antoine winfield

New York Giants: 3 round mock draft to fix the defense

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New York Giants, Julian Okwara

The New York Giants have holes left to fill despite allocating plenty of money toward the defense this free agency period. Signing James Bradberry and Blake Martinez was supposed to sure-up the cornerback and linebacker position, but those weren’t the only deficiencies the Giants faced in 2019.

The upcoming NFL draft represents an opportunity for GM Dave Gettleman to finally build a worthwhile defense, something the team hasn’t had in quite some time.

A three-round mock draft to fix the New York Giants’ defense:

1.) 4th overall

This is an easy one — Isaiah Simmons is the only option for the Giants a 4th with the assumption that Chase Young is off the board. Simmons is a self-proclaimed “defender” and can transform the defense into a more productive unit. His ability to play in the slot, mid-high safety, stop the run and rush the passer gives defensive coordinator Patrick Graham a player he can have fun with.

Simmons record 8.0 sacks and 16.5 tackles for a loss in 2019, proving he can collapse the pocket and get into the offense’s backfield. As one of the most physically gifted and intelligent (football IQ) players entering the draft, the Giants can’t miss on him, especially since Gettleman has never drafted an offensive lineman in the first round of a draft.

2.) 36th overall 

Here’s a bit of a different selection — Antoine Winfield Jr., out of Minnesota. Winfield is a stellar free safety ball hawk who can fill a void in the secondary the Giants have left open for years. Last season, they attempted to fill the hole with Antoine Bethea, who was awful in coverage and allowed seven touchdown passes.

The Minnesota product is a gritty football player with average athleticism and size, but he’s instinctually gifted and is in the right spot at the right time. A good coach who can improve his open-field tackling could make him a staple in the Giants’ defensive backfield for years to come. His seven interceptions, two forced fumbles, and 62 combined tackles should tell you everything you need to know about the stud safety.

3.) 99th overall

The Giants address the pass-rush position with Julian Okwara at 99 overall, filling a gap that was left in free agency after the team passed on Jadeveon Clowney and Markus Golden. There’s still time to sign a pass rusher, but Big Blue has minimal funds remaining, and the draft seems like a reasonable allocation toward finding another player.

Okwara is an intriguing prospect who has flashed talent at times but has struggled against the run and has picked up some injuries along the way. As the brother of former Giants, Romeo Okwara, he would bring a familiar aura around the facilities, but he’s still a raw talent with room to grow.

The Notre Dame product followed up a great 2018 campaign with a lackluster 2019, which saw his production topple after a broken leg ended his season early. Luckily, a broken bone will heal entirely, and it wasn’t a ligament issue. He can become a bigger, stronger player over time, and taking a flier on him at No. 99 would be a solid move.

Could the New York Giants find their starting free safety in the second round of the draft?

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New York Giants, Antoine Winfield Jr.

With the release of Antoine Bethea, the New York Giants have a void at the free safety position. They could travel down several avenues in their quest to filling the job with a quality player — a position that has lacked talent for years now.

Bethea struggled in coverage in 2019, recording just one interception, which came within five yards of the line of scrimmage against the Dallas Cowboys. His 72.5 completion percentage is inadequate. He allowed 497 yards and seven scores, yes, you read that right, seven touchdowns.

The Giants need to upgrade this spot along with the offensive tackle and pass rusher position, and they could look to the draft to fill all of these voids.

The draft does offer one quality free safety at the top of the second round in Minnesota’s Antoine Winfield.

Winfield is a ball-hawk style of player who can fill a serious gap in the secondary, and the Giants know all about bad secondary efficiency.

What would Antoine Winfield bring to the New York Giants?

While the Minnesota product isn’t the tallest or most athletic player, he’s quick and has the tenacity to play at the NFL level. His balance and strength make him a great option at the free safety position, and while the Giants draft Julian Love last year in the fourth round to potentially fill that hole, creating competition is always a positive thing.

Love can also play slot corner along with Grant Haley if they elect to draft Winfield, establishing a young secondary with plenty of potential to work with.

The biggest knock on Winfield is that his lack of elite athleticism hinders his ability to tackle efficiently, meaning he will need impeccable fundamentals in the NFL. New head coach Joe Judge harps on having great fundamentals, so this could be a perfect match moving forward.  The Giants do have other needs, though, as offensive tackle and pass rusher remains the most significant needs.