Day 2 Draft Prospects for New York Giants
The first round of the 2021 NFL Draft has concluded, and the Giants have experienced a new phenomenon; Dave Gettleman has traded back for the first time in 8 drafts. Dave Gettleman made that right turn on a NASCAR race and traded back with the Chicago Bears, dropping nine picks and securing a 2022 first-rounder, fourth rounder, and a 2021 fifth-round selection.
The Giants still targeted the wide receiver position, even though both Alabama receivers DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle were off the board, as well as Florida’s Kyle Pitts and LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase. They added Florida’s Kadarius Toney, a gadget player for most of his collegiate career, before moving into a more full-time WR role in 2020. Hopefully, the Giants can make the most of this explosive playmaker.
EDGE has been a common topic amongst the fan base for quite some time, and the Giants passed on the position. If the Giants are targeting EDGE in the second round at 42, the last few picks in the first round didn’t exactly go too well.
Four out of the last five selections in the first round were EDGE: Houston’s Payton Turner (Saints), Miami’s Gregory Rousseau (Buffalo), Penn State’s Jayson Oweh (Ravens), and Washington’s Joe Tryon (Buccaneers). EDGE may still be a priority, but the value may not be there in the second round. Let’s take a look at the best players available for the Giants to target on day two. Let’s take a list of possible targets for the Giants on Day 2.
EDGE Azeez Ojulari, Georgia
Ojulari was one of my favorites after the college football season, but he reportedly has a knee injury that might have led to a slide. I cannot speak to how degenerative or chronic those issues are. However, I can speak on his skill-set and his tape - he’s a good football player. He had 68 tackles, 18.5 tackles for a loss, 15 sacks, five forced fumbles, and 76 pressures in essentially two seasons (he had only 37 snaps in 2018).
Ojulari is an effective run defender in pursuit while closing gaps inside or outside and does a great job getting low and taking on pullers against power/gap teams. He has over 34” arms and has one effective pass rush move. He can still grow as a pass rusher, develop more counter moves, and he also has the ability to drop into short zones and cover a bit.
He doesn’t possess a unique bend in his lower half, but he can bend through contact and uses quickness/burst to get hip to hip and establish a good half-man relationship with tackles up the arc. If the red flags with his knee aren’t devastating, he would be an excellent addition for the Giants if he lasts to the Giants' pick at 42.
EDGE/LB Joseph Ossai, Texas
Ossai is a unique athlete who is a bit more linear and not as great with turning in tight corners or bending through contact (it’s adequate). Ossai played linebacker for the majority of his college career before lining up almost exclusively as an EDGE in 2020. He recorded 165 tackles, 30 for a loss, 11.5 sacks, two interceptions, and five forced fumbles in college. Also had 72 pressures, 32 of them coming in 2020 as an EDGE defender.
Ossai is always playing with his hair on fire. He’s great in pursuit and has an excellent motor at all times, which will appeal to this Giants coaching staff and front office. He still has a lot of upside due to his raw nature at the EDGE position. He played in two separate systems as a Longhorn; was first predominantly a standup linebacker in a 3-2-6 defense under Todd Orlando, but transitioned to a more full-time EDGE role in 2020. Pete Kwiatkowski implemented a four-down front defense, and Ossai lined up in a two-point stance and with his hand in the dirt. He only played full-time EDGE for one season with Texas.
Although, I still don’t feel he’s a sure thing, despite his incredible motor. Ossai plays with intense competitive toughness and hustles on every single down. The Giants are looking for two-way defenders who can execute multiple roles, and Ossai is that type of defender.
EDGE Carlos Basham, Wake Forest
His nickname is Boogie, and he’s a large 6’3, 274-pound EDGE defender that has the ability to play all over the line of scrimmage and did so for Wake Forest. Recorded 173 tackles, 35.5 for a loss, 19.5 sacks, eight passes defended, and seven forced fumbles while playing an enormous amount of snaps (2,294).
Also added 152 total pressures through four seasons in college. He plays with a higher pad level and isn’t fluid in his lower half, but he wins with power and effective hand usage. He is a crafty pass rusher who has good burst for a player weighing 274 pounds.
EDGE Ronnie Perkins, Oklahoma
Perkins is interesting to me, but he is still raw as a pass rusher, especially when it comes to him stringing moves together and getting to his counter moves. I’ve seen many draft analysts mock Perkins to the Giants at 42 - I didn’t love it because a lot of them were passing on players like Oweh or Tryon for the pick. Both of those players are now selected, so I believe it’s necessary to add Perkins to this list. Perkins has 98 tackles in three seasons, 32 for a loss, and 16.5 sacks, while playing relatively well against Teven Jenkins.
Perkins has some real power in his hands and has shown the ability to convert speed to power. He’s one of the only collegiate players to put Teven Jenkins on his back with a speed-to-power long arm rush. He has explosiveness but doesn’t have a pass rush plan yet. He plays with good competitive toughness and flies around the field, acting as a good pursuit defender. The EDGEs started flying off the board towards the end of the draft, so I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Giants looking towards Perkins.
LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame
Owusu-Koramoah, or JOK, is a versatile chess piece for any defense who is 6’2, 215 pounds. He’s hard-hitting and an exciting sideline to sideline defender. JOK had 142 total tackles in his two seasons at Notre Dame; he also had 24.5 tackles for a loss, seven sacks, an interception, seven passes defended, and five forced fumbles.
JOK is a bit undersized for a full-time LB role, and the Giants have a lot of talented second-level “hybrid safety” types, but his name has to be mentioned because of his talent, athletic ability, and upside. A very talented, hybrid, second-level defender that can play linebacker, apex/overhang, safety, and has some pass-rushing chops.
OL Teven Jenkins, Oklahoma State
I like Jenkins’ upside and toughness as an offensive lineman, but I don’t know if the Giants will look at a player who has only really played tackle. They’ll look to add depth to their offensive line room, but more specifically at the guard spot, or at least tackles that profile to guard, which there are legitimate arguments that suggest Jenkins fits that standard. The mauling former Cowboy has just over 33” arms--not ideal for the tackle position. He surprised a lot of people at his pro day with fantastic testing numbers.
Turn on his Texas film, and you’ll see him dominate highly regarded players like Joseph Ossai. Adding a physical player like Jenkins with brute and excellent play strength would help the tough nature that Joe Judge and Dave Gettleman frequently preach about while reinforcing one of the guard spots and allowing Shane Lemieux and Will Hernandez to battle it out for the other.
IOL Creed Humphrey, Oklahoma
I am a big fan of Creed Humphrey’s game. He’s mean, strong, technically sound, and has all the desirable intangibles to succeed as an NFL offensive lineman.
Humphrey tested very well at his pro day, and he is one of the more consistent football players in this draft. Humphrey is also an Alpha Male, who is a two-time captain that is heralded for his leadership of the Sooners offense. I also love when these trench guys have wrestling backgrounds; his understanding of how to manipulate leverage shows up in his film, and his background in wrestling makes sense.
IOL Quinn Meinerz, Wisconsin-Whitewater
I will always have some sort of affinity for Division III prospects, but this kid deserves all the praise. After not playing football for an entire year, due to COVID-19, Meinerz traveled to Mobile, Alabama, and dominated Division I athletes who were playing football just weeks before the event.
One of the better off-seasons a player can have; he was a consensus day three pick before the event, and then he tests as he did. Meinerz showed positional versatility at the Senior Bowl, kicking inside to center while still being effective at guard. I would love for the Giants to add a player like Meinerz on day two.
IOL Landon Dickerson, Alabama
Much like Creed Humphrey, Dickerson was a natural leader for the Alabama Crimson Tide after transferring from Florida State. Dickerson tore his ACL in the SEC title game against Florida, and he has many other injuries throughout his collegiate history that have to be monitored. That torn ACL led to Meinerz receiving a Senior Bowl invite.
Dickerson combines play strength with unique bend for a man of his massive size while also bringing intelligence and powerful hands to an offensive line. If the Giants want physicality along their line, Dickerson makes a lot of sense. If he stays healthy, he will be a steal for a team on day two.
LB Jabrill Cox, LSU
Cox is the speedy, coverage type of linebacker that many teams are currently looking to add to their roster; these players help combat spread and quick game passing concepts. The North Dakota State transfer is 6’3, 232 pounds, and excels with his fluidity and movement skills in space.
Cox is the type of modern-day linebacker that many NFL teams are looking for: fast, can cover, can blitz, and he’s not a liability against the run. He’s played in multiple schemes, executed varying assignments, and has superior athletic ability. He has 11 passes defended and eight interceptions through his time in both programs while securing 199 tackles. If the Giants are looking to upgrade the linebacker position next to Blake Martinez, Cox is a perfect addition.
CB Asante Samuel Jr., Florida State
Great in man coverage and very good in zone coverage as well. He would have been a first-round selection if he wasn’t on the small size of 5’10, 180 pounds. He has great read, react, and attack skills to come downhill and blow up catch points.
Samuel Jr. is incredibly fluid and possesses all the movement skills desired in a cornerback; I believe he can play boundary on the outside, but some teams may attempt to move him into the nickel spot. He has 97 tackles, 3 for a loss, four interceptions, and 29 passes defended in his three seasons with Florida State. I love the bloodlines, and the Giants still may be looking to add depth to their secondary--they could do a lot worse than Asante Samuel Jr.
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