Brevin Jordan

New York Giants: Offensive playmakers to target in the middle rounds

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New York Giants, Amari Rodgers

The New York Giants spent big in free agency this offseason to give quarterback Daniel Jones a competent stable of offensive weapons. New York gave Kenny Golladay a massive contract to be the Giants’ new alpha dog receiver. They also signed Kevin Rudolph to be a reliable tight end with the ability to make plays in the red zone.

But many get the sense that the Giants are not done adding playmakers this offseason. With three weeks until the 2021 NFL Draft, many still believe that the Giants will spend their first-round pick on an offensive weapon if the right one is on the board. But even if New York goes another route in round one, there are plenty of options on offense for them to consider adding in the middle rounds.

Mid-round offensive playmakers

Dyami Brown

UNC’s Dyami Brown is an intriguing option for the Giants to consider. This 6-foot-1, 185-pound wide receiver has drawn comparisons to Giants route technician Sterling Shepard. Dyami Brown is a dynamic outside wide receiver that racked up over 1,000 receiving yards in back-to-back seasons for the Tar Heels.

Brown’s draft stock has him projected to go in the second or third round of the draft. Dyami to the Giants in round three would be an absolute steal if he falls to them. But taking him in round two is a safe bet. Primarily playing the X receiver role in college, Dyami Brown is an outside, vertical threat that has elite upside. He does not have any slot experience, but his skill set of great route running and physicality could translate and allow him to thrive in that role at the next level.

Dyami Brown is a playmaker. He hauled in 20 touchdowns over his final two collegiate seasons. Per Pro Football Focus, Brown averaged 3.11 yards per route run last season, 14th among 68 qualifying draft-eligible wide receivers. Dyami is an intriguing wide receiver prospect that could turn the New York Giants’ offense into a dominant machine.

Brevin Jordan

Miami tight end Brevin Jordan had a disappointing Pro Day that could cause him to slip in the 2021 NFL Draft. But on film, Jordan is one of the more explosive tight ends in this draft class. Brevin Jordan has elite abilities after the catch with the ball in his hands. According to PFF, Jordan racked up 845 yards after the catch in his collegiate career.

Brevin is an undersized tight end that is a dynamic matchup weapon. But his Pro Day left a lot to be desired as Jordan’s RAS score came back at a lowly 4.52 out of 10. This is concerning considering many viewed Jordan as more “big athlete” than an actual tight end.

Brevin Jordan’s disappointing Pro Day could indicate a few things. It could indicate a fall in draft stock, causing him to slip and be a solid value selection for the Giants in the later middle rounds. But it could also indicate that Brevin is not the athlete many thought he was, or that he was not able to keep himself in shape and train properly for his Pro Day. If Jordan does have athletic or training problems, he could struggle to make it in the NFL. But there was enough electric play by Brevin Jordan during his collegiate career to make him a valuable mid-late-round pickup for any NFL team.

Amari Rodgers

The New York Giants cut veteran Golden Tate this offseason to save salary cap space. In the 2021 NFL Draft, the Giants could replace Golden Tate with his clone in Amari Rodgers. The two wide receivers have a near-identical playing style, a style that Daniel Jones greatly enjoyed playing with during his 2019 rookie season.

Golden Tate was a YAC king with a shorter body and a stocky frame. Amari Rodgers is in many ways the same. He has a running back build paired with quality route-running skills and an impressive catch radius for his size. Amari Rodgers thrived in 2020 as the primary receiver in Clemson’s explosive offense, racking up 1,020 receiving yards and 7 receiving touchdowns.

Amari Rodgers’s draft stock has hovered around the third or fourth round. Despite finding great success in an SEC offense, many have questions regarding Amari’s frame and how his skill set will translate to the NFL. Some have suggested that Amari moves to running back at the next level. But as a low-cost player for the Giants to take a flier on in the middle rounds, it is hard not to see the young Golden Tate similarities and fall in love with Amari Rodgers’s fit in New York.

New York Giants: Kyle Pitts not the only tight end draft choice to consider

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New York Giants, Brevin Jordan

The New York Giants are focusing on improving their offense this offseason. Heading into the 2020 regular season, fans were fairly optimistic about the future of the Giants’ offense. There was a lot of excitement surrounding players such as Saquon Barkley, Darius Slayton, and Evan Engram.

Unfortunately, Barkley tore his ACL in Week 2 and missed most of the season. Darius Slayton struggled to stand out consistently and seems to have fallen into a secondary wide receiver role. Tight end Evan Engram was expected to have a big breakout season. This was the first year where Evan Engram was able to stay healthy and play in all sixteen games. Unfortunately, Engram did not break through the ceiling as most fans expected him to.

Evan’s role expanded significantly in 2020. He was often the first read and primary target in Jason Garrett’s play calls. Engram was targeted 109 times this season. He only found the end zone twice this year, though, and had a total of 11 drops on the year. Six passes that targeted Engram were intercepted this year and he lost a fumble.

Evan Engram was a bad-play magnet this past season. Of course, he still flashed his potential with some incredible performances, like in Week 12 against the Bengals where he totaled 129 receiving yards. But fans are frustrated with the Giants’ offensive ineptitude and aggravated with Evan Engram’s inconsistent and sometimes damaging performances. This has led many fans and analysts alike to mock stud UF tight end, Kyle Pitts, to the Giants with the eleventh overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

But how likely is it that the Giants actually draft a tight end in the first round and cast Evan Engram aside? It might not be a realistic possibility, though it would be one exciting draft selection. However, there are a couple of other tight end options that the Giants might consider further in the second or third rounds of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Pat Freiermuth

If it were not for Kyle Pitts’s breakout 2020 season, it is highly likely that Penn State tight end Pat Freiermuth would have been the top-ranked tight end on the 2021 NFL Draft board. Couple Pitts’s breakout with Freiermuth’s injury-riddled 2020 season, and now analysts are looking at the Penn State product as a second-round lock.

The ceiling is high for Pat Freiermuth. He has drawn comparisons to legendary tight end Rob Gronkowski. Pat even sports the nickname “Baby Gronk” for his violent playing style in college and menacing physical demeanor. In 2018 and 2019, Freiermuth scored a combined total of 15 touchdowns. He was a scoring machine in those seasons and was continuing his career with another impressive season in 2020 before it was cut short.

Probably Pat Freiermuth’s biggest red flag is his injury history. Pat injured his shoulder four games into the 2020 season. The injury required surgery and he missed the rest of the season. This injury has hurt Freiermuth’s draft stock. But this injury and draft stock tumble could make Pat Freiermuth an option for the Giants in the second round.

Brevin Jordan

Another tight end option that could be a target for the Giants in the third or fourth round is Brevin Jordan from Miami. Brevin Jordan is an athletic tight end that is dangerous with the ball in his hands. Jordan has speed and agility that makes him a matchup nightmare for opposing linebackers in man coverage.

Brevin Jordan is another player that had a breakout 2020 season. This past year, Brevin established himself as a true offensive weapon for Miami. The U’s tight end racked up 576 yards and 7 touchdowns on 38 receptions through eight games this season.

With the athleticism that Brevin possesses, he could line up in a variety of alignments in the NFL. Jordan could be used in a wide receiver role, being more of a versatile tight end than the likes of Pat Freiermuth, who projects as an in-line tight end. This versatility, though, could be a reason for the Giants to pass up on Brevin Jordan.

Brevin Jordan is a weapon, which the Giants need. But he might be a weapon a little too similar to the one they currently have at his position. Evan Engram is very much an athletic, matchup-nightmare tight end, like Brevin Jordan. Having two players with the same playing style might not be effective (especially when fans have soured on Engram’s playing style). But if the Giants move on from Engram but like this style of tight end, Brevin Jordan is an exciting mid-round option to consider.