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Ryan Nassib lost millions of dollars that he never had. While many projections estimated that Nassib could be picked in the first round of the NFL Draft, he fell into the fifth round. While a first round signing bonus would’ve been worth millions of dollars, his signing bonus will be under $100,000. Though Nassib was surely a big loser in the NFL Draft, the team that drafted him, the New York Giants certainly won. The going rate for an average backup quarterback in the NFL is often over $2 million a year, and Nassib – if he pans out to be at least a backup caliber player – will be a huge discount for the Giants.
There is a strong precedent for teams without a clear need at quarterback to draft falling signal callers in the draft. The most obvious example is the Green Bay Packers drafting Aaron Rodgers as an heir-apparent to Brett Favre. Rodgers sat and learned, and he’s now arguably the league’s best quarterback. Other teams, notably the New England Patriots, have enjoyed drafting QBs as assets. Matt Cassel filled in for an injured Tom Brady, and developed enough trade value to be moved. There has been speculation that they may do the same with Ryan Mallett.
Ryan Nassib may never take a snap for the Giants. For that matter, he may never play a down in the NFL. Regardless, he was a top-100 prospect who was a tremendous value – at the league’s most premium position – to a smart organization. It is moves like these that keep the New York Giants drafting late in all rounds of the NFL Draft.
Gabe Isaacson is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter: @gabeisaacson.
