CONFIRMED: Giants Choose the Player to Replace Saquon Barkley in the CBS Sports 2023 NFL Draft.
In the NFL, mulligans are extremely rare, and they don’t appear with the draft. However, some continue to engage in redraft exercises. Chris Trapasso, a columnist for CBS Sports, conducted one such redraft in which, looking back, the first-round selection of the New York Giants would have looked drastically different. In summary, the Giants selected cornerback Deonte Banks with the 24th overall pick after moving up one position in the draft. After an outstanding first season, Banks is expected to be the Giants’ top wide receiver in 2024. He has been a reliable contributor to the defense.
However, Trapasso has the Giants choose Jahmyr Gibbs in the redraft; Gibbs was selected by the Detroit Lions with the 12th overall choice.
According to Trapasso, the Giants would have had a backup plan in Gibbs if Saqon Barkley, who is expected to become an unrestricted free agency next month, decides to go on. Despite sharing runs with running back David Montgomery, Gibbs played in 15 games during his debut campaign with the Detroit Lions and gained close to 1,000 yards on the ground. Gibbs may have produced just as much with the Giants but was essential to the Lions’ turnaround this season.
In the previous year’s draft, Gibbs was projected to be a late first-round choice. The Lions selected Gibbs with the 12th overall pick after trading back to the Arizona Cardinals. Gibbs to the Giants would have been in play if not for the Lions’ trade with the Cardinals; however, it remains to be seen if the Giants would have selected a running back with a first-round selection pick.
In contrast, Barkley has over 1,000 yards of rushing in three of the Giants’ six seasons as a player. In addition, he amassed over 950 yards of rushes this season, almost reaching his fourth season of 1,000 yards in six years. He has performed like the franchise running back the Giants selected him to be. He has, however, sustained numerous injuries throughout the years, most notably an ACL tear in 2020.
The Giants will most likely require depth at the position if he leaves because their only other contract players are Eric Gray, Jashaun Corbin, and Gary Brightwell.
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