Written by: Alexander Amir
After hinting at it for two seasons, the Giants finally tore down their roster for a rebuild… sort of. Star players Odell Beckham Jr., Olivier Vernon, and Landon Collins were either traded or not resigned, despite the Giants having ample cap space to keep any of these players. GM Dave Gettleman clearly seems to be building the team from the inside out, bolstering both the defensive and offensive line units last draft and in this free agency. However, he has inexplicably committed to Eli Manning for at least this season, and has even hinted at an extension for the 38-year old QB — that doesn’t scream rebuild to me! It’s a mystery as to what the Gettleman will do in this year’s draft, but I’m going to lay out some prospects the Giants could be eyeing and how I could see the draft unfolding. With 12 total picks and 3 in the first 37, New York has a chance to rebuild the majority of its roster in just one year.
Draft Picks (12 Total)
1st Round #6
1st Round #17 (via CLE)
2nd Round #37
3rd Round #95 (via CLE via NE)
4th Round #108
4th Round #132
5th Round #142 (via DET via SF)
5th Round #143
5th Round #171 (Comp.)
6th Round #180
7th Round #232 (via MIN)
7th Round #245 (via LAR)
Team Needs: EDGE, OT, QB, LB, WR, C, CB
Player Fits
Early Rounds (1-2) — 3 total picks
Dwayne Haskins, QB (Ohio State)
Jawaan Taylor, OT (Florida)
Andre Dillard, OT (Washington St.)
Yodny Cajuste, OT (West Virginia)
Garrett Bradbury, C (NC State)
Hakeem Butler, WR (Iowa State)
Brian Burns, EDGE (FSU)
Clelin Ferrell, EDGE (Clemson)
Chase Winovich, EDGE (Michigan)
Ed Oliver, DL (Houston)
Christian Wilkins, DL (Clemson)
Devin White, LB (LSU)
Devin Bush, LB (Michigan)
DeAndre Baker, CB (Georgia)
Mid Rounds (3-5) — 6 total picks
Tyree Jackson, QB (Buffalo)
Jarrett Stidham, QB (Auburn)
Jakobi Meyers, WR (NC State)
Jalen Hurd, WR (Baylor)
David Sills V, WR (West Virginia)
Damarkus Lodge, WR (Ole Miss)
Alize Mack, TE (UCLA)
Tytus Howard, OT (Alabama State)
Max Scharping, OT (Northern Illinois)
Bobby Evans, OT (Oklahoma)
Connor McGovern, IOL (Penn State)
Khalen Saunders, DT (Western Illinois)
Demarcus Christmas, DT (FSU)
Jaylon Ferguson, EDGE (LA Tech)
Oshane Ximines, EDGE (Old Dominion)
Wyatt Ray, EDGE (Boston College)
Blake Cashman, LB (Minnesota)
Joe Giles-Harris, LB (Duke)
Ben Burr-Kirven, LB (Washington)
Tre Watson, LB (Maryland)
Joejuan Williams, CB (Vanderbilt)
Sean Bunting, CB (Central Michigan)
Mike Bell, S (Fresno State)
Sheldrick Redwine, S (Miami)
Late Rounds (6-7) — 3 total picks
Kyle Shurmur, QB (Vanderbilt)
Alec Ingold, RB (Wisconsin)
Gary Jennings Jr., WR (West Virginia)
Olamide Zaccheaus, WR (Virginia)
Isaiah Prince, OT (Ohio State)
Lamont Gaillard, OL (Georgia)
Tommy Sweeney, TE (Boston College)
Donald Parham, TE (Stetson)
Greg Gains, DL (Washington)
Cortez Broughton, DL (Cincinnati)
Jalen Jelks, EDGE (Oregon)
Shareef Miller, EDGE (Penn State)
Mathieu Betts, EDGE (Laval)
Dakota Allen, LB (Texas Tech)
Jamel Dean, CB (Auburn)
Derrick Baity, CB (Kentucky)
Will Harris, S (Boston College)
Khari Willis, S (Michigan State)
Mock Draft
Note: This is a prediction of how the Giants will actually draft. The alternate pick is a second way that I could see the draft unfolding.
Round 1
#6: Jawaan Taylor, OT (Florida)
Most are mocking Dwayne Haskins to the Giants at #6, but I don’t think they will or should draft him. First off, the Giants seem 100% committed to Eli. Second, the Giants roster has holes across the board, and Haskins has too many question marks to take this early in the 1st round. With 12 draft picks, the Giants have the chance to rebuild their roster this year and grab their QB of the future in 2020. I personally would go defense with this pick, but GM Dave Gettleman will almost undoubtedly use this pick on an offensive tackle, and Taylor is the best one in this class.
Alternate pick: Devin White, LB (LSU)
#17: Brian Burns, EDGE (Florida State)
Burns might go higher than this, but it’s quite possible that a run on quarterbacks pushes him down. The Giants are in desperate need of an edge rusher after trading Olivier Vernon, and Burns is arguably the highest upside one in the draft. He will be an instant impact starter.
Alternate pick: Andre Dillard, OT (Washington State)
Round 2
#37: Dexter Lawrence, DT (Clemson)
Gettleman loves his “hog-mollies,” and boy does Dexter Lawrence fit the bill. The 340-lb defensive tackle is simply a space eater, pushing the pocket and creating chaos in the opposing backfield. This is exactly the type of prospect that the Giants would like to fortify the front seven of the defense.
Alternate Pick: Kelvin Harmon, WR (NC State)
Round 3
#95: Tyree Jackson, QB (Buffalo)
This is such a Giants move- after getting flack for not drafting a QB in round 1, they will take a flier on a project QB. Jackson fits the bill in terms of athletic traits for the “classic” NFL quarterback. He’s 6’7” and 245 lbs, has a rocket arm and the athleticism to move around the pocket and pick up yards with his legs. His accuracy, mechanics, and delivery are wild, but he has also shown to be a quick study. In any case, Jackson will let the Giants start Eli this season while also taking a shot at a potential successor.
Alternate Pick: Khalen Saunders, DL (Western Illinois)
Round 4
#108: Damarkus Lodge, WR (Ole MIss)
Lodge could be one of the hidden gems in the later rounds of the draft, as he has a nice blend of fundamentals and upside. He was less heralded than fellow receivers D.K. Metcalf and A.J. Brown, but the Giants could use him as yet another weapon on an offense that is starting to have a well-rounded cast of skill position players.
Alternate Pick: Wyatt Ray, EDGE (Boston College)
#132: Alize Mack, TE (UCLA)
With the addition of Lodge, the Giants are starting to build up a decent receiving corps. Mack gives them a bigger body and the opportunity to run two tight end sets with Engram. Given the way the roster is shaping up, with Saquon Barkley as the focal point of the offense, incorporating two tight ends would help expand the playbook for Eli Manning and the offense.
Alternate Pick: Michael Jordan, IOL (Ohio State)
Round 5
#142: Will Harris, S (Boston College)
Jabrill Peppers and Antoine Bethea will start at safety, but Harris is versatile and solid enough to come in on nickel packages and eventually take over for Bethea. At this point in the draft he’s one of the better prospects available, and he strengthens the back end of a Giants defense that has lots of question marks.
Alternate Pick: Jakobi Meyers, WR (NC State)
#143: Cameron Smith, LB (USC)
The Giants could use more linebacker talent, and Smith could offer a sense of stability to the interior of the linebacking corps. He has average athleticism but good instincts and a quick first step. He would give B.J. Goodson and Alec Ogletree some rest.
Alternate Pick: Sheldrick Redwine, S (Miami)
#171: Shareef Miller, EDGE (Penn State)
Again, the Giants will look for depth at pass rusher. Miller’s quickness and flexibility could give him a role on 3rd downs, and if he gets stronger he could carve out a larger role for himself.
Alternate Pick: Ben Burr-Kirven, LB (Washington)
Round 6
#180: Myles Gaskin, RB (Washington)
The Giants will have a heavy dose of the running game in 2019, and Saquon Barkley is a beast but can’t do it all alone. Gaskin was a productive back in college and has a nice, well-rounded skill-set, and he can play on all three downs when Barkley needs some rest.
Alternate Pick: Isaac Nauta, TE (Georgia)
Round 7
#232: Jalen Jelks, EDGE (Oregon)
The Giants will double dip on the Edge position with an athletic but raw prospect in Jelks. It’s always worth taking a flier on athleticism for a pass rusher, and the Giants will simply see if they can develop him into a productive starter.
Alternate Pick: Elijah Holyfield, RB (Georgia)
#245: Cortez Broughton, DL (Cincinnati)
Broughton has a quick get off the ball with power and explosiveness. Even though the Giants took Dexter Lawrence it doesn’t hurt to have more defensive linemen, and Broughton’s athleticism is worth it for Gettleman to take a flier on.
Alternate Pick: Greg Gaines, DL (Washington)