Knicks Take Care of Business in Atlanta

Early in the first quarter of game six, the Atlanta Hawks, who were facing elimination, led the New York Knicks 9-5. If you were anything like me you were probably muttering to yourself, "Great, I guess we're going to have a game seven at Madison Square Garden after all."

Fortunately for us Debbie Downers, the Knicks had other plans. They outscored the Hawks 35-6 the rest of the quarter and 43-21 in the second to take a commanding 83-36 lead into the locker room. It was the most dominant half of playoff basketball in the history of the NBA. 

And the Knicks didn't stop there. They kept their foot on the gas and increased their lead to 117-64 going into the fourth. When it was all over, the Knicks routed the Hawks 140-89. It was the third largest margin of victory in a close out game in the modern era.

I'll be honest, I thought New York would win the series in six, but never in my wildest dreams did I think they'd put that kind of ass whoopin' on them. The Knicks outscored the Hawks 380-284 over the last three games. The last time the city of Atlanta was that badly destroyed, Sherman set it on fire. 

So how did the Knicks do it? How did they go from losing games two and three by a single point to completely dominating games four, five and six? And make no mistake about it, this was domination in the strictest sense of the word. The Knicks margin of victory over the Hawks in this series was 105 points. To put that into perspective, the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder's margin of victory over the Phoenix Suns was just 69 points. And the Thunder swept their series, mind you.

Defense was the key. In this postseason, the Knicks have the second best defensive rating at 103.9. Only the Orlando Magic, who currently lead the Detroit Pistons 3-2 are better at 103.6. The turn around began on January 21 with a 120-66 mauling of the Brooklyn Nets. Since then, New York had the second-best defensive rating in the league during the regular season. 

But the real reason for the Knicks success lies with Mike Brown. After game three, he made the adjustments that finally unleashed this offense. Jalen Brunson got Karl-Anthony Towns involved and KAT, for his part, became the distributor in chief; a point center, if you will. Over the last three games, Towns had 26 assists. Only Nicola Jokic averaged more assists, and his team was eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

I said this playoff series was a microcosm of the Knicks regular season, and it turned out to be so. When their offense clicked, they looked like a team that could beat anyone; conversely, when it stalled, they looked like a team that would have a hard time getting out of the first round. And therein lies the paradox, and the challenge. Whoever they play in the second round, they must remember what they did right in this series and carry it over into the next if they want to advance. 

As for who they play, we'll know that soon enough. The Philadelphia 76ers forced a game seven against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden Saturday night. If the Sixers win, the Knicks will have home court; if the Celtics win, they'll open on the road.

If I were the Knicks, I'd much rather play Boston. With the Celtics you know what you're getting: a team that lives and dies with the three pointer. When they go in, they win; when they don't, they lose. In the three games the Celtics have won in this series they've shot over 35 percent from beyond the arc; in the three games they've lost, they shot under 30 percent from there.

Philadelphia, on the other hand, presents all kinds of matchup problems for New York, starting with their center Joel Embiid. The Sixers are 24-14 when Embiid plays; 21-23 when he doesn't. Two years ago when the Knicks beat the Sixers, Embiid, was injured and the Knicks still struggled to contain him. This postseason, he appears to be fully recovered after having surgery to remove his appendix. Playing alongside Tyrese Maxey, the most underrated guard in the league, Philly could definitely win.

The way I see it, Leon Rose built this roster specifically to beat the Celtics. With OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges on the wing, New York would have the advantage over Boston. Against Philly, it's anybody's guess who would prevail.

Typically, I don't like projecting ahead. After all, the Hawks thought the Knicks would be an easier team to beat and look what happened to them. All I'm saying is when you look at both teams objectively, the Sixers scare me; the Celtics not so much.

Knicks Need To Treat This Game As a Must Win

Generally speaking, I hate the term must win; it's the most overused and abused term in sports. For the record, the only "must wins" are elimination games, when losing means your season is over. I'm making an exception in this case. Game five against the Atlanta Hawks is a must win for the New York Knicks.

No, the Knicks season will not be over if they lose tonight at the Garden, and yes, they are more than capable of beating the Hawks in Atlanta in game six and closing them out in their building in game seven. But why on Earth would the Knicks want to subject themselves to that kind of pressure?

To be clear, the Knicks have been the better team in this series. They've played a total of two bad quarters - the 4th in game two and the 1st in game three. But that was enough to lose both games by one point a piece. In the two wins, New York has outscored Atlanta by a combined 27 points. You could make the argument that had they not taken their foot off the gas in game two and not gotten off to such a slow start in game three, the Knicks would now be awaiting the winner of the Celtics / Sixers series. 

Unfortunately that didn't happen, and here we are tied at two. In many respects, this series has been a microcosm of the Knicks season. One minute hot, the next cold. It's amazing to think that the same team that routed the Nuggets in Denver barely beat the Nets in Brooklyn. They have been the ultimate enigma for a fanbase that has often times been frustrated by the lack of consistency on the court. 

And that is why it is absolutely imperative that the Knicks not fall behind 3-2 going back to Atlanta. Even with all their talent and resolve, there is no guarantee that they would force a game seven. And should they lose this series, it will be a very long offseason for this team, I can assure you. Mike Brown will almost certainly be fired and Leon Rose would be forced to make some drastic changes to the roster. To put it another way, the Knicks aren't just fighting to beat the Hawks; they're fighting to stay together as a core.

So how do they accomplish both? By remembering what they did right in game four. I wrote at the start of the series that the Knicks had to get Karl-Anthony Towns involved. They did so in game one and most of game two. But then they forgot about their big man in the 4th quarter of game two and the Hawks mounted a comeback. The Knicks recovered from a slow start in game three to take a three-point lead but couldn't hold it because, once again, they didn't go to KAT when it counted. Jalen Brunson turned the ball over in the closing seconds and that was that.

In game four, however, the Knicks put on a clinic. It was one of their better games of the season. They started strong and they finished strong. Towns was, by far, the best player on the court, recording the fourth playoff triple double in franchise history. He had plenty of help. O.G. Anunoby had a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Brunson and Deuce McBride chipped in 19 and 11 points respectively. As a team, the Knicks had 23 assists, and led for 94 percent of the game. But perhaps the most important stat was that New York did not allow Atlanta a single fast-break point through three quarters. 

The Knicks need to bottle that performance and bring it with them to the Garden tonight. Every chance they get they need to put the ball in KAT's hands and let him do his thing. Because when they've done that, when they've let KAT be KAT, the Hawks have had no answer for him. None. I've heard of mismatches, but this one takes the cake. Mike Brown has to make it abundantly clear to his captain that in this series, he needs to defer to his center. It doesn't mean Brunson can't contribute; he did, after all, have 19 points in the last game. But the fact is the Knicks offense is more fluid and diverse when he plays off the ball, and conversely, it grows stagnant when he hogs the ball.

So, to sum up. The Knicks need to get off to a fast start, they need to get the ball to their big guy, and they need to keep their foot on the accelerator. If they do those things, they'll be one step closer to a rematch with the Celtics; if they don't, they'll be one step closer to the most disappointing playoff defeat since the last time they lost to the Hawks in 2021.

We all remember how that felt.

Harbaugh Aces His First Draft

"It's deja vu all over again."  - Yogi Berra

Four years ago, new GM Joe Schoen had two picks in the first round - the 5th and 7th - which he used to select Edge Kayvon Thibodeaux and offensive tackle Evan Neal. Thibodeaux was considered the second best defensive prospect in the Draft behind Aiden Hutchinson and Neal was considered the top-ranked tackle. After an impressive rookie campaign, Thibodeaux's performance has slipped considerably over the last three seasons, while Neal has turned out to be a bust.

Going into the 2026 NFL Draft, Schoen and new Head Coach John Harbaugh also had two picks in the first round - the 5th and 10th - which they used to select Edge Arvell Reese and offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa. Reese was considered the second best defensive prospect in the draft while Mauigoa was considered the top-ranked tackle. 

For a fanbase that's gotten used to having its heart broken, you could certainly understand the cynicism. But if we're being totally honest here, both picks made perfect sense. No way Harbaugh and Schoen could've anticipated Reese falling into their laps, and no way in hell they were going to look that gift horse in the mouth. Anybody who says the contrary doesn't know shit about football. Reese has the potential to be the next Micah Parsons, and, unless your name is Dave Gettleman, you don't let a Micah Parsons slip through your fingers.

Indeed, if fans had a bone to pick at all, it was with what happened five picks later. The general consensus Thursday night was that Caleb Downs would go quickly in the Draft. Yours truly had him going to the Jints at 5. So when he was still on the board at 10, everyone watching the event live just assumed that Harbaugh and Schoen would scoop him up. Imagine landing two of the top four defensive prospects in the same Draft; the other two being David Bailey - taken by the Jets at 2 - and Sonny Styles - taken by the Commanders at 7. The Giants were this close to being crowned "best team in the Draft" less than halfway through the first round.

But when Roger Goodell announced that they had selected Mauigoa with the 10th pick, a.chorus of "what the fucks?" could be heard from Parsippany to Canarsie. Frankly, my only qualm with the pick was that if the Giants were looking for someone to play right guard, why not take Vega Ioane, who's an actual guard and was rated number one at his position?

That being said, the pick makes total sense. As much as it would've been nice to have Downs patrolling center field for the Giants, the greater need was on the offensive line. Jaxson Dart is, without question, the most important player on this roster. Protecting him is essential to any long-term success this franchise plans on having. With the addition of Mauigoa, New York has its best O-line since the Tom Coughlin days. If I had to access day one, I would give the Giants an A.

Day two was almost as productive. Despite what Harbaugh said at his presser after the Draft, the Giants definitely had their sites set on defensive tackle Kayden McDonald at 37. But when the Texans leapfrogged them and snagged him, they didn't panic. They simply shifted gears and filled another position of need by selecting cornerback Colton Hood. Hood was viewed by many as a late first round prospect, so the Giants got a solid player at good value who has a chance of starting opposite Paulson Adebo on opening week. They then traded back into the third round and took wideout Malachi Fields at 74. Fields had a great Senior Day but bombed at the Combine, which led to his slipping in the Draft. The Giants believe they found a potential third target for Dart.

New York rounded out its draft by taking three depth pieces in the 6th round, one of which - linebacker Jack Kelly - could be a great addition to the special teams. Altogether, Harbaugh and Schoen were surgical with their picks, filling specific needs while not reaching; something several teams - i.e., the Rams - were guilty of doing this Draft. Overall, I'd give both men an A minus.

There's still more work that needs to be done. A successful draft was certainly an important step in the rebuilding process. But after trading Dexter Lawrence, Harbaugh has a gaping hole at nose tackle. 

Luckily he has time to fill it. 

Who Will Harbaugh Select in the Draft?

Going into the 2026 NFL Draft, the New York Giants have two first round picks: numbers five and ten; the latter coming from the Cincinnati Bengals in the Dexter Lawrence trade. Who will John Harbaugh select with those two picks? That depends on who gets chosen before those picks.

Since it's generally assumed the Las Vegas Raiders will take Fernando Mendoza first overall, the real fun begins when the New York Jets are on the clock at number two. Will they take David Bailey or Arvell Reese? Will the Arizona Cardinals take Jeremiyah Love with the third pick, or will they trade back as some are predicting? Will the Tennessee Titans take the edge rusher the Jets didn't take, or will they take Sonny Styles, or maybe even Love if he falls to them?

A lot of variables, to be sure. Now you know why every team has multiple players on their board. Because you can never predict what other teams will do. What we know from last season is that the Giants number one need going into this draft is defense, and if Harbaugh has a chance to improve it, he will certainly do so. At the same time, we can't rule out that if someone like Love falls into his lap he won't take him. We also can't rule out the possibility that Harbaugh might trade back to acquire more draft capital. Given that the Giants don't have a third-rounder, that could be what he does with pick 10.

When I look objectively at this draft, three players stand out to me: Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs and, if he falls, Arvell Reese. All three played at Ohio State and all three could easily anchor this defense. But I can also envision taking a chance on Jordyn Tyson with the 10th pick. The Giants also need help on the offensive and defensive lines. See what I mean about a lot of variables? 

I'm predicting two trades: the first is between the Giants and the Cowboys. Dallas sends the 20th pick to New York in exchange for Kayvon Thibodeaux. The second is between the Cardinals and the Dolphins. Arizona gets the 30th pick from Miami, which they will use to select Alabama QB Ty Simpson, in exchange for a second round pick. 

So, without further ado, here is my mock draft for the top 20 picks in the first round. I hope you enjoy reading it half as much as I enjoyed writing it.

1. Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana.

2. New York Jets: Arvell Reese, Edge, Ohio State. 

3. Arizona Cardinals: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame. 

4. Tennessee Titans: David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech.

5. New York Giants: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State. 

6. Cleveland Browns: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State.

7. Washington Commanders: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State. 

8. New Orleans Saints: Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami. 

9. Kansas City Chiefs: Manor Delane, CB, LSU. 

10. New York Giants (via trade with Cincinnati): Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State. 

11. Miami Dolphins: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami. 

12. Dallas Cowboys: Makai Lemon, WR, USC.  

13. Los Angeles Rams: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah. 

14. Baltimore Ravens: Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State. 

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon. 

16. New York Jets, Omar Cooper, WR, Indiana. 

17. Detroit Lions: Kaydyn Proctor, OT, Alabama. 

18. Minnesota Vikings: Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon.

19. Carolina Panthers: Keldric Faulk, Edge, Auburn. 

20. New York Giants (via trade with Dallas): Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State.

As with all my other predictions, please take them with a large grain of salt.

Have fun, people.

Worst Team $381 Million Can Buy

Twenty-three games into this season, the New York Mets are 7-16. They've lost 12 in a row, and currently own the worst record in baseball. Only the Philadelphia Phillies, at 8-15, are slightly better.

How bad are the Mets? During this losing streak, they are a minus 46 in run differential, the worst in the majors; they are last in team ERA (5.64); last in team batting average (.194) last in batting average with runners in scoring position (.161); last in runs scored (22); and tied for second fewest home runs (8). They've been shutout three times and held to two runs or fewer nine times. They aren't just bad, they're historically bad, and if they lose tonight, they will be tied for the third longest losing streak in franchise history with the 1962 team that lost 120 games. 

Let's take a look at the last 12 games. First the hitters:

Francisco Lindor: 2 HRs / 4 RBIs / .245 BA / .260 OBP / .648 OPS

Marcus Semien: 0 HRs / 2 RBIs / .220 BA / .273 OBP / .517 OPS

Bo Bichette: 1 HRs / 3 RBIs / .239 BA / .286 OBP / .612 OPS

Mark Vientos: 1 HRs / 2 RBIs / .094 BA / .118 OBP / .305 OPS

Brett Baty: 0 HRs / 2 RBIs / .161 BA / .182 OBP / .375 OPS

Luis Robert Jr: 1 HR / 1 RBI / .190 BA / .227 OBP / .537 OPS

Francisco Alvarez: 1 HR / 2 RBIs / .212 BA / .333 OBP / .636 OPS

Carson Benge: 0 HRs / 0 RBIs / .182 BA / .229 OBP / .441 OPS

Tyrone Taylor: 0 HRs / 2 RBIs / .235 BA / .278 OBP / .572 OPS 

Now the pitchers:

Sean Manaea: 11.0 IP / 0-0 / 5.73 ERA 

David Peterson: 13.2 IP / 0-2 / 5.93 ERA

Luis Garcia: 1.1 IP / 0-0 / 20.25 ERA

Luke Weaver: 3.2 IP / 0-0 / 14.73 ERA

Richard Lovelady: 2.1 IP / 0-0 / 0.00 ERA

Nolan McLean: 20.0 IP / 0-1 / 2.70 ERA

Clay Holmes: 10.1 IP / 0-2 / 2.61 ERA

Tobias Myers: 7.0 IP / 0-0 / 5.14 ERA

Huascar Brazoban: 5.0 IP / 0-0 / 0.00 ERA

Brooks Raley: 3.1 IP / 0-1 / 5.40 ERA

Koadai Senga: 5.2 IP / 0-2 / 20.65 ERA

Devin Williams: 1.1 IP / 0-1 / 47.25 ERA

The numbers speak for themselves. This isn't just a bad team, it's an historically bad team, and its principal architect, David Stearns, bears the brunt of the responsibility. He said after last season that run prevention would be his number one goal over the winter. Based on the results, this pitching staff is significantly worse than last year's. The worst offenders, by far, have been Weaver and Williams. The two were brought in by Stearns to give the Mets a formidable one-two punch at the back end of the bullpen. Instead, they've both been horrific during this losing streak.

As for run production, there isn't one hitter over the last 12 games that has distinguished himself. Lindor is having the worst year of his career; Bichette is batting 53 points below his career average; Semien is confirming what everyone suspected when he was acquired for Brandon Nimmo: that his best years are behind him; Baty looks completely overmatched at the plate; and let's face it, Benge belongs in Syracuse.

Meanwhile, the three players Stearns traded away or let walk, are all doing better than the players who replaced them:

Pete Alonso: 3 HRs / 10 RBIs / .213 BA / .327 OBP / .700 OPS

Jeff McNeil: 1 HR / 5 RBIs / .278 BA / .361 OBP / .750 OPS

Brandon Nimmo: 4 HRs / 11 RBIs / .295 BA / .368 OBP / .863 OPS

This is Stearns third season as President of Baseball Operations for the Mets. In that time, he has turned over almost one half of the roster, including some players who were very popular in the locker room as well as with the fanbase. It would be one thing if he had slashed payroll, as I thought he was going to do after last season. But the payroll has ostensibly stayed the same going into the 2026 season. This is mostly on him.

I say mostly because Carlos Mendoza is hardly guiltless. He's mismanaged the pithing staff and he's been way too patient with his players. There was simply no excuse for not benching Lindor, who literally went 17 games without a single RBI, made several mistakes in the infield and got picked off first base. I wrote in my season preview that if the Mets got off to a slow start he might not make it to the All-Star Break. The way this team is playing, he might not make it to May.

Chemistry isn't a word normally associated with baseball, but this team looks about as comfortable playing together as a crowded elevator in Manhattan. Something's gotta give or this season will be over before we get to summer, if it isn't already. The return of Juan Soto will provide a badly needed spark, but he can't do it all by himself. The other players need to pull their weight.

I can't believe Steve Cohen is going to let this nightmare continue much longer. He may be patient to a fault, but even he has his breaking point. He's the owner of team with a $381 million payroll. This can't be sitting well with him. 

Bottom line, there is simply no excuse for the level of play we've seen from this team. It's unbecoming of professionals making the kind of money they're making. It's time to shit or get off the pot.

64-2

For seven quarters, the New York Knicks had the Atlanta Hawks right where they wanted them. They had beaten them in game one of their best of seven series 113-102, and led them 91-79 going into the fourth quarter of game two. They were on the verge of going up 2-0. Outside the Garden, the fans were chanting "We want Boston," in anticipation of what looked like a four-game sweep. And then everything came crashing down. Atlanta outscored New York 28-15 over the final 12 minutes to eke out a narrow one-point win.

It was a devastating loss to a team many, myself included, thought would be a very tough opponent. Going into last night's game, the Knicks were 64-1 in the playoffs when taking a double-digit lead into the fourth quarter. Make that 64-2.

How could this have happen? How did a team as experienced as the Knicks unravel against a team that was making its first appearance in the postseason in seven years?

There was a lot of blame to go around, starting with:

1. Mike Brown: For 11 minutes, Brown inexplicably took his two best scorers - Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns - both out of the game, and went with a lineup that consisted primarily of Jose Alvarado, Jordan Clarkson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson. During that span, the Knicks were outscored by seven points. In another bizarre move, Brown elected to call a timeout with 2:43 left in the fourth quarter and New York in possession, leading 100-99. Brunson was driving to the basket when the whistle blew. That timeout would come back to haunt the Knicks as they were unable to stop the clock with 5.6 seconds left in the game, forcing Bridges to take a last second desperation shot that hit the rim and bounced away.

2. The Bench: Apart from Robinson (13 points and 7 rebounds) and Clarkson (7 and 5), the bench was MIA. Alvarado, Deuce McBride and Landry Shamet were a combined 0-7. McBride's performance was particularly disappointing, as the Knicks are counting on him to be the primary scorer off the bench. At least Alvarado was a plus 5; everyone else was a minus, including Robinson, who was a team-high minus 10.

3. Free Throws: After going 25-30 (83%) from the free throw line in game one, the Knicks went 17-27 (63%) in game two. Anunoby missed two critical free throws late in the fourth that could've given his team the win. The Knicks are not going to beat the Hawks missing that many free throws.

4. Jalen Brunson: I wrote before the series began that for the Knicks to advance Brunson could not be the only scorer on the team. And for the first three quarters of last night's game, the Captain was a ball distributer, assisting on seven baskets. But then in the fourth quarter, he became a ball hogger. Towns, who scored 14 points in the third quarter, took only two shots in the fourth. The Knicks offense stalled and had their worst output of the season.

The good news is that all four of these issues can and will be addressed going forward. Brown, hopefully, will not sit both Brunson and KAT at the same time, and will use his timeouts more judiciously; the bench, especially McBride, won't be so anemic; the Knicks will do much better from the free-throw line; and Brunson will get the ball to KAT instead of trying to win the game on his own. More good news: despite their fourth-quarter collapse last night, the Knicks are defending very well in this series. Their defensive rating of 108.7 is eighth among the 16 teams in the postseason. Atlanta, by comparison, is 10th. The Knicks did not lose because of their defense; they lost because of their offense, or lack thereof.

Which leads me to the bad news. Thanks to their malpractice, the Hawks now have the home-court advantage as they head back to Atlanta for the next two games, where they are 17-4 over the second half of the season. That means New York will have its work cut out for it trying to get a split. 

This is what happens when you don't take care of business; you give your opponent a lifeline. The Knicks could've had a stranglehold on this series; instead, they're in for the fight of their lives.

A fight they could well end up losing. 

Harbaugh Lays Down A Marker

Very early in my sales career, the manager of a store I was working at decided to hold a meeting. Sales were down, the salesmen were bitching about conditions, and he was going to nip it in the bud once and for all. He started off the meeting by pointing to the door and saying, "See that? That's the exit. We don't just put that there for the customers to use. If you're not happy here, let me know and I'll accommodate you. I've got five applications on my desk for every one of you." Suffice to say he got his point across. The bitching stopped and sales soon picked up. Mission accomplished.

I am quite certain that the last thing John Harbaugh wanted to do was trade one of his better players, even if that player did have an "off" year. In his mind, the Giants were better off with Dexter Lawrence on the roster than without him. But after Lawrence issued his trade demand and refused to negotiate on a new contract, Harbaugh's hands were tied.

He could've called Lawrence's bluff and forced him to report to camp or forfeit his salary. But as I wrote in a previous post, why would he want that kind of headache in his first year as head coach? In the end, Harbaugh had no choice but to show his disgruntled player the exit, as it were. And in so doing, he laid down a marker. Don't want to be here? No problem. 

What's remarkable about this situation isn't that the Giants moved on from Lawrence, it's what they got in return. Harbaugh had said he wanted no less than a top ten pick for him, and that's exactly what he got. The Cincinnati Bengals traded the 10th pick straight up for the defensive tackle. 

Already the Monday-morning quarterbacks are at it, arguing that the Giants should've gotten the same haul the Jets got for Quininen Williams: a first, a second and a player. But like I pointed in that same post, you can't compare a trade made at the deadline with a trade made less than a week before the Draft. The Jets had all the leverage in that deal; the Giants had practically none, especially given Lawrence's demands. Frankly, I was starting to doubt whether they could even get a first rounder for him.

But the Bengals needed to improve a defense that was third from the bottom in the NFL, and they figured - correctly - that the best defensive players were all going to be gone by the time they got to choose. So they made the deal.

There were no losers in this trade. Both sides won. The Bengals got the player they wanted and the Giants got the draft capital they needed. They also saved $13 million in cap space, which they can put towards another free agent, D.J. Reader perhaps.

The real question is what will Harbaugh do with the 10th pick? Will he keep it, or will he trade back, as Gary Myers suggested, to get even more draft capital? It all depends on what happens with picks 6 thru 9. Assuming Jeremiyah Love goes 4th to the Tennessee Titans, the Giants will have their choice of Sonny Styles or Caleb Downs at 5. Either would instantly be a stud. Let's say Harbaugh takes Styles. It's unlikely that Downs would still be available at 10. The same goes for Carnell Tate and Jordan Tyson, who many believe is the best wide receiver in the Draft.

The Giants could certainly use some help at offensive tackle, as well as cornerback. There are several players at those positions who would still be on board deep into the first round. Trading back six or seven spots could get them a badly needed third round pick. After pick 37, the Giants don't select again until 105. That's a long time to go between picks.

It's important to remember that for all the good vibes the Harbaugh signing engendered, the Giants went 4-13 last season; the year before that they went 3-14; and the year before that they went 6-11. This team isn't two or three players away from being a contender; it's eight or nine players away. It needs all the draft picks it can get. Indeed, I wouldn't rule out the Giants trading Kayvon Thibodeaux. If Harbaugh could get a second and fourth for him, imagine the holes he could fill with those picks.

That's the difference between John Harbaugh and Joe Schoen or Dave Gettleman. Harbaugh clearly knows the Giants aren't a playoff team, and he isn't willing to take short cuts to get there. He only wants players who want to be here. He has a vision and a mandate from ownership to see it through. And make no mistake about it, he is running the show. Schoen can hold all the press conferences he wants; on Draft Day, Harbaugh will have the final word. In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Schoen is let go next week. Dawn Aponte, who was hired in February to be the team's Senior Vice President of Football Operations, is more than capable of filling his shoes.

 

For the first time in a long time, this franchise is in competent hands.