The New York Giants still have plenty of holes to fill this offseason, notably at pass rusher and offensive tackle. With Nate Solder’s cap-hit being $20.5 million in 2021, they can release him at a $6.5 million cap hit, which could lead to the Giants drafting an offensive tackle in the upcoming draft.
GM Dave Gettleman also signed former Patriot and Cowboy tackle, Cam Fleming, to add competition to the right tackle position. It’s possible they could be setting up a position battle with Fleming and Nick Gates. However, youth is still needed at the position if they wish to upgrade Daniel Jones’ protection and Saquon Barkley’s blocking scheme.
Nonetheless, the Giants are still without a top pass rusher, and with Markus Golden sitting on the free-agent market, it’s possible he could return to New York on a multi-year deal. However, that hasn’t occurred yet, which leaves the Giants’ draft plans a bit murky.
How the New York Giants could land Chase Young:
There are a lot of different factors playing a part in Chase Young, potentially sliding to the 4th overall pick. First, it wholly depends on the Washington Redskins either staying put and selecting him or accepting a trade back scenario where Miami or Los Angeles gives up the farm to land their quarterback of choice.
Then, there are the Giants, who could trade up to the 2nd overall pick to land a generational pass rusher and solidify their defensive front for years to come. I highly doubt they elect to trade up, given they can still land an offensive tackle prospect or Isaiah Simmons with the 4th overall pick.
Why the Detroit Lions won’t pick Young:
The Lions traded away their top cornerback in Darius Slay to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 3rd and 5th round pick (basically the same value as the Leonard Williams trade) on Thursday. They made Slay the highest-paid cornerback in the game, but the Lions now have a severe void at the position, and their secondary was already weak.
This move screams Jeff Okudah, as Detroit also signed Desmond Trufant, who was injured for a chunk of 2019. Pairing Trufant and Okudah give them two solid corners who can lock down both sides of the field. Trufant is on a one-year deal, likely giving Okudah the developmental cushion he needs to adapt to the NFL.
So, we can confidently rule Detroit out of the Young sweepstakes, leaving an unpredictable Washington team at No. 2 overall. The Giants overcoming Washington late in the season last year is seeming more like a plague than a victory at this point. However, Washington has Ryan Kerrigan and Montez Sweat, who they drafted in the first round in 2019. Sweat had a solid rookie campaign, compiling 7.0 sacks, 13 QB hits, and a 2% missed tackle rate. It’s possible they could pass on Young for a quarterback (similar to Kingsbury move – Rosen to Murray).
The bottom line, I wouldn’t rule out Young dropping to the Giants at No. 4. All it requires is Washington to either trade back or take a quarterback.