The Charles Cross buzz could be strategic subterfuge by the Giants. It could be accurate pre-draft intel. Or perhaps it falls somewhere in the middle, as these things often do.
Whatever the truth is, it figures to have an outsized role in defining general manager Joe Schoen’s first NFL draft.
If Schoen is truly enamored with Cross, he will waste no time jumping into the fire with a gutsy pick. If it’s only, say, half-bloom love, it gives the Giants valuable flexibility. And if it’s a complete misdirection, Schoen may end up manipulating the board to his advantage in a way his predecessors never could.