Former Giants WR paves down Arch Manning's path to saving New York's future
Former NFL wideout Victor Cruz believes Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning could be the savior for the New York Giants. Cruz, who won the Super Bowl with the Giants in 2012, also wants the franchise to tank next season to land Manning in the 2026 NFL draft.
Now an analyst at ESPN, Cruz sat down for an interview with SiriusXM NFL radio this week and explained why the Giants should go about luring Manning.
"The Giants should approach the 2025 NFL draft and with a tanking mentality so they can be in line to pick QB Arch Manning at the top of the draft in 2026." Cruz said via SportingNews.com.
The Giants have struggled with Daniel Jones as their quarterback this season, and are at the bottom of the NFC East with a 2-8 record heading into Week 12. On Monday, the team announced that Jones would be benched in favor of Tommy DeVito.
Since the Giants are not expected to get into the playoffs, they can look toward next year's draft to build a team. However, Cruz suggested that New York should tank next season as well to prioritize landing Manning from Texas.
However, there is a belief that Manning might remain at Texas for two more years and potentially enter the draft in 2027, which could hamper the Giants' plans for the quarterback.
Arch Manning advised to remain at Texas for two years as starter
Earlier this month, reports claimed that agents and scouts have advised Arch Manning to play two years as a starter in college before declaring for the NFL draft. This is primarily because NFL teams want the readymade product, and are not aiming to nurture quarterbacks at the pro level.
Manning is currently the backup to Quinn Ewers at Texas. However, he is set to get the starting role for the team next season. Although Manning is eligible to enter the 2026 draft, he could extend his stint with the Longhorns for an extra year based on the advice of scouts and agents.
This season, Manning has thrown for 939 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions. He also has 81 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Manning started two games for the Longhorns while Ewers was injured and has a 2-0 record as a starter.