The New York Giants will have 12 selections in the up-coming NFL Draft. How will they attack the draft?
There’s no team that needs to have a better 2019 NFL Draft than the New York Giants.
The fan base is still disgruntled after trading Odell Beckham Jr. and with the fact their team has lost over 10 games each of the last two seasons.
At this point, the only way to prove to the fans that Dave Gettleman and company have a plan is to master the upcoming draft.
With 12 draft picks to work with the Giants have the ability to reload with young talent that can help the team wins for years to come.
Here’s a seven round mock draft that could lead to the Giants finding their next championship core.
Round One, 6th Overall: Montez Sweat, EDGE Mississippi State:
According to multiple reports, the Giants prefer a pass rusher over a quarterback with the sixth overall pick.
If the Giants go that route they should select Montez Sweat out of Mississippi State as players such as Nick Bosa and Josh Allen will likely be off the board.
Sweat is exceptionally long at 6’5 and set a record with a 4.41 40-yard dash time which ranked best all-time among defensive lineman.
Round One, 17th Overall: Daniel Jones, QB Duke:
Assuming the Giants don’t trade for Josh Rosen, they should still be looking to find Eli Manning’s eventual successor in the first round.
With Kyler Murray, Dwayne Haskins and probably Drew Lock off the board at pick 17 New York should turn their attention to Duke’s Daniel Jones.
Jones is very similar to Manning in the sense he has a big-time arm and is even one inch taller at 6-5. Jones threw for over 2,600 yards in each of his three seasons at Duke and proved he can make all the throws needed to succeed in the NFL.
Round Two, 37th Overall: Dalton Risner, OT Kansas State:
Despite losing Landon Collins and trading away Beckham, there’s no doubt the Giants have improved their offensive line by adding Kevin Zeitler and re-signing their two centers.
The one open spot on the Giants offensive line is at right tackle, and Dalton Risner of Kansas State would be the perfect fit.
Risner turned heads at the senior bowl and is among the most physical offensive tackles in this year’s draft. Dave Gettleman loves beefing up his offensive line, and Risner can do that.
Round Three, 95th Overall: Mecole Hardman, WR Georgia
Even with the addition of Golden Tate the Giants need to draft another wide receiver to help fill the void left by Beckham Jr.
Though due to this year’s wide receiving class being one of the best in recent memory the Giants can afford to wait until the third line where they could find someone such as Mecole Hardman from Georgia.
Hardman has the blazing speed which the Giants don’t currently have at the receiver position.
With Sterling Sheppard set to hit the open market next off-season Hardman could find himself one of the Giants top two options as soon as 2020.
Round Four, 108th Overall: Bobby Okereke, LB Stanford
The inside linebacker position has always been one the Giants have struggled at.
Alec Ogletree isn’t bad but BJ Goodson has not lived up the team’s expectations. Thus, the Giants should look to find a linebacker who can eventually take Goodson’s starting job.
Bobby Okereke out of Stanford seems to be the ideal prospect. The Stanford grade made 94 tackles in his senior season of 2018 and is known to be a talented tackler.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QhRD69Yy5Q
Round Five, 133rd Overall: Micheal Jackson, CB Miami (FL)
One of the most glaring holes on the Giants roster is at cornerback. The Giants traded former first-rounder Eli Apple at last year’s trade deadline and lost B.W. Webb to free agency.
Outside of Janoris Jenkins, the Giants have no trusted corners. In a deep defensive back class, the Giants can find a potential starter in the fourth round by selecting Micheal Jackson out of Miami. Jackson defended six passes in 2019 and even recorded 2.5 sacks. Though he did not record an interception in 2018, he did have four in 2017.
Thus, he’s a proven ball hawk and is unafraid to step in and help stop the run and get to the quarterback.
Round Five, 142nd Overall: Dontavius Russell, DT Auburn
The Giants have a solid run-stopping duo in B.J. Hill and Dalvin Tomlinson, but neither are three down players. New York traded away Damon Snacks Harrison; thus, they have a need for a third nose tackle.
Auburn’s Dontavius Russel would provide New York with a 320-pound nose tackle who was at times dominant against the run. Russell recorded 153 total tackles with 17 coming for a loss in four seasons with the Tigers.
In his Junior season of 2017, he recorded a carer-high 46 total tackles and three sacks. Adding another big body up front would improve New York’s trench play which has cost them several games the past two seasons.
Round Five, 143rd Overall: Mike Edwards, S Kentucky
After allowing Landon Collins to walk as a free agent, the Giants traded for Jabril Peppers and signed Antoine Bethea. However, the future of the safety position is very much in question.
With Bethea 34 he is not a long term solution to fill one of the two safety spots. Kentucky’s Mike Edwards could be a potentially perfect fit to fill his shoes in the starting lineup one day.
Edwards has a nose for the football as he was tackling machine for the Wildcats recording at least 80 tackles each of the last three seasons including 100 in 2016.
In addition, the safety grabbed 10 carer interceptions in four seasons at Kentucky. Adding a ball-hawking safety would be huge for a Giants defense looking to create more turnovers in 2019.
Round Five, 171st Overall: Derrick Baity, CB Kentucky
New York’s depth at cornerback is so thin that they would greatly benefit from drafting two corners. A second member of the Kentucky secondary could turn out to be a major steal for the Giants.
Derrick Baity is among the longest corners in this year’s draft. At 6-3 Baity has long arms that help him break up passes and even grab interceptions. Baity defended 25 passes and grabbed six interceptions in his four years at Kentucky.
With the Giants needing bodies at cornerback adding both Jackson and Baity in the same draft would be a huge success.
Round Six, 180th Overall: Drew Sample, TE Washington
The Giants have a star at tight end in Evan Engram but could benefit from adding a complementary piece at the position.
New York has both Rhett Ellison and Scott Simonson on the roster, but Ellison is a potential cap casualty come training camp as he’s due 4.5 million to be mostly a blocking tight end in 2019.
Washington’s Drew Sample could be a perfect replacement if the Giants do cut Ellison. Sample hauled in 25 catches for 252 yards in 2018 for the Huskies. At 6-5 he can be utilized to both downfield to catch the ball and up front to create holes for Saquon Barkley.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRGY8kUTmlQ
Round Seven, 232nd Overall: Garrett Brumfield, OG LSU
The Giants have two quality starts at guard in Zeitler and Will Hernandez but if were one to get injured the Giants don’t have all too much depth.
Garrett Brumfield out of LSU could help provide that.
Brumfield battled injuries at times while at LSU was as solid as anyone in the SEC at the guard position in his four years with the Tigers.
Round Seven, 245th Overall: Travis Homer, RB Miami (FL)
Last year the Giants were hoping to have a backfield consisting of Barkley, Wayne Gallman, and Johnathan Stewart. Instead, it was just Barkley and Gallman as Stewart missed the entire season with an injury and then was released.
Thus since they have 12 draft picks taking a running back in the late rounds makes sense.
Miami’s Travis Homer ran for over 960 yards the past two seasons and also racked in over 180 yards in the passing game.
