No matter what happens in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, only 10 players can be taken before the Giants pick 11th. So when so many draft fans (you know who you are) shout, there at number 11! ”When one of these Mock Draft exercises takes place, sometimes it is a right feeling and often it is not.
For those who can’t understand this player or that player on the board when the Giants are on the clock, take a deep breath. There should be at least four defenders taken in the first 10 elections. After that, almost anything works.
The thinking here is that the Giants are determined to continue to improve the league’s 31st offensive offense and that emphasis that will flow in the early stages of this three-day event.
For this Giants Mock Draft 3.0, for the second week in a row I used the Pro Football Network simulator, after going with the Pro Football Focus simulator for Mock Draft 1.0. Done, set, select:
Round 1 (No. 11) – WR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
Previous elections: He staggered; EDGE Azeez Ojulari, Georgia.
Why a wide receiver after opening the safe in the free agency for Kenny Golladay? Waddle is a completely different cat, closest to Tyreek Hill, ball in hand, explosive in this project. In this simulation, Kyle Pitts, the offensive attack of Pena Sewell and Rashawn Slater, the enlargements of Ja’Marr Chase and DeVonta Smith and the defender Patrick Surtain II disappeared and were not available for the Giants. There is talk of striker Christian Darrisaw and defender Micah Parsons, but Waddle wins, based on the skill set he offers and the strong desire to surround Daniel Jones with as many weapons as possible.
Round 2 (No. 42) – EDGE Jaelan Phillips, Miami
Previous elections: LB Zaven Collins, Tulsa; WR Kadarius Toney, Florida.
Inject “What an NFL Cursor Looks Like” in the formula and Phillips’ physique could be the result. This 6-foot-6, 260-kilogram edge noise has all the goods. It had eight bags in 2020 and can look like a beast in the field. Why did he get into the second round? He has a funky medical history that needs to be explored carefully. In fact, he retired from football after his second concussion at UCLA, before reevaluating and transferring. The giants need what Phillips offers and they take the bet.
Round 3 (No. 76) – OL Spencer Brown, Northern Iowa
Previous elections: DL Milton Williams, Louisiana Tech; OL Quinn Meinerz, Wisconsin-Whitewater.
This towering attack (6-foot-8) can and will add in bulk to his 311-pound frame and is an athlete – he played tight and defensive in high school before turning into the offensive line. He made 14 starts on correct attacks in 2019 (he didn’t play in 2020 when his program entered a spring program) and brings development and competition potential for beginners for Matt Peart.
Round 4 (No. 116) – OL Kendrick Green, Illinois
Previous elections: Green; DT Tyler Shelvin, LSU.
Offensive back lines back? Why not? Green plays inside and could appear as a tough and ugly guard at the next level. Not to forget, Will Hernandez enters the last year with his contract and was signed by this Giants coaching staff in 2020.
Round 6 (No. 196 in general) – S JaCoby Stevens, LSU
Previous elections: EDGE Malcolm Koonce, Buffalo; Stevens.
Is it, at 6 feet-1 and 212 pounds, an undersized backbacker or an oversized fuse? The Giants will hand that puzzle to their defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham. Stevens does his best work closer to the line of scrimmage – he had 21.5 career approaches to losing to the Tigers.
Round 6 (No. 201 in general) – CB Tre Brown, Oklahoma
Previous elections: LB Ernest Jones, South Carolina; LB Justin Hilliard, Ohio.
As the Giants try to smooth out rough edges in defense and turn Brown into a corner of the NFL slot, they’ll stick him in their special team units, where he’s a tireless and aggressive gunner and cover demon.