Giants GM won't draft for need: 'I'm not going to force a pick'

The New York Giants will be targeting the best possible players with their No. 6 and No. 17 overall picks in the 2019 NFL Draft, even though they may have positional needs on their roster.

"I'm just telling you: I'm not going to force a pick," general manager Dave Gettleman said Thursday, according to ESPN's Jordan Raanan. "You can't draft for need. You'll get screwed every time. You'll make a mistake."

Eli Manning is expected to start the upcoming season, but his decline in play in recent years has led critics to suggest the team should be searching for his eventual replacement. Even the 38-year-old believes the team will draft his successor early in the draft.

Without specifically naming players, Gettleman said he considered the draft's quarterback class to be "good" but reiterated he wouldn't regard the position group to be a "special category" that bypasses taking the best available player.

Kyler Murray, Dwayne Haskins, Drew Lock, and Daniel Jones are all thought to be the top quarterback prospects in the draft. Although Murray is reportedly being targeted by the Arizona Cardinals who hold the first overall pick, the Giants seem likely to have the option of taking the second quarterback off the board on April 25.

"The priority is to select the best players," Gettleman said. "I know that sounds silly. But last year, again, we couldn't pass up on Saquon (Barkley). He was the best player in the draft. You can't do that."

The Giants hold 12 picks in the draft this year, tied for the most with the New England Patriots.