“We feel we got three guys who are going to impact this franchise for a long time,” Gettleman said.

But Jones was the choice that garnered the most attention, both for the reaction to his selection and for the transition he potentially represents, and he could come to define Gettleman’s tenure as general manager. That was why the Giants wanted to make sure that Manning, the 38-year-old veteran who has led the team to two Super Bowl titles, heard about it from them first.

Gettleman said he had told Manning on the phone that he remained the starting quarterback, and he later told reporters that Manning was “fine” with the choice, even though it could hasten his departure and possibly ignite a quarterback controversy in the short term. Manning and Gettleman are both aware that because the Giants drafted Jones so high — passing on the more pressing need for an elite pass rusher in the process — there will be considerable pressure to see what Jones can do.

Whether that comes during a losing streak in 2019 with Manning struggling, at the start of the 2020 season or perhaps later, Gettleman would not say. But he made it abundantly clear how enamored he was with Jones, for both his mental acuity and his physical talent.

“I loved him on film,” Gettleman said. “I absolutely was in full-bloom love.”

Many of the Giants fans who went to MetLife Stadium to watch the draft did not share Gettleman’s passion for Jones, and they vented their displeasure as soon as the pick was announced. The reaction from commentators and fans on Twitter and football message boards was quick, and uniformly negative.