New York Giants' John Harbaugh Just Made Some Concerning Comments

Ever since John Harbaugh was hired as New York Giants head coach, I've been saying to trust him.

When he named Dennard Wilson defensive coordinator, which raised plenty of eyebrows, I said to trust him. When he hired Matt Nagy as offensive coordinator, which drew even more ire, I once again said we needed to trust him.

But his comments on the NFL Draft have me admittedly concerned.

During a recent appearance on the Mike Francesca Podcast, Harbaugh was asked about the possibility of selecting Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs with the No. 5 overall pick, and he all but confirmed that Downs will be the pick if he is there.

"Big fan, big fan," Harbaugh said of Downs. "... We favor Hall of Fame safeties, so if we have a chance to draft a potential future Hall of Fame safety in Caleb Downs, that would be just fine with me."

Okay, so Harbaugh likes Downs. So does everyone else.

But it was really what the 63-year-old said afterward that raised some alarm bells.

"We'll take the best player. When you draft that high, you take the best player," Harbaugh said. "It's not a need pick. It's a best player pick. ... You're talking about a guy you would like to see someday wearing a gold jacket."

Let me just say how much I hate the "best player available" mindset.

So if the best player available at No. 5 is a quarterback, would you draft the quarterback and trade Jaxson Dart? If it's a running back, you would pull the trigger? If it's another edge rusher, would you create an even bigger logjam at the position?

A team in the Giants' position should one hundred percent be drafting for need; the only way you should be taking best player available is if you are a contending team that was able to bag a high draft pick via trade.

New York has glaring needs at defensive tackle, cornerback, wide receiver and offensive line. Does it need a safety? Sure, but safety is not a premium position and should be very far down Big Blue's list of priorities.

I've said throughout the offseason that if you are taking a safety with a top-five pick, you are essentially banking on him being a Hall-of-Fame talent. Evidently, that's how Harbaugh feels about Downs. I'm not sure I agree, but I digress there.

My biggest issue isn't with Downs the player; it's that the Giants have so many other far more pressing needs.

I'll say it again: I trust Harbaugh. He has earned every reason to be trusted based on his sparkling resume. But I am not on board with the idea of Downs at No. 5.

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