Pelissero on the Giants' Draft Power

Tom Pelissero joined Rich to map out the top of the NFL Draft with a week to go. The headline question was about running back Jeremiah Love, Notre Dame's blue-chip back, and how high he could actually go. Pelissero said the highest he's heard is Arizona at three, though he acknowledged that's probably pushing it if you're evaluating needs. Love is on the short list of six to ten true difference-maker prospects in the draft.

The Titans at four remain the most talked-about landing spot. They've been trying to build around Cam Ward, beef up the receiver room, and shore up the defense. Pelissero said Love would be a difference-maker in Tennessee. He also floated Tennessee continuing to build the defense, with Sonny Styles the potential surprise name after blowing up the combine. Robert Saleh has historically liked big rangy inside linebackers, and Tennessee tried to get a linebacker done in free agency.

The bigger story was the New York Giants at five. Pelissero laid out the internal dynamics carefully. Joe Schoen runs the scouting operation and runs the draft. Brian Daboll got fired, John Mara hired John Harbaugh, and Harbaugh has a ton of juice and some of his own people in the building, including defensive coordinator Don Martindale. Pelissero said the rumor volume around the Giants reflects that power dynamic still settling.

Caleb Downs, if you take positional value out of it, is a sensible pick at five. Pelissero had a scout tell him Downs is the safest player in the entire draft. But a 5'11 safety without dominant traits at number five? Hard to justify for some. Sonny Styles is a case too. Wide receiver is possible. Pelissero said he doesn't think any of the receivers, including Carnell Tate and Jordan Tyson at Arizona State, is a slam-dunk top-five pick.

Rich pressed on who has the final say in the Giants' draft room. Pelissero's answer was nuanced. Harbaugh contractually has a great deal of say over the roster. Schoen runs the personnel department. The final say question gets overblown. It's really about the dynamics and the conversations leading up to the pick. GMs almost never pull rank. You see people walk out of draft rooms occasionally when it goes sideways, but that's rare.

Pelissero's read: Schoen is not going to pick a player Harbaugh does not want. There's no chance of that. They're navigating this together. Harbaugh's contract and the authority built into it suggest he has a strong voice across all aspects. Teams that have dealt with the Giants on trades and contracts have noticed the ambiguity about who is truly in charge.

One final wrinkle. Pelissero said one source floated Jeremiah Love to the Giants at five if he somehow falls past Arizona and Tennessee. Pair him with Cam Skattebo in the backfield. Pelissero isn't sold, but noted that at five you don't draft for need, you draft the best football player available. Love qualifies.