New York Giants: 3-round Mock Draft to fix positions of ‘need’ and not ‘want’

With the New York Giants in dire need of talent on the defensive side of the ball, we can only hope that GM Dave Gettleman will appropriate a healthy amount of draft capital towards fixing the existing holes. However, the team is also weak in the offensive line category, trotting out a terrible Nate Solder in 2019 at left tackle and Mike Remmers, who played adequately in the second half of the season at right tackle.

The reality is, there might be too many holes on both sides of the ball for the Giants to fix this offseason, but there are several top talents they can look to in the draft to help bolster their weaker spots.

Heres’s a three-round New York Giants mock draft:

1.) 4th overall pick – Hybrid LB/S Isaiah Simmons

Simmons is one of the more polarizing players in the upcoming draft, and some might disagree with my selection here, but the Giants are in dire need of a defensive stud to move around in the middle of the field and lockdown running backs for years to come. The last time the Giants has a Pro-Bowl caliber linebacker was when they fielded Antonio Pierce, and guess what, they won a Super Bowl with him controlling the defense.

What I like the most about Simmons is his versatility, and ability not only to play safety and cornerback to not only line up at linebacker but also play safety and cornerback if needed. He reminds me of a bigger, more physcial version of Minkah Fitzpatrick. His coverage skills aren’t as elevated, but he has more of a dynamic approach to his game. Simmons accounted for 8.0 sacks, three interceptions, 16.5 tackles for a loss, eight passes defended, and 104 total tackles in his junior year. He ranks just behind Chase Young in terms of draft stock, and the Giants ould be silly to overlook him unless they receive a trade-back offer they can’t refuse.

2.)  36th overall pick – OT Josh Jones

Josh Jones out of Houston is a fascinating prospect that has begun to climb draft boards in recent weeks. With offensive tackle being a strong position in the upcoming draft, Jones could easily slip to the second round for the Giants, who could take a similar approach as they did with Will Hernandez.

As per The Draft Network:

PROS: Enticing project caliber prospect — he’s got a lot of intriguing physical traits. Most notable among them is desirable length to play on the edge, as well as an athletic build and some tenacity in the trenches to dog defenders along the line of scrimmage. Jones moves well in space as a blocker pulling out in front of runs and folding up into the LOS, he’s light on his feet. Experienced starter with several years under his belt after redshirting his true freshman season. If he’s paired with an effective offensive line coach, he’s got the raw physical skills to be a starter at the NFL level.

Jones’ struggles present themselves in the form of awareness and his initial punch off the line of scrimmage. His athletic build and raw skill present Marc Colombo, the New York Giants’ offensive line coach, with plenty of talent to work with, but he would need a bit of time before he can be a starting level OT in the NFL. However, his ceiling is high enough to take a risk.

3.) 68th overall pick – Gettleman traded it away

The trading for Leonard Williams might be Gettleman’s biggest gaffe during his two-year tenure with the Giants. If the Giants re-sign the interior defensive lineman, they will likely lose out on a third-round selection. However, if he walks, they will re-gain a selection in the mid-’90s. They essentially forfeited a high third-round pick and moved back 25 slots for a rental. While this isn’t a fireable offense, considering the reasoning behind the move, it undoubtedly fuels the fire.

Let’s say the Giants do gain the 95th overall pick, for giggles, they could look towards a player like Texas’ Devin Duvernay. The senior wide receiver had a fantastic 2019 campaign with the Long Horns, amassing 1,386 yards and nine touchdowns. His size is rather average at the NFL level, 5-11, 210-pounds, but he has solid speed and hands.