The 2020 NFL Draft might be get delayed, but that will only give us all a bit more time to break down prospects and create mock drafts. The New York Giants will need all the time they can get to prepare for this crucial draft. They hold the fourth overall pick this year and will need to hit a home run in order to turn this team around. But what would that home run, ideal draft look like for New York?
Round One, Pick Four: Chase Young, Edge Rusher, Ohio State
In the ideal mock draft for the Giants, they will land the best player in the entire 2020 NFL Draft class. Chase Young out of Ohio State University is exactly that. The 2020 Heisman Trophy finalist recorded 16.5 sacks in 12 games this past season. In order for this to happen, quarterbacks will have to be selected with each of the first three picks in the draft.
The Bengals will select Joe Burrow, pretty much everyone believes that to be true at this point. But what will the Redskins do? Easily, they could take the best player in the draft, Chase Young, and move forward with Dwayne Haskins as their quarterback. However, there is growing speculation that Washington will either trade the second overall pick to a quarterback-needy team (like the Dolphins) or spend it on a quarterback of their own. That quarterback would be Tua Tagovailoa.
After Joe and Tua will have to go Justin Herbert. The Lions hold the third overall pick and it seems likely that they will trade down. The Chargers, Colts, Dolphins, Buccaneers, and Panthers are all teams that might be willing to move up for the opportunity to select the Oregon gunslinger. If these three quarterbacks get drafted all in a row, Giants fans will be filled with joy as Gettleman sprints to get the card in and proudly draft Chase Young.
Round Two, Pick Thirty-Six: Austin Jackson, Offensive Tackle, USC
It is no question that the New York Giants have holes all over their roster. The defense is especially talentless. However, New York desperately needs to upgrade their offensive line as well. Nate Solder has seen his play decline in recent years and the Giants’ 2019 right tackle, Mike Remmers, is a free agent and is unlikely to receive an extension.
It is time for the Giants to invest draft capital into their offensive line. In 2018, they secured starting left guard Will Hernandez in the second round. Now, in this ideal mock draft, the Giants will secure their starting right tackle in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Austin Jackson out of USC might not be there by the time the Giants are on the clock in the second round. However, the same was said about Will Hernandez in 2018. In the Giants’ ideal 2020 mock draft, Austin Jackson slides just a few more spots and falls right into New York’s lap.
Round Three, Pick 84 (Via Trade): Troy Dye, Linebacker, Oregon
It would be easy to mock select wide receiver Chase Claypool to the Giants here. Whether it would require them to trade up or not remains to be seen. However, recent reports indicate that the Giants will be prioritizing wide receivers in free agency. They plan on focusing their draft picks on the defense. After stealing Chase Young with the fourth overall pick and securing an offensive tackle in round two, ideally, New York will shift its attention back to the defense in round three.
Also, in an ideal world, the Giants would still own the sixty-eight overall pick. However, after trading for Leonard Williams in 2019, they do not own that pick anymore. So, instead, the Giants will use trade up from their compensatory ninety-ninth draft selection in order to select an athletic coverage linebacker.
Many fans will be hoping and praying that the Giants’ first pick is Isaiah Simmons. I believe it should be, as long as Chase Young is not available. But this year’s draft class is rich in linebackers, and Troy Dye would be a solid option for the Giants in the third round.
Troy Dye is an Oregon linebacker with excellent athleticism and coverage-skills. He is the right player to pair with David Mayo, the Giants’ run-stopping linebacker that just received a contract extension. But New York would likely have to trade up to secure this linebacker.
The New York Giants have limitless options and possibilities heading into the 2020 NFL Draft. The class has depth in positions that the Giants need. If all goes well, New York should be able to secure a multitude of core players to build this team around in the future.