No one really knows who the New York Giants are going to draft. Last year, everyone more or less could guess the team was going to take a tackle. Not everyone predicted that to be Andrew Thomas, but tackle was one of the most pressing needs for the team and they addressed it through the draft. When Daniel Jones was drafted, it was foreshadowed by a flurry of pre-draft hype that raised his stock and made the pick look more likely.
We haven’t reached that kind of consensus yet for the 2021 draft. From Kyle Pitts to Gregory Rousseau to Devonta Smith, many names have been mocked to the Giants so far. And it’s not quite clear where the most pressing need is.
So far, the experts are split when it comes to their predictions.
Todd McShay, for one, believes the Giants will go defense and target pass rusher Rousseau. If the team loses Leonard Williams, that could be an important pick.
Rousseau opted out this season, but he had 15.5 sacks for the Hurricanes in 2019 and has speed and power coming around the corner. Alternatively, offensive line, wide receiver or cornerback could be areas to keep an eye on for New York.
Many believe the Giants will lose either Leonard Williams or Dalvin Tomlinson. If they do lose Williams, they’ll miss out on bringing back their sacks leader. In that case, bringing in a player that has been dominant in the ACC would be a good addition. However, there may be some concerns as Rousseau opted out of last season and it’s unknown if his previous level of play will be maintained heading into the NFL.
On the other hand, Dane Brugler of the Athletic believes the Giants will go offense and draft Kyle Pitts.
Pitts can play tight end or wide receiver and create mismatches with his size, athleticism and ball skills.
The assessment will obviously remind Giants fans of Evan Engram. Engram entered the league with similar hype around his skills at playing both positions. However, injuries and dropped passes have cost him a good reputation with many fans.
The selection of Pitts might seem redundant, unless, of course, the Giants are finally done with Engram. That may be the case, but there’s reason to have skepticism. The franchise has been plenty committed to Engram over the past years, after all.
Which direction the Giants are actually going to go in won’t be cleared up until closer to the draft. As of right now, there’s still multiple directions they could go – and there’s no consensus on the likely pick from analysts.