Earlier this morning, Mel Kiper Jr. released his Mock Draft 4.0. With the NFL draft less than ten days away, what the New York Giants plan to do with the number four overall pick remains as unclear as ever. But if Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest mock pans out the way he predicts for the Giants, it could prove to be the best-case scenario.
The main source of anxiety for Giants fans is the ambiguity surrounding the fourth overall pick. Will they take a top offensive tackle? Will they take a top defensive talent? Will they trade back? Mel Kiper breaks down predictions:
Round one, pick four: Isaiah Simmons, OLB, Clemson.
This is going to go down as one of the most highly debated pick selections in recent franchise history. PFF ranked the Giants’ offensive line 17th heading into 2020, so selecting a top tackle would certainly be a good move here, but the 30th ranked defense is in desperate need of a transcendent playmaker, and that’s just what they’ll get with Simmons. It’s simple: The Giants need help everywhere on defense, and Simmons can do everything on defense. He can rush the quarterback, he can line up in the slot, he can drop back and play safety and he’s a beast against the run. Simmons is a physical freak, a perfect blend of size, strength, and speed and will no doubt be an immediate impact player for whatever NFL squad he ends upon, and all New York Giants fans should hope he ends up in blue in 2020. If you’re still unsure about Simmons, go watch his draft presser and pay attention to his answer when a reporter asks him what position he plays.
Round two, pick 36: Austin Jackson, OT, USC.
This is where fans can exhale. This tackle class is deep enough to wait until the second round to take one. Jackson is not an immediate starter and will take some time to develop, but the tackle duo of Nate Solder and Mike Remmers is not going to cut it for the Giants going forward. Dave Gettleman saying yesterday that Solder had a down year in 2019 is a colossal understatement. His 57 pressures were seven more than any other player, and he and Remmers combined for 97 total pressures, the most by any tackle duo in the NFL. There is no question that the Giants need to draft a tackle to help out their two most important young franchise players in Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley. Jackson is not one of the “big four” tackles, but he did play 1,680 straight snaps and left tackle, and with the revolving door of offensive lineman that has played for the Giants in the past few years, they desperately need consistent protection at the tackle position.
This is the Giants fourth time drafting within the top five in the last five years, selecting their two franchise offensive cornerstones in 2018 and 2019. It is time to do the same thing for the defense. First-year DC Patrick Graham needs someone to build around and be the commander of the defense, and with Chase Young likely not making it past Washington with the second overall pick, Simmons is the guy who can be the next leader of this New York Giants defense. The Giants cannot overthink this, draft Isaiah Simmons and do not look back.