The Athletic's Surprising Pick for the Giants at No. 11
The incomplete status of the New York Giants offensive line is a thing that, for some reason, isn’t getting as much attention as it probably should.
This is perhaps due to general manager Dave Gettleman professing his full confidence in the young line during a call with reporters before the start of free agency. But what Gettleman never mentioned—understandably so since he’s not about to tip his hand—was the plan to replace Kevin Zeitler at right guard.
Many people seem to be under the assumption that one of Shane Lemieux and Will Hernandez will slide over to right guard. Still, no one is talking about how, despite the assumption (keyword "assumption"), both have been training at both sides, flipping to the opposite side after basically playing your entire career on one side isn’t as simple as it sounds.
But this assumption can’t be made, nor can the fact that Hernandez, Zach Fulton, and Johnotthan Harrison—the other two players also capable of playing guard—are only signed through 2021.
So in his full mock draft, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has an answer for the Giants’ perceived woes on the offensive line: USC OG Alijah Vera-Tucker, of whom he writes:
If the Giants want Daniel Jones to succeed, continuing to upgrade the offensive line with this pick will be attractive. There is no such thing as a “safe” prospect in the NFL Draft, but Vera-Tucker is viewed by many around the league as having low bust potential and a high floor. Personally, I would go Jaylen Waddle here, which is another realistic possibility.
Brugler is correct in that the Giants better have some answers for the offensive line—and as I’ve pointed out continuously, it behooves them to have talent in the pipeline for when guys move on.
(Brugler, by the way, had both Penei Sewell and Rashawn Slater (the only two offensive linemen I think are locks for top-15 picks) off the board by the time he got to the Giants.)
But the problem with his selection of Vera-Tucker is that even he doesn’t sound convinced that the USC offensive lineman would be the best option.
Here's what NFL Draft Bible had to say its scouting report of Vera-Tucker (emphasis added):
He’s a well-proportioned interior player who hits all the necessary size thresholds wanted from the position. Vera-Tucker is a smooth operator for a man his size, profiling perfectly to a zone blocking scheme that values the ability to move the line of scrimmage laterally. AVT is such a smooth athlete that he even operated at left tackle in 2020 for the Trojans and played very well -- well enough that some teams may toy with the idea of keeping him outside. Despite the natural gifts, Vera-Tucker leaves you wanting just a little bit more. He’s not aggressive enough, appearing a little passive working past first contact and into the second level. It’s all there for Vera-Tucker to become a starting-caliber player relatively early in his career.
If you’re talking about a first-round pick, you can’t be talking about a guy with any potential to become a bust, as Brugler noted is the feeling around the league. And if you're talking offensive linemen, the last thing you want to see in a scouting report is "passive," as the NFL Draft Bible noted in its report.
If the Giants were to select Vera-Tucker, they probably could risk a trade-down to get him later in the first round (at the same time acquiring extra picks). But as far as drafting him 11th overall?
The selection of Waddle at No. 11 makes far more sense, as I wrote in the latest “Making the Case” installment. Yes, the Giants have Kenny Golladay and John Ross, but Waddle’s versatility in the offense would make him a far greater value and a “safer” pick.
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