The 2017 NFL Draft has the potential to be one of the most memorable drafts in recent memory because of the decisions made regarding superstar quarterback, Patrick Mahomes.
The Kansas City Chiefs traded up 17 selections to draft Mahomes, who would quickly turn into the face of the league. Mahomes already has an MVP award, a Super Bowl ring, and a $500 million dollar deal under his belt at only 24 years old.
Clearly, the front office for KC made an incredible decision to trade up, but they were not the only team that was interested in moving up some spots.
The New York Giants were reportedly heavily interested in trading up to select the quarterback from Texas Tech during draft day. Head Coach at the time Ben McAdoo was “in love” with Mahomes, and begged general manager Jerry Reese to pull the trigger and trade up.
McAdoo went to Mahomes’s Pro Day, which is important because it is believed to be the first Pro Day that he ever attended as a part of the Giants staff. Reese was known to be a somewhat conservative drafter, and in the 11 drafts before 2017, Reese had never traded up in the first round.
After the 2017 first-round where the Giants would end up selecting Evan Engram at pick 23, McAdoo was “very upset”. He saw something in Mahomes that not a lot of other people around the league saw.
If the Giants would have made this trade, how would it have changed these last three years? To start, Eli Manning just came off a playoff season in which he played good enough to allow the team to compete. 2017 Eli Manning was a different story in terms of his production, which led to an embarrassing 3-13 record.
In week 12 of that season, McAdoo decided to bench Manning for Geno Smith. This decision resulted in outraged Giant fans, including me. If the Giants had selected Mahomes, he would have been the clear starter for that week 12 matchup versus the Raiders, and who knows what he would have done.
Any sprout of potential in that debut would have kept Giant fans optimistic with the raw potential that was in their hands at QB.
If Mahomes played well the rest of the season, Manning most likely would have called it a career, while the Giants would have most likely still had a top five pick to probably select Saquon Barkley.
A backfield of Mahomes and Barkley, two of the brightest young stars in the league right now, would’ve totally set the Giants up for the future while changing the entire landscape of the NFL.
Photo Credit: Texas Tech Athletics
