Perhaps praise of Giants general manager Dave Gettleman’s haul from the 2018 NFL Draft class was just a bit premature.

Gettleman was lauded for his selections of running back Saquon Barkley, offensive guard Will Hernandez, defensive lineman B.J. Hill, outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter, quarterback Kyle Lauletta and defensive end R.J. McIntosh.

“New GM Dave Gettleman just nailed it," wrote USA Today.

“Praise yet another team for eschewing the temptation of gambling on tomorrow’s quarterback and instead building a contender around the smart veteran it has today," was the takeaway from MMQB.

“What a monster first draft in New York for Dave Gettleman," Sporting News raved.

For posterity’s sake, Lauletta was released following his sophomore training camp and a rookie season where he only played 19 snaps, Hill went from leading the team with 5.5 sacks last to failing to log a sack in 10 games this season, and Barkley was held to just one yard rushing against the Jets.

Ouch.

How many of those above outlets would like a mea culpa right now?

To be fair, it typically takes three seasons to make a full and thorough evaluation of any draft class, but Gettleman’s 2018 class is more than halfway to that point after 10 weeks into its sophomore campaign.

A class that entered with high expectations that were matched by instant production from several players such as Offensive Rookie of The Year Saquon Barkley, defensive lineman B.J. Hill and outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter has seen a stark regression in Year 2 that muddles some of the optimism that the Giants’ overdue rebuild has nearly as strong a foundation as many believed even at this time one year ago.

Below is a status report of Gettleman’s first rookie class during what is largely a disappointing second season. To get a scout’s opinion, NJ Advance Media spoke to former Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs and Washington Redskins scout Dan Shonka, who is currently the lead NFL scout for Ourlads:

Round 1: RB Saquon Barkley

2018 stats: 261 carries for 1,307 yards and 11 touchdowns, 91 catches for 721 yards and 4 touchdowns

2019 stats: 101 carries for 402 yards and 2 touchdowns, 33 catches for 258 yards and 1 touchdown

Barkley’s season has largely been derailed by a Week 3 high-ankle sprain suffered against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After opening the season with a pair of 100+ yard rushing performances, Barkley hasn’t surpassed 100 yards on the ground since the injury and is averaging just 2.57 yards per carry over his last four games against the Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys and Jets. The Jets held Barkley to just 1 yard on 13 carries.

It is unclear how much of Barkley’s dip in production is due to lingering effects of the injury, which has caused a tentative running style or the ineffectiveness of the offensive line. However, it is becoming clear that the Giants’ best chance of giving Barkley the opportunity to break off a big play is in the passing game.

Scout’s take: “Barkley has taken multiple steps backward in his sophomore campaign because of a high ankle sprain and a porous offensive line. Despite clearly being one of the most dynamic running backs in the league, head coach Pat Shurmur has had trouble getting him the ball in space.”

Round 2: LG Will Hernandez

2018 PFF grade: 38th ranked OG in NFL, 65.8 overall, 73.1 pass block grade, 60 run block grade

2019 PFF grade: 34th ranked OG in NFL, 61 overall, 76.9 pass block grade, 46.5 run block grade

Hernandez is the most important player not named Barkley from last year’s draft class. Rebuilding the offensive line has become a multi-season undertaking for Gettleman, but Hernandez was expected to be a foundational piece to those efforts.

At times Hernandez has played at a Pro Bowl level, but he had a subpar performance against the Jets, and ranks as Pro Football Focus’ 34th rated offensive guard in the NFL. However, Hernandez’s regression as a run-blocker has been dramatic, and a contributing factor in Barkley’s struggles. Through the first 26 games of his career, Hernandez looks like a starting caliber offensive lineman, but not yet a great one.

Scout’s take: “Hernandez is a powerful force in the running game but continues to struggle against pass rushers that move well laterally.”

Round 3: DL B.J. Hill

2018 stats: 48 tackles, 5.5 sacks

2019 stats: 26 tackles

Hill has been the odd man out since the Giants traded for defensive end Leonard Williams.

Prior to the Giants acquiring Williams, Hill appeared in an average of 55.8 percent of the defensive snaps, but has seen his playing time cut dramatically to an average of just 25 percent of snaps the past two weeks. If the goal of any draft class is to acquire starter caliber players in the first three rounds, Hill is failing to live up to that benchmark and will likely see his ceiling as the No. 3 or No. 4 defensive end in the 2020 rotation.

Scout’s take: “Hill’s playing time has been inconsistent in year two which has led to a quiet year.”

Round 3: OLB Lorenzo Carter

2018 stats: 43 tackles, 4 sacks, 7 tackles for loss, 10 QB hits

2019 stats: 33 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, 8 QB hits

The Giants had high hopes that Carter would take a monumental leap forward from his strong rookie season and become the focal point of a rejuvenated pass rush. Through 10 weeks, that simply hasn’t happened.

Carter has been a solid, if not unspectacular player, but he has been overshadowed in the pass rush by free agent addition Markus Golden and has struggled at times in pass coverage. According to Pro Football Focus, Carter is the 45th ranked edge defender in the NFL, with a strong 69.7 overall grade but a pedestrian 58.1 pass rush mark.

Scout’s take: “Carter has an impressive set of tools that still lead many to the hope of upside and potential, but he hasn’t quite gotten over the hump yet.”

Round 4: QB Kyle Lauletta

2018 stats: 0-for-5 passing with 1 interception

The Giants released Lauletta this summer. He ultimately landed on the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad, but Lauletta’s will likely be remembered by the Giants and their fans for his arrest for a traffic violation prior to the bye week, which likely played a contributing factor in head coach Pat Shurmur’s decision not to play him more than 19 snaps or give him a reasonable chance to emerge as Eli Manning’s successor. Getting nothing of substance out of a fourth-round pick could stunt the rebuild for years to come.

Round 5: DL R.J. McIntosh

2018 stats: 5 tackles, 1 QB knockdown, 1 QB pressure

2019 stats: 10 tackles, 1 sack

McIntosh missed all of training camp and the first 10 games of his rookie season due to an illness the Giants discovered last spring. Once activated, McIntosh saw limited playing time, appearing in only 5.93 percent of the Giants’ defensive snaps. Despite barely cracking the defensive end rotation, McIntosh showed some promise, logging a quarterback knockdown and pressure.

This season, McIntosh has played sparingly, appearing in only 13 percent of the Giants’ defensive snaps. While his production has already doubled from last season, McIntosh is a virtual non-factor on defense, and could face an uphill battle just to make the roster in 2020 if the Giants are able to re-sign recently acquired end Leonard Williams and take a pass rusher early in next spring’s draft such as Ohio State’s Chase Young.

Scout’s take: “He has been a steady part of the rotation along the crowded Giants defensive line but hasn’t stood out”

Matt Lombardo may be reached at MLombardo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattLombardoNFL