George R.R. Martin is known throughout the world as the creator of the “Game of Thrones” series on HBO, and of course, for the books that inspired it. He’s also a huge New York sports fan, and he is decidedly displeased with the Giants for their draft selections this past weekend.
New York made three draft picks on Day 1, including the biggest reach of the entire draft — selecting Daniel Jones out of Duke with the No. 6 overall pick.
In a blog post on his website, Martin expressed frustration, and dismay.
“Daniel Jones from Duke at number six? Yes, they need a young quarterback to groom as Eli’s successor. But Dwayne Haskins was right there. Why not him? I don’t follow college ball, but by every measurable Haskins is way better than Jones. Jones threw 52 TDs in three years at Duke, Haskins threw 50 in one year at Ohio State. Within fewer interceptions. Against much tougher opposition.”
Nice, logical assessment, we must say.
Then, Martin questioned Giants general manager Dave Gettleman’s approach directly.
“Dave Gettleman must have seen something in Jones that no one else could see. But even if you accept that, taking him at six seems insane. He would have been there at 17. Why not take Josh Allen or one of the other defensive studs at 6, and Jones at 17? Makes much more sense. Who else was going to nab him? The Skins? The Skins preferred Haskins, that was common knowledge. Everyone in the world except the G-Men preferred Haskins, so far as I can see.”
This is the point where we rise up and applaud Martin’s grasp of reality — something Gettleman clearly lacks.
Martin wasn’t done, though. He then proceeded to rip into Gettleman over the No. 17 overall selection acquired in the Odell Beckham Jr. trade. The Giants picked up Dexter Lawrence, the nose tackle out of Clemson. Martin astutely pointed out that he’s pretty much the same player Gettleman discarded in Snacks Harrison because “all he did was stop the run, he didn’t get sacks.”
That exactly defines what the Giants will get with Lawrence.
Martin continued: “After his release, Big Blue spent the rest of the season getting gashed by runs right up the gut. Had to fix that. So to fill the Snacks hole, we draft Young Snacks. All it cost us was a Hall of Fame receiver.”
No lies detected with any of that.
Martin speaks for many — if not most — Giants fans here in his take down of Gettleman’s first round. It was awful. And it didn’t get a lot better from Rounds 2-7.