Unlike the year when the New York Giants drafted second overall and took Saquon Barkley, there’s no clear choice for them in the 2020 NFL Draft’s first round. This year’s draft more resembles the more recent one where the Giants took Daniel Jones, but had multiple other options that the team would have been justified in drafting.
In this case, the debate isn’t around whether the Giants should take a quarterback or not but about whether they should take an offensive lineman or a defensive player, most likely the linebacker position. There’s also a debate about which offensive lineman is the best out of the available options.
One name to gain ground more recently over other players who have been linked with the Giants is Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs, who was formerly discussed less than others such as Mekhi Becton and Jedrick Wills but has risen in Draft conversations following good performances at the Combine.
According to Draft Wire’s latest mock draft, Wirfs makes sense as the Giants’ pick at number four overall, an assumption that also has them not trading that pick down for a defensive player lower in the first round.
Any of this year’s top four offensive tackle prospects could make a strong case to go here, which is good news for the Giants, who need a franchise player at the position. Wirfs is a rare athlete for his size, and has as much upside as any other tackle in the class. He’s ready to protect Daniel Jones from Day 1.
And as for the chances of Wirfs going number four overall, it’s also something that his college head coach at Iowa, Kirk Ferentz, believes is a possible outcome.
“Funny things happen. Tristan could go No. 4. He could go 24,” Ferentz said. “He’s a tremendous young person who has very rare ability. He improved each year, and he was a Combine phenom, which was no surprise to us. Some of the things he does at his size, you just shake your head. Freakish is the word.”
Wirfs may just be more athletic than Nate Solder, the player that the Giants signed to a very notable deal to protect Daniel Jones as the main pass blocker – however, the experiment with Solder at left tackle has largely failed, and there’s a good chance that Solder switches positions this season, leaving a gap at left tackle.
Could Wirfs take over the spot as a rookie? Based on the current movements in prospect rankings and Wirfs gaining ground on other players such as Wills, Andrew Thomas, and Becton, it could very well be a possibility for the Giants if they take a gamble on Wirfs and his athletic nature.