George R.R. Martin, Like Everyone Else, Didn’t Get The Giants Drafting Daniel Jones

It’s been a big week in the world of George R.R. Martin. The most obvious reason why has to do with Game of Thrones airing its biggest episode ever on Sunday night, and while Martin hasn’t gotten to writing out what happens in the final two books of A Song of Ice and Fire yet, he is the show’s co-executive producer.

Outside of the world of Westeros, Martin followed along with the NFL Draft, which isn’t a surprise, because he’s a football fan and every football fan cares way too much about the draft. Martin, a New Jersey native, is a fan of both the Giants and the Jets, and as he’s wont to do, he took to his blog to give his thoughts on the franchises.

In happier news, he was happy the Jets took Quinnen Williams, the mountain of a man along the defensive line from Alabama. While he had some reservations about taking a defensive tackle when they needed an end — he preferred Josh Allen out of Kentucky — Martin believed this was “a very solid pick.”

Then there’s the Giants, which stunned everyone by taking Duke quarterback Daniel Jones at No. 6 overall. Martin would have strongly preferred Dwayne Haskins out of Ohio State. His logic is that Haskins was better than Jones at football in college, which, in my opinion, is a good reason. Behold, this is what happens when one of the world’s most celebrated fiction writers turns his wrath onto an NFL team’s roster construction.

Daniel Jones from Duke at number six? Yes, they need a young quarterback to groom as Eli’s successor. But Dwayne Haskins was right there. Why not him? I don’t follow college ball, but by every measurable Haskins is way better than Jones. Jones threw 52 TDs in three years at Duke, Haskins threw 50 in one year at Ohio State. Within fewer interceptions. Against much tougher opposition. Dave Gettleman must have seen something in Jones that no one else could see. But even if you accept that, taking him at six seems insane. He would have been there at 17. Why not take Josh Allen or one of the other defensive studs at 6, and Jones at 17? Makes much more sense. Who else was going to nab him? The Skins? The Skins preferred Haskins, that was common knowledge. Everyone in the world except the G-Men preferred Haskins, so far as I can see.

Every point here is pretty fair, and while the draft is a crapshoot, it’s fair to question exactly what the Giants saw that led them to this decision. Martin tossed together more takes about the Giants’ other two first-round selections — Clemson DT Dexter Lawrence (“It sounds like Snacks Harrison to me.”) and Georgia CB Deandre Baker (” They need good cornerbacks in the worst way.”) — but nothing will match the fury with which he carved up Big Blue for going with Jones at No. 6.

Then again, Giants GM Dave Gettleman said this happened, so really, who’s to say if the pick was good or not.

It is safe to assume that fan was not George R.R. Martin.