Crafting the Ideal Giants Draft: Round 3 of 5

We sought out to create a slimmed-down, big board for the Giants in the first five rounds of the draft. This installment covers the third round.

RELATED: Round 1 | Round 2

Third Round, Pick 99

Tackle Matt Peart, UCONN

Peart’s build and athletic ability are excellent, which may land him higher than pick 99, but he’s raw.

Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy compared Peart to D'Brickashaw Ferguson, who was the Jets’ fourth overall selection in the 2016 draft.

It’s high praise, but some traits are visible, such as very quick feet to mirror, excellent hip mobility, good control and ability to stir appointments with good grip strength, and great flexibility/length.

Peart has a 99th percentile grade for arm length with 36⅝” and his lower body explosiveness testing was in the 94th percentile for the broad jump.

There are concerns with Peart, which is why we’re talking about him at No. 99 and not at No. 4. His pass sets are erratic/choppy, and he doesn’t usually gain good depth on his vertical sets; his athletic ability was able to overcompensate these issues enough at the college level, but that may not translate in the NFL.

His punch timing, placement, and power need work. He catches too many blocks and allows edge rushers to win the leverage battle; he would like to see him use his length more and keep his own chest clean.

His hands tend to get a bit wide too, and he needs to add strength to anchor at the next level against power rushers effectively.

At the end of the day, his length and movement skills will endear him to a coaching staff, and that’s completely understandable.

EDGE Darrell Taylor, Tennessee

Taylor has good size at 6-foot-4, 267 pounds, and has 33” arms. He is a very good athlete with a quick first step who has the twitch, bend, and explosiveness that translates well to the NFL level.

He uses his hands well upon initial contact and is a solid run defender. Taylor entered 2019 on the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list; he didn’t win the award, but he compiled 46 tackles, 10 for a loss, and eight sacks.

Tennessee suspended him in 2017 for reportedly kicking a helmet into a teammate's face, which isn’t ideal.

Taylor could still use work on some of the nuances of rushing the passer and may need to employ more to his pass-rushing repertoire. I would like to see him go to counter moves quicker, but I feel he could be a solid player at the next level.

His athletic traits, ability to convert speed to power, and his overall pop while tackling, and in his hands, are intriguing traits that will translate to the NFL.

Linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither, Appalachian State

Davis-Gaither is a speedy, rangy linebacker from a smaller school, who played very well against SEC opponents, and who would be an excellent addition to the Giants if they miss out on Isaiah Simmons.

Davis-Gaither is 6-foot-1, 224 pounds. He didn’t run at the combine, but his play speed is so evident on film. He had over 100 tackles, 14.5 tackles for a loss, and five sacks in 2019, and played well against South Carolina.

Davis-Gaither is a fluid mover who can turn in tight space and even has some bend, yet it’s strange because he has Gumby like highlights, where he bends around lead blockers and makes tackles near the line of scrimmage.

Davis-Gaither is a very fun player to watch, and he would be an athletic second-level defender for the Giants to target at No. 99.

Given the trend of these athletic prototype linebackers, I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes in the 60s. But in a deep overall class, Davis-Gaither could slide to the Giants here.

Safety Ashtyn Davis, Cal

It’s unlikely that Davis will be available here, but it’s not crazy.

Fellow safety prospects Kyle Dugger and Jeremy Chinn have climbed significantly during the draft season, and Davis has gone under the radar, due to a nagging groin injury that limited his pre-draft participation.

Unlike Dugger and Chinn, Davis wasn’t able to showcase his incredible athletic ability, but if you turn his tape on, you can see it.

He has excellent closing burst, a physical mentality, and the acceleration to play single high. Davis’ range is impressive and would fit well with the Giants.

Interestingly, Davis wasn’t even recruited to play football at Cal. He was a track star and ended up walking on the football team.

Dugger and Chinn’s ascension, along with Davis’ lack of an official athletic profile, may cause Davis to slide down some boards, which could benefit the Giants here at 99.

Center Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin

If we swapped Biadasz's 2018 tape with his 2019 tape, we’d probably be talking about him as a prospect for the back half of Day 1.

As it stands, 2019 didn’t treat Biadasz well; he found himself on the ground far too often, but he was dealing with hip and shoulder issues that required surgery after the season.

He didn’t seem as athletic in 2019, which makes me think it was the injuries. He still moved defensive lineman at the line of scrimmage and generated good power through his lower body.

In 2018, he was mean and effective in both phases of blocking. Regardless, the Giants would be getting a steal here at No. 99 if Biadasz can return to his 2018 self.

Wide Receiver Michael Pittman Jr, USC

I wasn’t going to put a first or second-round receiver into these theoretical scenarios because the Giants shouldn’t invest that high draft capital into the receiver position given the holes on the roster.

But it is such a deep receiver class, and Pittman Jr. may realistically still be available at No. 99, so here we are.

At 6-foot-4, 223 pounds, Pittman combines excellent ball tracking, body control, catch radius, and physicality at the catch point to be a dangerous “X” receiver in Jason Garrett’s offense.

In 2019, Pittman Jr. had 101 receptions for 1,275 yards and 11 touchdowns.

At the Senior Bowl, he showcased his ability while his imposing stature caught the eyes of many.

He has enough speed, but doesn’t create separation with pure speed; however, he does have some nuance to his routes.

Pittman Jr. would be a great addition to the Giants and provide the team with the outside threat, which would keep defensive safeties honest.

His presence would help Daniel Jones, but would also help Saquon Barkley see lighter boxes, and would assist tight end Evan Engram with his seam-busting ability.

The 99th pick is the first one I’d entertain a receiver for the Giants, and if Pittman Jr. is still around, then that would be a wise investment.

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