There is no need for Pat Shurmur to start scouting Ohio State’s Chase Young.
It is either Shurmur or Young — probably not both — for the Giants in 2020.
Any path to Shurmur returning for a third season as head coach requires a win Sunday against the Redskins, who, like the Giants, own a 3-11 record. But the winner of the NFC East’s battle for the basement will slide down in the draft order and likely out of the sweepstakes for the best pass-rusher available.
The Giants beat the Dolphins without doing any damage to their hold on the No. 2 pick because they hold the tiebreaker based on a weaker opponents’ winning percentage. But a fourth win could bump the Giants behind the Redskins, Dolphins and Lions.
“I’m not looking at draft players now, and my coaches aren’t unless they’re doing it and I don’t know about it,” Shurmur said. “I don’t think that’s the case. We sort of get connected to the draft as we get ready for the Senior Bowl. That’s the first real big event that starts the coaches’ intimate involvement with the draftable players.”
Under different circumstances, with a late-season bye and elimination from playoff contention official by Dec. 1, maybe a coaching staff could split its focus between the present and the future, though Shurmur said that has not happened anywhere he has been during a 20-year NFL career.
Giants co-owner John Mara told The Post he will wait until the end of the season to publicly comment on team matters. Shurmur said he has not received any message of what can be done in the final two weeks to qualify as the “improvement” Mara wanted to see in 2019 and make a case for keeping his job.
“None of those conversations,” Shurmur said. “No.”
Pass-rusher isn’t the only need for the Giants. Offensive tackles Andrew Thomas and Tristan Wirfs, wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, cornerback Jeff Okudah and defensive end A.J. Espensa all are consensus top-10 picks who could be Day 1 starters.
“We certainly are all football fans,” Shurmur said. “On Fridays and Saturdays in between meetings in the morning and the afternoon, we tend to follow college football, so we know about some of the better players in college ball. We’re aware of it from last year’s draft who might be a player that we’d be interested in. But in terms of studying them intimately, no, none of that.”
Cornerback DeAndre Baker missed two series against the Dolphins with a knee injury but returned to action. Shurmur called it “game soreness,” but that is the same term he initially used to describe the high ankle sprain that sidelined quarterback Daniel Jones for two games so far and for other season-ending injuries.
Making his first career start at right guard in place of the injured Kevin Zeitler, Nick Gates had a strong game that included a clear-out block on Saquon Barkley’s second touchdown run. The undrafted second-year pro, who missed all of last season, also started at right tackle earlier this season.
“He did a nice job, and I’m not surprised by it,” Shurmur said. “When he played against the Jets, his man didn’t touch the quarterback, he was productive in the run game, and he played at tackle. He’s a steady performer and he’s got a bright future.”
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