With both the NFL and college football seasons halfway over, let’s take a look at who the New York Giants may add in the draft come April.
The New York Giants seem destined for a top 10 NFL draft selection for the third straight season. They sit at 2-6 before entering a Monday night showdown with Dallas.
With the Giants in the midst of a rebuild, let’s take a look at what the team’s upcoming draft could look like with their current picks.
At the moment, the Williams deal leaves the Giants with 2020 draft picks in 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th and three in the 7th
— GiantsWFAN (@giantswfan) October 28, 2019
Round 1 (6): Isaiah Simmons LB, Clemson
When’s the last time the Giants had an elite linebacker? Narrator: “Quite a while.” The Giants have a chance to change that by selecting Isaiah Simmons out of Clemson.
The junior from Olathe, KS, played a huge role on Clemson’s 2018 National Championship team with 89 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, six passes defended, and one interception returned for a touchdown.
This season, Simmons is on pace to put up even better numbers. As of Oct. 31, Simmons has recorded 66 total tackles, six sack, a forced fumble, one recovered fumble, and four passes defended.
The Giants need a game-changing linebacker who can defend the run and pass. Simmons can be that guy.
Round 2 (38): Jedrick Wills Jr. OT, Alabama
Like at linebacker, the Giants have now gone several seasons since having an elite offensive tackle. With the Nate Solder signing a bust, it’s time to take action by using an early draft pick on an elite prospect. Alabama’s Jedrick Wills fits that bill.
Wills, in his second season as a starter for the Crimson Tide, has not disappointed. The junior is anchoring one of the most dominant offensive lines in college football.
At 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds, Wills would bring much-needed size to the right tackle position and pair perfectly with veteran right guard Kevin Zeitler.
Drafting Wills would be a huge step for an offensive line rebuild that’s taken several years to come together.
Round 4 (102) Gabriel Davis WR, UCF
While the Giants have both Golden Tate and Sterling Shepard under contract and rookie Darius Slayton is showing signs of a bright future, the Giants lack a big target for Daniel Jones.
Gabriel Davis out of USF wouldn’t just provide that big target but would give the Giants flexibility to trade Tate to free up some salary.
In 2018, Davis caught 53 passes for 815 yards and seven touchdowns. In 2019 Davis has posted better numbers in just eight games.
The 6-foot-3 Davis has caught 53 passes for 916 yards and 10 touchdowns. His 916 yards rank third in the nation while his 10 touchdowns rank second.
Adding a weapon like this would give defenses plenty to think about, and Jones someone he can throw the ball up to in the end zone. The only issue the Giants could run into is that Davis’ stock continues to rise and they miss out on the electric wide receiver.
Round 5 (134) Zack Baun EDGE, Wisconsin
The Giants pass-rush has quietly ranked among the top 10 in football at getting to the quarterback this season, but there’s little doubt they can still use more help in that area.
Zack Baun out of Wisconsin would help do just that. Baun has recorded 7.5 sacks for the Badgers this season, forced two fumbles and grabbed an interception.
At 6-foot-3, he’s not the longest pass-rusher, but he has the potential to be a game-wrecker.
Round 6 (165) Tommy Kraemer OL, Notre Dame
The Giants have two interior offensive linemen in Zeitler and Will Hernandez, who look like they’ll be part of the team’s future plans. Behind them, however, the team lacks depth.
New York can add much-needed depth by selecting Tommy Kraemer out of Notre Dame. The 6-foot-5 lineman was a five-star prospect out of high school who’s gone on to have a solid college career.
What makes him most intriguing is his versatility He’s played both outside and interior offensive line over the course of his college career.
Round 7 (197) Lynn Bowden WR, Kentucky
Outside of Saquon Barkley and Evan Engram, the Giants roster lacks speed. Kentucky’s Lynn Bowden could help bring just that.
Bowden has been a tremendous wide receiver, returner, and even quarterback while at Kentucky. The junior was named first-team All-SEC as an all-purpose player in 2018 and was named a mid-season First Team All-American all-purpose player this season.
While it’s unclear what position Bowden would play at the pro level, the Giants could benefit from a speed guy who can do it all.
Round 7 (219) Justin Herron OT, Wake Forest
Adding two 6-foot-5 offensive tackles in the same draft would be a huge victory for the Giants.
Justin Herron could be that second big lineman. He was named preseason third-team ACC in 2018 before suffering a torn ACL. However, he is back on the field this season and has helped put Wake Forest in consideration for a New Year’s Bowl Game.
Round 7 (221) Julian Blackmon S, Utah
With their final pick of the draft, the Giants can add depth to their secondary by taking a chance on Julian Blackmon from Utah.
Blackmon has the ability to play both safety positions and has grabbed two interceptions for the Utes this season.
