The New York Giants are doing their due diligence on Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins.
NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported Wednesday morning on Good Morning Football that the Big Blue brass met with the potential first-round signal-caller for dinner on Tuesday night. Coach Pat Shurmur, OC Mike Shula, VP of player evaluation Chris Mara, director of college scouting Chris Pettit and assistant GM Kevin Abrams were all in attendance, per Garafolo.
In need of an eventual replacement for Eli Manning, the Giants sit at the No. 6 overall spot, which could be the area Haskins lands if no team leaps to the top of the draft to snag QBs. New York GM Dave Gettleman noted that the team needed to find its Eli heir soon earlier this week, intimating that could come in the 2019 draft.
The Giants are doing their homework to see if Haskins could be that answer. Garafolo added the New York brass also met with the potential first-round pick before the dinner for added background.
It's not unusual for teams to meet with players for a variety of reasons. Some teams use it to get background on a potential pick, others a potential opponent; some are for medical reasons, some are for smoke-screen purposes. Sometimes -- like in the case of the Chicago Bears and Mitchell Trubisky -- the team falls in love with a prospect during these sessions.
The Giants have a clear need for a future signal-caller. By most draft analyst accounts, Haskins, the big-armed pocket quarterback, could use a year of grooming before taking over -- à la Patrick Mahomes. That timeline could fit with Big Blue's preference of riding the Manning train at least another season and aligns with Gettleman's persistent praise of the Chiefs' QB transition.
Whether Haskins lands in New York is anyone's best guess 36 days before the Giants are on the clock. In any case, Big Blue is gathering information, as any good team should.
Haskins is expected to throw during his Pro Day on Wednesday, and the Giants will be watching.
You too can watch the entire Ohio State Pro Day on Wednesday starting at 1 p.m. ET on NFL Network.