Written by Ali Jawad
Twitter: ajawad_024
With the 2020 NFL Draft now in the books, several teams came away with incredible drafts that may shape up their franchises for several years. The New York Giants came into this draft knowing that they desperately needed help in several areas such as the offensive line and defense. With ten selections in this past draft, let’s take a look and grade all ten picks made by general manager Dave Gettleman and the New York Giants.
Round 1 Pick 4 Andrew Thomas OT Georgia
The Giants came into this draft knowing OL was the top priority. Protecting their future assets of Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley was first on the bucket list. The Giants addressed just that after selecting Andrew Thomas OT out of Georgia. Thomas, who is a day one starting LT and the readiest LT among the top four OL in this class, will bring a tremendous amount of skill set to a Giants line that has been horrendous over the years. Thomas was dominant against SEC competition over the last three years, surrendering just five sacks while showcasing violent hands, tremendous run blocking, terrific recovery, and is a fierce competitor who is always looking for work.
Grade: A
Round 2 Pick 36 Xavier McKinney S Alabama
A steal in the second round. GM Dave Gettleman has poured in a lot of assets to the secondary over the last few years. This may be his best one yet. The Giants watched as the drafts top safety and a first-round talent in McKinney fell right into their hands. McKinney not only will bolster the secondary, but he also brings a ton of skill set and versatility to the secondary. McKinney has lined up at every DB position and is known for his high football IQ, toughness, speed, burst, and ball skills. Pairing McKinney up with Jabril Peppers should be fun to watch.
Grade: A+
Round 3 Pick 99 Matt Peart OT UCONN
Remember when Gettleman said he loved the tackle depth in this class? Well, he wasn’t joking. The Giants went with the highest player on their board with the 99th pick with Matt Peart, the tackle from Connecticut. Peart brings a combination of skills to the Giants OL. He has long, lengthy arms, is a good athlete and an excellent second-level blocker. He may not start right away but, no doubt, a great developmental pick for the Giants who could find himself as the starter at RT in 2021 or even possibly at some point in 2020.
Grade: B+
Round 4 pick 110 Darnay Holmes DB UCLA
Just like the OL issues over the years, the Giants also had problems in the secondary and continued to address those issues in day 3. Darnay Holmes is a player the Giants fell in love with at the senior bowl Giants director of college scouting Chris Petit even to notice “Holmes came in and took over the room during his interview.” Aside from being a smart and robust character guy. Holmes will bring in a ton of speed to the Giants secondary and should fit in well as a nickel corner. He also can play a vital role in the Giant's special teams, which, of course, head coach Joe Judge will love. The bottom line Giants secondary gets deeper.
Grade: B
Round 5 pick 150 Shane Lemieux OG Oregon
No surprise, another OL for the Giants seems like the Jason Garrett effect is already rubbing on the Giants. Lemieux may not be a day one starter, but he has all the traits to be a starter in the NFL. He plays tough in the trenches, has been praised as a leader in college, can perform a variety of run schemes, and does a great job in combo blocks and double teams. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Giants give him a look at center in camp and see how things go from there.
Grade: B
Round 6 pick 183 Cam Brown LB Penn State
The Giants knew coming into this offseason LB was a dire need. While they made some moves in FA, the draft was another opportunity to deepen/strengthen the LB core. Cam Brown from Penn State can play all over with his versatility, as well as size at 6’5” and length. Brown Should provide the Giants a boost in pass defense over the middle of the field.
Grade: B-
Round 7 pick 218 Carter Coughlin LB Minnesota
The Giants continued with the search for more LB help. They stayed in the big ten and took Minnesota’s, Carter Coughlin. He is an edge defender with high football IQ and a high motor to help create production. He will likely start off seeing more action on special teams, but as an LB can bring a combination of pass rush and pass defense to the big blue defense.
Grade: C+
Round 7 pick 238 T.J. Brunson ILB South Carolina
Brunson adds depth to the ILB group, where the Giants struggled to stay healthy last year, most notably losing standout rookie Ryan Connelly to a torn ACL. Like most late rounders Brunson will likely see a lot of time come in on special teams which course is great news for the Giants considering Joe Judge and Thomas McGaughey are special team experts. As a football player, in general, he brings a lot of toughness to a team that is trying to get tougher.
Grade: C-
Round 7 pick 247 Chris Williamson CB Minnesota
One of the most significant themes of the Giants draft class is versatility. Chris Williamson is another versatile defender. He was used in a variety of ways such as nickel corner, acting as an LB near the LOS, gets after the run and plays well in underneath coverage.
Grade: C
Round 7 pick 255 Tae Crowder LB Georgia
The Giants use the final pick of the draft on Tae Crowder from Georgia. He showed gradual improvement over the last few years but is a long shot at making the roster considering the Giants brought in several new additions at LB in free agency and drafted three LBs ahead of Crowder. His best shot at making it on the team is through special teams, which of course, is good enough for Joe Judge again.
Grade: C-