It’s too early to know what’s going to happen in the 2021 NFL Draft, but with the sports world still recovering from disrupted seasons and the NFL still in the period of offseason between the draft and training camp, there’s no harm in making predictions that may be accurate or may be wildly off.
Draft Wire has released their earliest predictions for 2021 already, and the New York Giants are included with some of the other worst teams in the league in draft position – in fact, if this mock draft is accurate, the Giants will end up picking fourth for the second year in a row. This time, it would be behind the Redskins, Jaguars, and Bengals. Unsurprisingly, it’s two quarterbacks that Draft Wire has going in the first two picks, with Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields going to Washington and Jacksonville respectively.
When the Giants pick at fourth, it’s another offensive player that Draft Wire predicts going off the board, this time at the receiver position. The Giants take Ja’Marr Chase at number four overall, which would strengthen the current depth the team has at receiver.
Breaking down the selection
Chase is notably from the same school that produced Odell Beckham Jr., and could do similar things in the league to OBJ. In fact, Chase is more of an obvious selection coming out of college than Beckham was, when the Giants took a chance on him that ended up paying off more than expected. Chase is more accomplished in the college ranks, having already led the FBS in receiving yards and touchdowns in 2019 while winning the Biletnikoff Award for the nation’s best receiver.
Receiver isn’t the most pressing need for the Giants right now but that could change depending on the performances of Sterling Shepard. Shepard was supposed to go into last season as the number one player at the position after getting his new deal, but struggled with concussions and could have big problems keeping his role if this problem of his continues next year.
The Giants also have a new presence at receiver in Darius Slayton but after a very fast start to his career it remains to be seen how well Slayton will capitalize on his newfound success. In other words, the Giants have some talent at wide receiver already but they have some question marks, and they may very well end up going into the 2021 offseason with a need for a true number one receiver like Odell Beckham Jr. was for a few years.
They may just find that in Chase, the player who had 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns during the 2019 season as a sophomore… Numbers that don’t show up often for college receivers playing at the highest levels of NCAA football.