New York Giants Mock Draft: Analytics-driven Projection Predicts Wild First Six Picks
The New York Giants have a lot of needs going into this offseason, and with the sixth overall pick in the draft, one of four picks in the top 70, they should be able to grab one of the better prospects in the class.
One of those needs is a No. 1 wide receiver, which has been evident since the team traded Odell Beckham Jr before the 2019 season. The Giants haven’t been able to replace Beckham’s production, as no receiver has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in a season since his departure.
This wide receiver class is loaded, and the Giants should be able to land one if they choose at pick number six. And NFL.com's analytics expert Cynthia Frelund believes the Giants will be able to get one of the top three receivers on most draft boards, that being Washington wideout Rome Odunze.
Of her pairing of Odunze with the Giants, Frelund wrote:
Odunze is my WR2 by the slimmest of margins. His contested-catch ability, as well as his body control, ranks in the top 20 percentile in a 10-season sample. I also cannot believe my models didn’t choose an O-lineman here either, as it is an area of big need. That should tell you how much my evaluations love Odunze.
Odunze is coming off a monster year at Washington, where he hauled in 92 catches for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns, an average of 17.8 yards per catch.
Washington Huskies receiver Rome Odunze
Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
He stands at 6-foot-3, weighs 215 pounds, and is widely regarded as a true alpha receiver who would give the Giants that missing element for whoever the next quarterback is.
Odunze is a smooth route runner who can make contested catches with the best of them, with great ball skills and a large catch radius. Given his skill set and production, giants head coach Brian Daboll and the offensive staff would no doubt be enamored with the chance to work with Odunze.
That said, Frelund's mock draft is unusual in that the first five picks before the Giants going on the clock go outside the box. She has Notre Dame tackle Joe Alt going to the Bears with the first pick. She then has quarterback Caleb Williams going to Washington, quarterback Drake Maye to New England, receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. to Arizona, and cornerback Terrion Arnold to the Chargers.
While this scenario would be great for the Giants, to project the Giants to pass on LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, whom she had going at No. 8, to the Falcons is an odd projection.
Things can and will change from now until April, but many draft analysts don't believe Daniels will make it out of the top five. If he does? The Giants should be all over him as they might not have this chance to draft a long-term answer at quarterback again without having to trade up, and no, Daniel Jones, with his injury history, is not one we believe is the long-term answer.
Still, it's a different kind of draft, and there is no right or wrong way to plan a mock at this time of year.
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