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New York Giants Draft Rumor: Eagles looking to leap-frog Big Blue for stud wide receiver

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New York Giants, Jaylen Waddle

The best thing the New York Giants can do in the 2021 NFL draft is remain patient with the 11th overall pick. Ultimately, there could be as many as five quarterbacks off the board in the top 10 selections, which would allow one of the best non-quarterback prospects in the draft to fall to Big Blue, so sitting pretty and letting the draft unfold in front of them is the most efficient process.

However, while the Giants should sit still, other teams are active, and the latest to be rumored to make a move are the Philadelphia Eagles.

Per Ben Standig of The Athletic:

As for the trade market, the Eagles are exploring a move into the top 10 despite having just dropped from No. 6 to No. 12. Having acquired a first-round pick in 2022 from the Dolphins, the Eagles could move up and still net more assets.

If one of the top receivers falls to the 9-10 range, the Eagles could pounds and steal a desired pick from the Giants. After already trading back from 6 to 12, they gained a first-round draft pick in 2022 and would likely have to give up far less to move up a few spots and get their receiver of choice. They would walk away winners in that scenario, potentially landing Jaylen Waddle out of Alabama, who is considered by some as the top pass catcher in the draft class.

Having to deal with Waddle for the next few years, if not more, would be tough for the Giants, who just signed Adoree Jackson to fill their vacant CB2 position. He is on a three-year, $39 million deal, a lofty contract despite his riddled injury history.

The Giants have a defense capable of mitigating Waddle’s influence on a contest, but keeping him out of Philadelphia would be an ideal scenario. If he did fall to the Giants at 11, he would be an easy selection, with Tyreek Hill speed and incredible potential.

If Philadelphia did, in fact, jump ahead of the Giants, Waddle’s teammate DeVonta Smith might fall instead. He is another receiver who is considered a homerun selection, despite his lack of size. Smith is arguably the best receiver in college history, finishing 2020 with 1856 yards and 24 total touchdowns. Smith is not only a stellar receiver, but he is as clutch as they come, completely dominating Ohio State in the National Championship game this past year.

No matter how you look at this scenario, the Giants walk away winners, it’s just a matter of who they will have to face in the future in the NFC East. There are rumors that Washington could move up and grab a quarterback, so for now, we just have to take a deep breath and enjoy the ride.

Giants to host former Patriots corner Jason McCourty on a free-agent visit

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new york giants, jason mccourty

While the New York Giants signed cornerback Adoree Jackson to a three-year, $39 million deal, it seems as if they’re looking to further bolster the position. With issues at CB2 in 2020, the Giants are trying to ensure their unit remain strong even if injuries arise.

Recently, the team waived Ryan Lewis, who spent 2020 with the Giants before going down with an injury. Now, they expect Sam Beal to make a return and compete with Isaac Yiadom for an active roster spot. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the Giants are hosting former Patriots corner Jason McCourty for a visit.

McCourty is a seasoned veteran who has spent 12 years at the NFL level and will be 34 this year. He played at all 16 games last season with the New England Patriots, starting in 11, earning 42 tackles and three passes defended.

While the veteran defensive back was a bit spotty in coverage last year, he can serve a depth role with the Giants and considering he has a home in New Jersey, the partnership would make sense.

Current Giant Logan Ryan played with McCourty back during his time with Tennessee, and head coach Joe Judge knows McCourty from when he coached the special-teams unit and helped as an assistant on Bill Belichick’s coaching staff.

A low-cost signing would make a lot of sense for the Giants, allowing them to pass on Patrick Surtain in the 2021 NFL draft and maybe take a flyer in the mid-rounds to develop. McCourty is coming off a two-year, $10 million deal with New England but will likely make far less than the $5 million average he made during the duration of that deal. A one-year, $2 million contract seems reasonable for both parties.

 

Should the New York Giants draft CB Patrick Surtain at 11?

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New York Giants, Patrick Surtain

The connection between New York Giants head coach Joe Judge and the Alabama football program is obvious. As a former disciple of Nick Saban, Judge has brought over a ton of tendencies and disciplines from his former mentor. In fact, the way he’s run the organization over the past year speaks volumes about the methods he was taught and how to translate them to the football field.

Despite the Giants finishing the season 6-10, there is room for optimism and hope. The defense ranks ninth in overall points allowed per game, far above their expected efficiency. While the offense struggled,  injuries and a lack of talent disrupted their flow and production.

However, the Giants went out and signed Kenny Golladay to be the WR1 for quarterback Daniel Jones and landed CB Adoree Jackson to pair with James Bradberry on the opposite side of the defense. Ultimately, the signings open up the draft for the Giants completely, allowing them the flexibility to go BPA or fill an essential need on the offensive line, for example.

The media has reported many different players in connection with Big Blue, but their intentions are hidden for now. With that being the case, there is one player that would make sense for the Giants based on Judge’s connection with Saban at Alabama. You could make the argument that both Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith will be considered, but cornerback Patrick Surtain is also in consideration.

The Giants reportedly like Surtain, who is a five-star recruit out of college and a three-year starter at Alabama. He is projected as an outside corner, a position to Giants filled with Jackson in free agency. However, cornerbacks often take a few years to develop in the NFL, and giving him that cushion behind Jackson would not only set the Giants up perfectly for the future but give Patrick Graham plenty of weapons to work with on defense.

With Jackson’s problematic injury history the past few seasons and Graham’s desire to rely on man-coverage historically, Surtain could 100% be the selection, but it might not be the most efficient one. Either way, they would be getting a skilled press-man-coverage corner who can fit most schemes and is fantastic at interrupting passing lanes.

While it might not be the sexy pick, it would be a long-term solution at a position that is widely considered weak across the NFL. Having three potential CB1s on any given team holds astronomical value.

New York Giants could be targeting EDGE Azeez Ojulari in first round

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new york giants, azeez ojulari

The closer we get to the 2021 NFL draft, the more I feel the New York Giants will draft an edge rusher in the first round. While the Giants sent upper management to evaluate the top pass rushers in this year’s class, I estimated that they are targeting one with the 42nd overall pack or trading up into the first round to grab one of their preferred options.

However, there are a few players that could be in a conversation at 11, and one of them is Georgia edge rusher Azeez Ojulari.

What do the New York Giants see in Azeez?

Ojulari is arguably the top pass-rushing prospect in the 2021 draft class, but he lacks the ideal size at 6’2” and 249 pounds. Nonetheless, he has stellar pass rush moves and great speed off the line of scrimmage. In fact, he reminds me slightly of Osi Umenyiora, who was only slightly bigger than Ojulari during his playing days. The elite speed he has from the snap of the football to getting after the quarterback is what makes Azeez such an exciting young player.

Last season, the Georgia stand-out tallied 9.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for a loss, including three sacks in the Peach Bowl — the biggest stage of his young career. While he might lack the ideal length for a 3-4 outside linebacker, I don’t believe that will be a primary issue, as his arms extend beyond 34 inches, which only Gregory Rousseau, Jason Oweh, and Joe Tryon can match from the top options this year.

Ultimately, the Giants ranked 40th in sacks last year, an exceptional number based on who they had available on game day. With Lorenzo Carter and Oshane Ximines going down early in the season, the Giants were forced to utilize Carter Coughlin and Jabaal Sheard predominately. Getting back Carter and Ximines will be fantastic, but adding another option like Ojulari would upgrade the unit enough to feel confident about having a top-five defense.

However, selecting him with the 11th overall pick might be a bit overzealous, especially with sure-fire talent likely to be on the board. Taking a guarantee over a player with upside seems like a more efficient move. Nonetheless, the Giants don’t really seem bothered by traditional BPA strategies and prefer to take their own approach toward building a roster.

New York Giants dropping smoke screens around edge-rusher evaluations

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New York Giants, Joe Judge

The New York Giants are doing their due diligence with all of the pass rushers projected to go in the first two rounds of the 2021 NFL draft. The rumors have been circulating as of late, with the Giants been connected to players like Alabama’s DeVonta Smith and even Miami’s Jaelan Phillips.

At the end of the day, the Giants are doing a fantastic job of keeping their intentions unknown, while previous years showed they had leaks within the organization giving away essential information regarding their potential draft selections. Now, it seems as if the media and fan base are surrounded by smoke screens, as the Giants have sent front office members to evaluate pass rushers this draft class.

The New York Giants cannot reach at 11:

The primary concern is if the Giants will reach for a player that isn’t worthy of being selected 11th overall, but in a trade back scenario, you could justify taking an EDGE who can make an impact immediately. The problem is, this class is weak, which leads me to believe the Giants might be targeting a pass rusher at 42, which is why they are sending plenty of evaluators and scouts to their pro days to gauge a projection on the draft board.

The best part about signing wide receiver Kenny Golladay and corner Adoree’ Jackson this past off-season is that it allows the Giants to go best player available in the first round unless there’s a player that fills a massive hole that they can’t pass up. A player like Northwestern’s Rashawn Slater might fit that mold, as he would offer a potential Pro-Bowl level right guard after the departure of Kevin Zeitler this off-season due to cap-saving methods.

It is nice to see management working behind the scenes, as a situation a few years ago when the Chicago Bears leapfrogged the Giants to secure pass rusher Leonard Floyd exposed a major leak in the organization. If the Bears didn’t know the Giants wanted Floyd, the draft might’ve played out far differently, so keeping things under wraps and dropping smoke screens to different media members is a great strategy to confuse opposing teams.

New York Giants could shift attention to alternative OL in first round, 2-for-1 scenario

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new york giants, alijah vera-tucker

The New York Giants have a difficult decision to make with the 11th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, but bolstering their offensive line would be a good decision. Ultimately, there aren’t many poor avenues they can take at 11, considering the talent that is expected to drop after multiple quarterbacks are selected in the top five picks.

Most believe that Northwestern stand-out OL Rashawn Slater could drop to the Giants, and if he does, could be a plug-and-play right guard. After the Giants released Kevin Zeitler, their offensive line was left with a massive hole at the RG position, and they have a few scenarios they can attack in the draft to cover the void. Either they solve the spot in the first round or wait until the second round to draft a player like Ohio State’s Wyatt Davis or even Alabama’s Landon Dickerson.

However, I have one alternative that would not only add a high upside lineman but also contribute more draft capital to the Giants’ selections. Currently, Big Blue has only six picks to utilize in the draft, and adding a second-rounder would go a long way in finding a pass rusher and allowing the team to find another playmaker.

Of course, trading back all depends on who’s willing to move picks and what players fall to 11 that are of interest. For example, if a quarterback fell to 11, a team like the New England Patriots could be a great trade partner, which would open up an interesting avenue for the Giants.

The New York Giants can kill two birds with one stone:

One player who is rising quickly on draft boards is Alijah Vera-Tucker out of USC. Vera-Tucker is a 6’6″, 300-pound lineman who has experience at left tackle and guard. As an extremely competitive player that has great upside based on his athleticism, most analysts have been projected as a guard at the NFL level. He would be a great supplement for the loss of Zeitler, with even more potential.

Compared to Slater, I like that Alijah has experience in the interior already and great feet when maneuvering in the run game. While the Giants’ OL would undoubtedly be young, they would have plenty of great players to work with and develop around quarterback Daniel Jones. In this scenario, the Giants not only land one of the top linemen in the draft, but they also add a second-round pick from the Patriots, moving back to 15, which allows them to target an offensive playmaker or a pass rusher at 46.

New York Giants: 3 pass rush prospects to stay away from and why

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kwity paye, new york giants

Thanks to “The Magician” Patrick Graham, New York Giants defensive coordinator, the team ranked 12th in total sacks last season with 40. Despite Lorenzo Carter and Oshane Ximines missing a majority of the 2020 season due to injury, Graham managed to scheme a pass rush but landed in the adequate category. He primarily utilized players like Carter Coughlin, was was drafted in the seventh round last year, and Jabaal Sheard, who was plucked off the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad mid-season.

Utilizing a fantastic interior pass rush composed of Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence, Graham managed to extract the most out of some of his better players, masking deficiencies at outside linebacker. However, the Giants failed to address the position this free agency, missing out on Leonard Floyd as the team pursued his talents but were outbid by the Los Angeles Rams.

Now, the Giants are sending plenty of front office members and talent evaluators to research the pass rush class of 2021. While there are a few solid options, none are worthy of being selected at 11, but let’s take a look at three players who have been connected to the Giants and why we should stay away.

Three pass rushers the New York Giants should stay away from:

1.) Jaelan Philips

Phillips is considered a top-15 talent as a pass rusher out of Miami, but he comes with plenty of baggage. Phillips was involved in a moped accident where he suffered a broken wrist and a concussion, his third of his college career.

There is reason to believe that Phillips is one concussion away from his NFL dreams taking a backseat, and the Giants must weigh that risk if they elect to take him at 11. Despite his talent, there are plenty of other players who can make an immediate impact on both sides of the ball, so staying away from a player with a problematic injury history is probably a good idea.

2.) Greg Rousseau

One player that analysts have connected with the Giants is Miami pass rusher Gregory Rousseau, coincidentally Jaelan Phillips’ teammate. Rousseau is an interesting prospect who collected 15.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss in 2019.

The problem with Gregory is that he’s rather raw, having missed the 2020 season and posted one solid season of production. A lot of his sacks came from the interior, where he won’t feature at the NFL level, and he’s not much of a scheme fit as an outside linebacker for the Giants unless they can manipulate his style and help them adapt to a new role. His stock has plummeted lately, and the Giants would be taking a massive risk with him at 11.

3.) Kwity Paye

While I do like Kwity Paye and believe he has functional strength to play at the NFL level, added with solid speed off the LOS, he doesn’t entirely fit the 3-4 scheme the Giants deploy. Paye is more of a down lineman, featuring traditional 4-3 defense.

Unless the Giants want to play more nickel and believe he will be on the field for a minimum of 70% of snaps, they can’t justify drafting him at 11. In addition, he likely won’t go until 15+ in the draft anyway.

If the Giants want a true pass rusher with unlimited potential, they should target Micah Parsons, who has developed pass rush moves and could likely start at the NFL level as a stacked outside linebacker.

New York Giants: Offensive and defensive breakout candidates for 2021

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

The New York Giants have made extensive efforts to upgrade their offense while also bolstering the defense this off-season. In free agency alone, they added several players who can help contribute toward a winning season in 2021, including the likes of Kenny Golladay and Adoree Jackson. With the NFL draft in less than a month, the Giants have more ammo and resources to allocate, which should help some of their individual players improve in the near future.

Take a look at breakout candidates for the New York Giants:

Offensive breakout candidate: Daniel Jones

If there’s any player that desperately needs a breakout season, it is quarterback Daniel Jones. After posting 24 touchdowns in his rookie season, Jones saw that number slash by more than half to just 11 under Jason Garrett. Unfortunately, he didn’t have Saquon Barkley and a plethora of playmakers, but the Giants are looking to give him everything he needs to succeed moving forward.

Adding Golladay, a bonafide wide receiver one, and John Ross, we should expect Jones to play a bit more efficiently. In addition, he will have a healthy Saquon Barkley, and the Giants could use the 11th overall pick on another play-maker.

Ultimately, there is no excuse for Jones not to have a better 2021 performance, and the Giants desperately need to see improvement if they want to commit to him as their franchise quarterback moving forward. Looking at a bit more of his statistical output, Jones is deadly accurate when throwing the ball downfield. I expect the Giants to take a more vertical approach to their offense, which is what sold Golladay on joining Big Blue, and the presence of Ross also suggests a more vertical strategy.

When throwing the ball 20+ yards downfield, Jones threw six touchdowns and zero interceptions, so adding more deep threats is exactly what the Giants set out to do, and they accomplish that goal in free agency.

Defensive breakout candidate: Dexter Lawrence

One player I believe will have a stand-out 2021 season is Dexter Lawrence, and with the absence of Dalvin Tomlinson after signing with the Minnesota Vikings, the Giants need Big Dexy to take a step forward.

Last season, Lawrence finished with 37 tackles, four sacks, and 33 stops. He was one of the most double-teamed interior defenders in the NFL, and with two seasons under his belt, a year-three breakout season should be expected.

I believe his knowledge of Patrick Graham’s scheme and the retention of Leonard Williams should assist in his production, and I think the Giants want to see him take more of a pass rusher role from the 3-tech position, where he can pressure the interior and get after the quarterback adequately.

New York Giants trade-back scenario to add more draft capital

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CREED HUMPHREY, new york giants

The luxury of a given NFL team having a solid foundation is that you can take the best player available in the first round of the NFL draft. The New York Giants, who currently sit at 11, have an interesting choice to make if a team presents a trade-back scenario. General manager Dave Gettleman has never executed a trade back, only moving up to acquire a player of his liking. The last time they made that decision, it turned out to be cornerback DeAndre Baker, who is no longer on the team.

With only six selections this year, the Giants could use a bit more draft capital to work with, which makes the idea of trading back even more justifiable. If there are no sure-fire players on the board at 11, a team like the New England Patriots could represent a solid option, considering they might be in the market for a new quarterback.

A New York Giants trade-back scenario:

11 & 197 –> 15 & 46 from the New England Patriots

1.) BPA

In this scenario, the Giants trade the 11th overall and 197th overall picks for the 15th and 46th overall selections from the Patriots. They add a mid-first-round pick and another second-rounder, which the Patriots can afford to lose given how many selections they have this year. Their masterful decisions lead to them having three compensatory picks, so they can pair a couple together and move back up into the second round if they see fit.

At the end of the day, there’s no shame in trading up to grab your quarterback of need, and the Giants manage to cash in because of their desire. There’s no question the Giants can still land an impact player at 15, whether it be Rashod Bateman out of Minnesota or Elijah Vera-Tucker out of the USC. Going best player available is always a safe move, and with so much elite talent in this year’s first-round, this might be the smartest move the Giants can make.

2.) Creed Humphrey

Since the Giants now have two second-round picks, they can plug holes with their selections. Creed Humphrey out of Oklahoma would fit the bill well, considering he’s capable of being a premium interior offensive lineman. With a wealth of experience, including 37 career starts, he has the experience to be a fantastic day one starter. He has fantastic football IQ and filled holes nicely in Oklahoma’s power-gap scheme. The Giants use a similar system, so he would fit well as an interior lineman who could compete for the right guard spot immediately.

3.) Joseph Ossai

While Joseph Ossai is a bit raw, I believe he has the tangible traits and JPP-like motor to be a productive professional as an outside linebacker in the NFL. After playing inside linebacker two years ago, he made the transition to EDGE rusher, where he finally found a home and thrived in Texas’ defense. As one of their most clutch players and one that simply never stops running and pursuing the ball carrier, I believe he fits the Giants’ scheme perfectly, and his story gives him a chip on his shoulder. With the right coaching, I believe Ossai could be a phenomenal player, and he fits the Giants’ scheme perfectly as a stand-up pass rusher and 5-tech in nickel packages.

One underrated WR the New York Giants should target in the 2021 NFL Draft

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dyami brown, new york giants

Since the New York Giants don’t necessarily need to draft a wide receiver with the 11th overall pick after signing Kenny Golladay in free agency, they have the luxury of waiting until later on to find a pass-catcher with upside.

This doesn’t mean the Giants won’t spend their top selection on a player like Alabama’s DeVonta Smith or Jaylen Waddle, but it does offer them a bit of flexibility if they have a higher-rated player on the board. Considering how deep this draft class is, there will be plenty of talents that drop to the second and third rounds that would otherwise be higher selections.

One stand-out receiver that should be considered on the second day of the draft is UNC play-maker Dyami Brown.

Brown is a superior athlete, standing at 6’1” and 195 pounds. For the Tar Heels in 2020, he posted 1099 receiving yards with eight touchdowns over 11 games. I see him as a poor man’s Rashod Bateman, who has the potential to be a WR1 at the next level and then some.

How the New York Giants could utilize Dyami Brown:

With expanding vertical talents, Brown is capable of being a deep threat for the Giants’ offense as they look to transition to a more downfield approach. Hiring Russ Callaway from LSU suggests that the offense will take a different strategy in 2021 instead of the West Coast style Jason Garrett deployed in 2020. With more weapons and receiving threats, they should have more productivity throwing down-field, something that quarterback Daniel Jones is very effective in.

Brown isn’t only a vertical threat, though, as he also thrives in the intermediate areas of the field. He is a solid route runner with fantastic upside, and if he drops to the 76th overall pick in the third round, he would be a home run selection for the Giants. In addition to his receiving capabilities, he’s also an aggressive blocker in the run game, which is something that the Giants love to see from their receivers. In fact, Sterling Shepard is one of the best-run blockers at the receiver position in the NFL, and with an out in his contract after the 2021 season, they will be looking to potentially replace his production for a cheaper price. Brown could fit that mold perfectly.

I don’t see Brown as a premium receiver at the NFL level, but a great complementary piece, which is all you can ask for on the second day of the draft. He’s a bit underweight at 195 pounds, but if he can add a bit more functional strength, he can be an adequate receiver on day one. Ultimately, being a bit slimmer isn’t a glaring negative to me, as I am also a firm believer that DeVonta Smith will have a fantastic career in the NFL, as he utilizes his size to his advantage.