The New York Giants have holes littered across both sides of the ball, with essential needs at offensive tackle, pass rusher, linebacker, and pretty much all over the secondary.
The second round of the 2020 NFL Draft presents an excellent opportunity for GM Dave Gettleman to plug one of these holes, and there’s plenty of talent to choose from.
Here are three players the New York Giants should target:
1.) Josh Jones, OT, Houston
If the Giants don’t address the offensive line in the first round, they should consider Houston tackle, Josh Jones, in the second. The team’s anemic pass blocking needs bolstering, and Jones fits the bill. While other positions of need might need draft allocation more direly, protecting Daniel Jones must be the priority, and Jones has great size and mobility. If he can increase his strength and refine his technique, he could develop into a top-line tackle in the NFL.
Josh Jones putting in work against a top edge defender in Bradlee Anae pic.twitter.com/XGtygIJEyD
— PFF College (@PFF_College) January 22, 2020
2.) Cameron Dantzler, CB, Mississippi State
With the departure of Janoris Jenkins last season, the Giants are also in need of more quality cornerbacks. First-round selection in 2019, DeAndre Baker, struggled in his rookie campaign, and his arrogance didn’t help his progression in the locker room either. A lack of effort was noticeable on specific plays, and Baker was chewed out by veteran teammates more than once.
Drafting Dantzler in the second-round could create some competition at the position, as both Sam Beal and Corey Ballentine aren’t anywhere close to being a No. 1 talent. At 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, Dantzler has solid size and could move up the board if his pre-draft workouts go well.
Willingness to tackle and come up vs. the run is an underrated aspect of playing CB. Mississippi State’s Cameron Dantzler shows exactly what you want to see here. Ascending CB in the 2020 NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/77RfCsGv8t
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) August 27, 2019
3.) Terrell Lewis, DE/OLB, Alabama
Lewis has suffered through significant injuries the past two years, but when healthy, he’s an incredibly gifted athlete and football player. With edge-rusher a significant need for the Giants, Lewis seems like a natural fit in their hybrid scheme. Lewis’ hands have been compared to Mike Tyson’s, meaning he has an incredible first punch and can use his power to push offensive lineman backward.
His 11.5 tackles for a loss and 6.0 sacks last year were solid for an OLB, but his peak at the NFL level might level off around the 8.0 sack range. However, if he remains healthy, he could be a useful and consistent option off the edge.
#SeniorBowl Alabama DE Terrell Lewis with a very nice rep against St. Johns LT Ben Bartch. Bartch typically plays on the left side, lines up at RT here which is an extremely difficult transition: pic.twitter.com/mUEFl8eJaT
— Demetrius Harvey (@Demetrius82) January 22, 2020