New York Giants Take Olivier Vernon Replacement In CBS Mock Draft

Jun 15, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants defensive end Olivier Vernon (54) waits for the snap of the ball during mini camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Mandatory Credit: William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports

While you might be tired of hearing about mock drafts at this point, this one is worth paying attention to. It’s not just another one that shows the New York Giants selecting Dwayne Haskins, but rather, predicting that the defensive line will be the more popular choice instead of quarterbacks when it comes to the opening picks of the 2019 NFL Draft. CBS has Nick Bosa going number one overall to the Cardinals, and no quarterbacks being taken until the seventh overall pick, which is after the Giants make their selection.

Who does CBS predict the Giants taking at number six? That would be none other than Clemson edge rusher Clelin Ferrell, who has impressive numbers coming out of college with 11.5 sacks last season and 20 tackles for a loss. When it comes to career numbers, Ferrel has 27 total sacks, after registering 6.0 and 9.5 in the two seasons before the 2018 one. Here’s what the CBS mock draft had to say about the logic behind the Giants making the pick:

The Giants could conceivably move on from Olivier Vernon this offseason, which would leave a gaping hole on the edge. Ferrell is a long, athletic, and powerful pass rusher ready to blossom in the NFL.

Olivier Vernon is one of the highest paid players on the Giants roster right now but hasn’t performed up to the standard that’s expected, especially when looking at his price tag compared to other rushers who are just as or more effective. If the Giants do move on from Vernon this offseason, which looks like something that might be on the cards, drafting a possible replacement player would be a big help with keeping up with the competition going into the 2019 season.

Whether or not that player is Ferrell and whether or not there’s a player that could fill the role available at number six overall in general is something that remains to be seen, but this take is still an interested one compared to the more common prediction of the Giants taking a quarterback.