 2x Super Bowl Champion Eli Manning.

The Kid has some great qualities:

  • Accurate thrower, high completion percentage with  short-intermediate throws.
  • Modern NFL offenses are constructed under that premiss.
  • Productive last two seasons at Richmond
  • Athletic ability, good movement within the pocket
  • Ability to manipulate defenses with his eyes at times

Like all picks, they are human. 

  • Lacks a big time arm for down the field throws
  • Difficult to translate the system he played in to a pro style offense
  • Relies a little too much on athleticism at times; against faster defenses at the next level he will need to avoid this

Overall, the Giants provided competition for Webb.  I’m not sure why they drafted him instead of signing him to a rookie free agent deal.  If Webb or Lauletta them develops into Eli’s “heir” it will be more than worth the late round choice.  Only time will tell.