Giants select another QB Lottery Pick with Kyle Lauletta

The New York Giants spent another 2nd/3rd-day selection on the Senior Bowl MVP, quarterback Kyle Lauletta, with the #108 pick in 2018…

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Giants select another QB Lottery Pick with Kyle Lauletta

Lauletta uses a chip on his shoulder to disprove the doubters

The New York Giants spent another 2nd/3rd-day selection on the Senior Bowl MVP, quarterback Kyle Lauletta, with the #108 pick in 2018. Battling last year’s 3rd rounder, Davis Webb, the Giants are hoping throwing darts against the franchise quarterback spot will lead them to Eli Manning’s heir apparent. The odds are against Lauletta succeeding but there are many positive characteristics (good experience, accuracy, pocket awareness and college production) that give me confidence he could buck the historical trend.

QB Kyle Lauletta

• Size: 6’3” / 220
• Draft Selection: #108 (2018)
• Depth Chart: QB3 (competing w/ Davis Webb to backup Eli Manning)
• ’18 Outlook: QB3+ (QB2+ if ascends to starting role)
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kylelauletta
• Athletic Profile: Below Average (thx to Player Profiler)
• NFL Comparison: Case Keenum; shorter Phillip Rivers

Outlook: The New York Giants benched 38 year old former franchise stalwart Eli Manning this past year. The team did a 180 following the firing of Ben McAdoo, and are now fully embracing late career, Manning. What the 2017 film shows is the Giants will be looking for Manning’s replacement in ’19 or ’20 at the latest. That puts Lauletta in a good spot to sit/learn and compete for the backup role immediately and the long term answer. The small school (Richmond) quarterback is compared to Jimmy G but he’s not as mobile, didn’t compile as dominant stats and didn’t overwhelm in the athletic testing. As a 4th rounder, he’s got a solid chance to get a shot but 10% chance of ever developing into a long term starter.

Opportunity: The Giants, thanks to the investment in 1st round draft selections, are deep and loaded at the skill positions with ODB (WR4), Saqoun Barkley (RB8), Evan Ingram (TE8), Sterling Shepard (WR42) are all 25 or younger. In short whoever succeeds Manning, will walk into a plethora of dynamic playmakers at every position.

Long-term: Predicting success from mid to late NFL draft picks is a fools errand. The stats are stark, less than 10% of QB’s selected after the 3rd round end up as more than a backup/spot starters. Lauletta has good pocket awareness, shows ability to progress through his reads and deliver accurate tosses on all the NFL routes. However projecting a non power 5 performance to the next level is even more difficult. The speed of the NFL game means a player like Lauletta will have to make decisions far faster and their window to succeed is minute. Lauletta projects better than last year’s 3rd round pick, Davis Webb, and if he can assimilate, learn and mature, he has a great opportunity in ’19 or ’20 to get a shot at succeeding Eli Manning in a stacked offense.