Mock Draft Monday: New 7-Round New York Giants Mock Draft
Congratulations, Dave, you’ve finally done it.
Dave, of course, is general manager Dave Gettleman, and what he has done, at least as far as I’m concerned, is he’s used free agency in such a way to where he’s filled a bunch of needs and set himself up for the Giants draft to pretty much go in any number of directions.
Now keep in mind Gettleman has to speak to the media one more time before the draft, and maybe, as he’s done in each of the last three years, he’ll tip his hand and offer a crumb or two into how he’s thinking for the draft.
But given how things have gone, I am not counting on it. So in putting together the following seven-round mock draft for the Giants, I used a combination of best player available and position group status (in which I look at contracts to gain potential clues into what the long-term prognosis might be with certain guys at specific positions.
So here for your mocking pleasure, if my first attempt at a full seven-round Giants mock draft for this year, a draft I did using The Draft Network’s mock draft simulator and big board. I didn’t engage in any trades (maybe I’ll try that with a future mock draft) so let’s unveil what I came up with.
And before I forget, check out the video above in which former NFL head coach Jim Mora Jr reveals three defensive players he thinks might be solid value picks for the Giants in this draft.
Mock away!
Round 1, No. 11 Overall: LB Micah Parsons, Penn State
Alabama receiver Jaylen Waddle and Florida tight end Kyle Pitts were both off the board. So I ended up narrowing my choices down to Alabama receiver Devonta Smith, Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley and Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons (6’2”, 245 pounds).
I went with Parsons because I feel pretty comfortable (yes, I know that’s dangerous) with the Giants' current situation at receiver now that Kenny Golladay has signed to remove the need for an X-receiver. And maybe I’m just floating on optimism, but I feel good about the Giants getting Adoree’ Jackson, at least as of when I did my mock draft.
Meanwhile, at linebacker, the Giants have Lorenzo Carter and Oshane Ximines returning from season-ending injuries. Carter and newly signed edge rusher Ifeadi Odenigbo both have their contracts expiring after this season, and I’m not sure the Giants are in a position to retain them both (though admittedly, it’s much too early to make that call).
I also view Odenigbo and Ximines as situational pass rushers at this point in their respective careers. If I’m the Giants, I go for a guy capable of being an every-down player. Parsons made the most sense to me at that pick, plus on a first-rounder’s contract, he’d get at least four, if not five years to develop into that stud pass rusher the Giants desperately need.
Round 2, No. 42 Overall: TE Pat Freiermuth, Penn State
The Giants just signed Kyle Rudolph to a two-year deal (one I suspect might be more of a one-year affair to hold down the fort unless he shows he can be a No. 1 tight end. And speaking of No. 1 tight ends, unless Evan Engram has a monster year this year, I would be surprised if the Giants extend him after the option year expires.
That would leave a glaring hole at an important position, and while Penn State’s Freiermuth (6’5”, 250 pounds) isn’t quite the athlete Engram is, he s a football player who is a solid fit for the position and who can do all the things a team needs from its tight end.
No, he’s probably not going to glide like a gazelle up the seam. However, as we have, at times, urged Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley to take whatever the defense gives, maybe it’s time we stop dreaming about having a tight end who can coast up the seam and accept the next best thing: a solid, hard-nosed player who can consistently move the chains bit by bit.
Round 3, No. 76 Overall: IDL Tommy Togiai, Ohio State
In looking at contracts, both B.J. Hill and Austin Johnson, both of whom will try to replace Dalvin Tomlinson’s role on the defensive front, are both in contract years. I can’t see the Giants keeping both for the long term, but in knowing how much Dave Gettleman loves versatile hog mollies, Tommy Togiai, 6’2, 300 pounds, could be the next great Giants run-stuffer on that defensive line.
Togiai, according to The Draft Network, isn’t necessarily destined to be a pass rusher, but he sure does sound like someone who can at least push the pocket and create some penetration to allow for others to shoot through gaps and disrupt.
Round 4, No. 116 Overall: Trill Williams, CB, Syracuse
I know I said I feel pretty bullish about the Giants' chances of landing Adoree’ Jackson, but regardless of what happens there, that doesn’t mean they should stop adding to the cornerback position if they sign the free agent. It’s important to have some solid young talent in the pipeline, and I like what the 6’2”, 198-pound Williams brings to the table in terms of versatility.
Primarily an outside corner, Williams also saw snaps in the slot and at safety. He’s long and rangy and is something of a ballhawk. Williams could very well become the cornerback the team envisioned Sam Beal developing into. (Beal is still on the roster and is believed to be planning to return this year after opting out, but this is a player who, between the opt-out and injuries, has missed a lot of developmental time.)
Round 6: Edge Malcolm Koonce, Buffalo
Former general manager Ernie Accorsi always used to say you can never have too many pass rushers, and there is just something about Buffalo’s Malcolm Koonce that I find intriguing.
As a pass rusher, he seems to understand the importance of rushing with a plan. However, as a run defender, Koonce has his struggles, though it's probably something that can be fixed with better technique and some additional bulk in the lower part of his body.
I'm not ready to bail on Carter Coughlin or Cam Brown, two draft picks from last year, but I can't help, but like the upside Koonce brings to the game.
Round 6 (via Cards), Pick 201: RB Khalili Herbert, Virginia Tech
Herbert, 5’9”, 204 pounds, is a nice one-cut runner who had a productive career spanning two schools (Kansas and Virginia Tech. He’s a decisive runner with good vision and burst and who takes smart angles.
What Herbert isn’t, though, is a receiving option out of the backfield, as that was a role he played in a limited capacity in college. Still, if the Giants are looking for a prospect who is smart with the ball in his hands and who uses that savviness to his advantage, Herbert might be worth a roll of the dice.
Final Thoughts
I didn't draft a guard because when I went on the clock in each round, the value wasn't there. That said, I do think the Giants are going to draft a guard, and I'm sure when I do an updated mock draft in a couple of weeks, things will probably change.
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