PFF’s New Two-round Mock Draft Outlines an Interesting Giants Scenario
It’s nice to see some of the mock drafts published think outside the box and be creative, if nothing else.
However, there’s also something to be said for being realistic as well, and PFF’s latest two-round mock draft presents some interesting scenarios that are unlikely to play out in real-time.
In the first round, PFF has the Giants selecting Oregon left tackle Penei Sewell, their fourth-overall ranked draft prospect, at No. 11, noting:
First things first, the chances of Sewell actually falling this far are slim. But this mock represents what I would do and not what the NFL would do, so a generational tackle falls right in the lap of New York here at Pick 11.
Sewell recorded a 95.8 PFF grade in 2019, which still stands as the highest-graded season by a Power 5 tackle since 2014. At 6-foot-6, 325-pounds, it’s quite amazing watching Sewell move in space — the overall athleticism is off the charts. He earned a 95.7 grade as a run-blocker in 2019 and was also nearly perfect in pass protection, allowing just seven pressures on 491 snaps.
Besides the fact that Pewell probably won’t drop to No. 11, if the Giants are locked in with Andrew Thomas at left tackle, which appears to be the case, it seems like a waste of a pick to draft a “generational tackle” only to plan on moving him to a position he didn’t play in college.
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But here’s a big question about this pick. PFF had a choice of Pewell or Florida tight end Kyle Pitts from which to choose, yet the offensive lineman won out over the playmaking tight end, who went to the 49ers at No. 12 in this mock.
The presumed logic is that if a quarterback doesn’t have time to throw the ball, it doesn’t matter who his skill position players are. But with that said, the Giants offensive line did show its most significant signs of improvement toward the end of last year, leaving one to hope for brighter days ahead for the unit.
The receivers and tight ends? Except for Sterling Shepard, that group was way more of a liability, so to even think about passing up Pitts in any mock draft scenario is, as I said before, thinking outside the box—way outside the box at that.
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In the second round, PFF does deliver a playmaker for the Giants in the form of North Carolina receiver Dyami Brown, of whom he writes:
Brown was a sole vertical threat at UNC over the past two seasons. He racked up 1,087 yards on vertical targets in that span, edging out Alabama's DeVonta Smith for the most in the FBS (was over 400 yards more than the third-best in the Power Five). While Brown’s route tree was incredibly limited with the Tar Heels, he easily showed he will have no issue with taking on a more diverse set in the NFL.
Another head-scratcher, as if you’re going to pluck a receiver from this very deep class, wouldn’t it make more sense to go for a productive receiver that has run a more diverse route tree? One such option is Oklahoma State’s Tylan Wallace, whom PFF mocked to Jacksonville at No. 45.
Then again, the draft has been known to deliver a few surprises no one saw coming, so kudos to those who aren’t afraid to think outside the box.
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