NFL Draft: 'Overwhelming sense' Sam Darnold goes No. 1; Giants 'intrigued' at No. 2

Things are starting to heat up with only a few weeks left before the 2018 NFL Draft. USC's Sam Darnold's stock appears to be rising with speculation growing he's this year's first pick. Cleveland Browns may have narrowed their search to Darnold while the New York Giants could be interested at No. 2.

There has been plenty of speculation regarding which player will be taken with the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. However, the consensus indicates that it will undoubtedly be a quarterback given the Cleveland Browns' desire for a potential franchise signal-caller.

Headlining the list of quarterbacks in this year's draft is USC's Sam Darnold. According to ESPN's Jeff Darlington, Darnold suggested that the New York Giants are seemingly intrigued at the prospect of taking him as well:

Darnold just told us on NFL Live he met Monday with the Giants and Tuesday with the Browns. Asked if he sensed the Giants are in play at No. 2, Darnold said he doesn’t know their plans but that they seemed “intrigued.”

Overwhelming sense out here, though, is that Darnold goes 1.

The Giants have made it clear the Eli Manning will be their man under center for the time being. However, they have long been without a potential replacement for Manning as their future franchise quarterback.

That said, it seems New York may be willing to use some serious assets in order to make sure they secure Darnold. The Giants already own the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft, which means they may have to give up additional picks just to move up one spot. Needless to say, the gamble may be worth it at this point.

Darnold caught plenty of flak for not throwing at this year's Scouting Combine. The decision nearly backfired with the weather in Los Angeles experiencing some unusual weather conditions during his Pro Day at USC. Fortunately, it worked out in his favor as his performance in the rain essentially solidified his status as the best quarterback in the draft.