In 2019, the New York Giants made three picks in the first round of the NFL draft. They took Duke quarterback Daniel Jones at No. 6, Clemson defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence 17th and Georgia cornerback Deandre Baker at No. 30.
The time has come to make decisions on those first round picks’ fifth-year options. Baker is no longer with the team having blown up his Giants’ career early on with legal issues, but Jones and Lawrence appear to be in the team’s plans, at least for the short-term.
The fifth-year options on the 2019 draft class are due next Monday, May 2, but the Giants have yet to act on either of their eligible players.
Jones has been declared the team’s starter and the new coaching staff is giving him a chance to prove his pedigree but appear to be unwilling to put that in writing.
Jones’ 2022 salary cap hit is $8.3 million but his 2023 fifth-year salary would balloon to $22.3 million. The Giants likely want to see if Jones is the real deal first, so it’s good business sense for them to decline the option and takes their chances with Jones in free agency next year.
Lawrence has been a solid presence in the middle of the Giants’ defensive line but, again, he was not drafted by the new regime and they will likely want to see that he can do in Wink Martindale’s new defense before committing.
Lawrence’s firth-year price tag would be $10.7 million.
Exercising fifth-year options is not a given. Of the 32 players selected in the first round of the 2019 draft, only six have either been exercised or believe will be exercised.
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