There are several avenues the New York Giants can choose from in the upcoming draft, but ultimately, their defense is in dire need of a real playmaker. Aside from their offensive line struggles, Big Blue needs a versatile linebacker who can move around the field and make plays consistently.
That’s where Clemson standout, Isaiah Simmons, enters the mix. In Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft, the Giants don’t hesitate by taking Simmons at No. 4, locking arguably the most dynamic defensive player in the draft and injecting an unparalleled talent into the defense.
With Ryan Connelly recovering from a torn ACL suffered last season, pairing Simmons with the former Badger would be exciting. Having a strong instinctual linebacker in Connelly who can shoot the gap and a game-manager like Simmons in the middle of the defense is encouraging for the future.
4. New York Giants
Isaiah Simmons, OLB, Clemson
An off-ball linebacker in the top five? Believe it — Simmons is that good. He is the perfect run-and-cover linebacker for today’s NFL, and he can do anything and play every down. Just look at his incredible stat line from 2019: 104 tackles, eight sacks, three interceptions and 16 total tackles for loss. The Giants have many needs, but Simmons is the type of defender who makes everyone around him better. This is another spot to watch for a rising pass-rusher, but I don’t have another one graded this high. I also thought about offensive line; New York could upgrade at both tackle spots. By the way: The last time the Giants picked No. 4 overall, they ended up with a pretty good player (good luck in retirement, Eli).
Kiper is right, the Giants need OL talent at both tackle spots, but having a high second-round pick should open up the door for an excellent talent to be plucked off the board. They could always trade back up into the first round as they did in 2019 to ensure they get their guy.
If the Giants can walk away with a top defensive talent and a potential starting tackle, it would be a massive success for the team and new head coach, Joe Judge.