The New York Giants have a long road ahead of them this off-season, as free agency will ultimately determine how to utilize their draft picks in 2021. The roster has plenty of holes that need resource allocations, but they only have so much money and draft capital to spend on bolstering them.
To list some positions that need upgrades:
-Wide receiver
-Cornerback
-Right tackle
-Pass rusher
-Linebacker
-Left guard
-Tight end
I listed some positions here, despite having youthful players with promise. Positions like linebacker and right tackle could be seen as strengths, considering Blake Martinez and Matt Peart represent either established talent or potential. However, the second spot at linebacker next to Martinez was a rotation in 2020, and the Giants must find an every-day starter moving forward. It could be Tae Crowder, or they could somehow land Micah Parsons in the draft, which would give them one of the best linebacking corps in football.
All of these positions could use more resources, but as stated before, the Giants only have so many assets they can utilize.
Nonetheless, most wouldn’t anticipate tight end being a position of weakness, but ‘Pro-Bowl’ TE Evan Engram continues to be a turnover machine, representing a minimum of six turnovers this past season due to dropped balls and one fumble.
Engram finished the season with 11 dropped passes, even more than his rookie campaign. At this point, it is fair to say he cannot be relied on as a pass-catching tight end with minimal blocking abilities in the run game. That is why some mock drafts have listed Florida TE Kyle Pitts as a potential option for the Giants with the 11th overall pick.
What would the New York Giants get with Kyle Pitts?
Pitts is an exceptional talent who formally played quarterback before making the transition to TE. As a junior out of Florida, he has fantastic size at 6-foot-5 and 239 pounds. However, the way he’s described really reminds me of Engram coming out of Ole Miss in 2017. Don’t be worried, though, he is a vastly different prospect with way more strengths.
Pitts has the ability to line up as a tight end inline, outside, or in the slot. In fact, Pitts is so versatile that he played just shy of 64% of his offensive snaps inline. He has the ability to split out wide against corners, dominating with his size and strength. He is a phenomenal route runner and goes toe-to-toe with press coverage. Over his 40 receiving snaps the season from a wideout spot, he made 15+ yardage gains on seven occasions. There’s never been a TE on record with more than two 15+ yard plays from a wideout spot.
As you can see, Kyle isn’t just an ordinary tight end, he’s capable of playing multiple positions, which is exactly what New York Giants head coach Joe Judge likes in his players. He can be cross-trained at both WR and TE, with the versatility to dominate against corners, safeties, and linebackers. God forbid an opposing defense lines up an LB against him, he will have a field day.
There are not many players with his tangible and intangible skill-set, making him a fantastic option for the Giants if they want to go that route. If they do manage to sign a wide receiver in free agency and add a player like Pitts, the offense will be in great shape moving forward. I would be remiss not to mention the return of Saquon Barkley, who demands attention in the backfield.