Whatever happens in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, only 10 players can be picked before the Giants make their pick at number 11. So when so many draft fanatics (you know who you are) yell, “He won, I’m here. not at number 11! ”when one of these Mock Draft drills is performed it is sometimes a right feeling and often not.
For those who can’t fathom this player or that player on the board when the Giants are on the clock, take a deep breath. At least four quarterbacks must be included in the top 10 picks. After that, almost anything is possible.
The thinking here is that the Giants are determined to keep improving the league’s 31st scoring violation and that the emphasis will be in the early stages of this three-day event.
For this Giants Mock Draft 3.0, we used the Pro Football Network simulator for the second consecutive week, after using the Pro Football Focus simulator for Mock Draft 1.0. Done, Done, Select:
Round 1 (No. 11) – WR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
Previous choices: To waddle; EDGE Azeez Ojulari, Georgia.
Why a wide receiver after opening the safe in free agency for Kenny Golladay? Waddle is a totally different cat, closest to Tyreek Hill, ball-in-hands, explosive, in this design. In this simulation, tight Kyle Pitts, offensive tackles Penei Sewell and Rashawn Slater, wideouts Ja’Marr Chase and DeVonta Smith, and cornerback Patrick Surtain II were all gone and unavailable to the Giants. There is talk of tackling Christian Darrisaw and linebacker Micah Parsons, but Waddle wins, based on the skills he offers and a strong desire to surround Daniel Jones with as many weapons as possible.
Round 2 (No. 42) – EDGE Jaelan Phillips, Miami
Previous choices: LB Zaven Collins, Tulsa; WR Kadarius Toney, Florida.
Inject “What does an NFL pass rusher look like” into the formula and Phillips’ physique could be the result. This 6-foot-6,260-pound edge rusher has all the goods. He had eight pockets in 2020 and can look like a beast on the field. Why did he drop to the second round? He has a funky medical history that needs to be thoroughly researched. He actually quit football after his second concussion at UCLA before reassessing and passing. The Giants need what Phillips offers and take the chance.
Round 3 (No. 76) – OL Spencer Brown, Northern Iowa
Previous choices: DL Milton Williams, Louisiana Tech; OL Quinn Meinerz, Wisconsin-Whitewater.
This towering (6-foot-8) tackle can and will add volume to his 311-pound frame and is an athlete – he played tight end and defensive end in high school before converting to the offensive line. He made 14 starts with the right tackle in 2019 (he didn’t play in 2020 when his schedule went on a spring schedule) and brings development potential and rookie competition to Matt Peart.
Round 4 (No. 116) – OL Kendrick Green, Illinois
Previous choices: Green; DT Tyler Shelvin, LSU.
Linemen attacking back to back? Why not? Green plays on the interior and could show up on the next level as a rugged and nasty security guard. Unless we forget, Will Hernandez is entering the final year of his contract and was put on the bench in 2020 by these Giants coaching staff.
Round 6 (No. 196 overall) – S JaCoby Stevens, LSU
Previous choices: EDGE Malcolm Koonce, Buffalo; Stevens.
At six feet and 212 pounds, is he an undersized linebacker or too much of a security? The Giants will hand that puzzle over to their clever defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham. Stevens is doing his best work closer to the scrimmage – he had 21.5 career tackles before losing to the Tigers.
Round 6 (No. 201 overall) – CB Tre Brown, Oklahoma
Previous choices: LB Ernest Jones, South Carolina; LB Justin Hilliard, State of Ohio.
As the Giants try to smooth out the rough edges of the defense and turn Brown into a corner of the NFL slots, they’ll stick him on their special team units where he’s a relentless and aggressive shooter and cover devil.