Who should the Giants draft to replace Eli Manning

2. Will Grier

The West Virginia signal caller is one of the most divisive prospects in the class. Scouts that love him swear by his arm strength and intangibles. Scouts that aren’t so high on him as a prospect point to his issues at Florida and the system he plays in for the Mountaineers as major red flags.

Gettleman isn’t the type of GM who shies away from forming his own opinion. While some teams might shy away from Grier at the top of round 1 due to all the controversy surrounding his evaluation, the Giants won’t be afraid to grab him if they like him. That doesn’t mean the Giants will pick him early, but it does mean they will if they think he’s the best quarterback available.

We’re inclined to agree with the more positive evaluations of Grier. Yes, he plays in a very quarterback friendly system at West Virginia, but he makes a lot of NFL throws from inside the pocket. In particular, we like his ability to make back shoulder throws at a high level.

As far as the stuff at Florida is concerned, that happened a long time ago. Reports from his Mountaineer coaches describe him as a mature, team leader. Passing on him based on his foolish choices as a teenager is a great way to get fired.

In the end, Grier is a player who will continue to divide opinion throughout the pre-draft process. Don’t rule out the possibility of Gettleman falling in love with him though. If that happens, the Giants won’t hesitate to spend a high pick to bring Grier to New York.