The 2020 NFL draft holds a lot of significance for the New York Giants and the rebuild of their franchise. When general manager Dave Gettleman was hired just two short years ago, he promised to win while rebuilding the team, and as we all know, that mentality lead to the firing of head coach Pat Shurmur and a downward spiral for the team in general.
Fast forward to the 2020 season –Â the Giants have new head coach Joe Judge and are embarking on a quest to develop a foundation for the foreseeable future. Gettleman allocated plenty of draft capital towards solving the secondary and building a strong interior defensive line in 2019. Still, recent reports have claimed that Gettleman is enamored by Auburn’s Derrick Brown and could select him with the fourth overall pick, given a trade back scenario does not present itself.
Gettleman likes Brown because he can play and serve multiple roles, individually as a pass rusher and a run stopper. Joe Judge and Gettleman are both in the same boat, with the belief that they must stop the run to win in the NFL. Brown certainly provides that quality, but if they can trade back one or two slots with the Miami Dolphins or Los Angeles Chargers, they can still land stand out defender, Isaiah Simmons.
What would Isaiah Simmons bring to the New York Giants?
Simmons was one of the best defenders in college football last season, logging 104 total tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks, three interceptions, and two forced fumbles. Factor in his eight passes offended, and you can say that Simmons is far more than just a general linebacker. In fact, the Clemson defender considers himself more of a diverse defender than a specific linebacker, which increases his value and makes him an even bigger target for the Giants in the draft.
Realistically, the Giants have to fend off the Washington Redskins and Detroit Lions if they wish to trade back to a quarterback-needy team. In the scenario that they can land Simmons and collect more draft capital, they will set themselves up in a position to also grab an offensive tackle prospect in the latter portion of the first round. In my opinion, this would be an ideal scenario for the Giants who desperately need a defensive playmaker and a replacement at right tackle for Mike Remmers, who will be hitting free agency without a new deal.