What to Watch: Tight Ends and Receivers Who Could Be On the Giants' Draft Radar
The 2020 NFL Combine is now in session! Some may refer to the event in Indianapolis as the “underwear Olympics,” but it’s much more than incredible athletes running around in tights.
These on the field drills accomplish a lot, but the two main things are as follows: they substantiate the extensive film analysis that so many NFL personnel have studied over the last two years, and they provoke evaluators to go back to the film and see why they misjudged a player’s testing ability and why that ability wasn’t conveyed on tape.
The first day of drills showcases the quarterback, wide receiver, and tight end positions. For obvious reasons, I omitted the quarterback position, as despite the lack of a verbal commitment by head coach Joe Judge, I can't see where Daniel Jones wouldn't be the starter.
But receivers and tight ends are likely going to be on the table, so let's take a look at a few players who could land squarely in the Giants' crosshairs.
WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, Michigan
Height: 6-foot 1 5/8"
Weight: 212 pounds
Arm Length: 33 4/8 inchesWingspan: 79 2/8" inches
Peoples-Jones is an incredible athlete that dealt with a lot of quarterback problems at Michigan. He was never able to reach his full athletic potential and his effect on the offense never matched his 5-star rating coming into Ann Arbour.
Peoples-Jones only recorded 14 touchdowns in three seasons, as a big-bodied player, and I think he’ll be at a discount given his collegiate struggles, which can’t all be attributed to his skill set, and the fact that this is a very deep wide receiver class.
I expect Peoples-Jones to test very well at the combine; he’s not going to run as fast as Alabama’s Henry Ruggs III, Penn State’s KJ Hamler, or TCU’s Jalen Reager, but he’ll put together a respectable combine.
There’s no secret that the Giants have holes all throughout their roster--a deep safety, corner help, a linebacker or two, an edge rusher, offensive line tackles, and a center--so it seems to be a luxury for them to use one of their first two picks on a wide receiver, especially in this loaded class.
In Peoples-Jones case, he can probably be had a little bit later in the draft and he fits the big body mold of a true X receiver, in the like of Terrell Owens, Dez Bryant, or Miles Austin, which are players that have worked with Jason Garrett’s offenses in the past.
Peoples-Jones has a very good ability to utilize his big body in contested catch situations and on back-shoulder throws near the sideline. He possesses strong hands, good body control, and a wide catch radius.
He’s a player that fits the offense and has so much room for growth, especially with coaches like receivers coach Tyke Tolbert and Head Coach Joe Judge instructing him on the nuances of playing the position.
The competence of Jones will also help Peoples-Jones reach the potential that he couldn’t unlock in Michigan.
WR Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State
Height:5-foot 11 5/8
Weight: 205 pounds
Arm Length: 33 4/8 inchesWingspan: 80 inches
I wrote about Aiyuk for Giants’ Country earlier in the week and I swear by this player. In a loaded receiver class, filled with so many explosive athletes, some much faster than Aiyuk, he still reigns as a top 5 option for me.
He combines explosiveness to maximize his YAC ability with an incredible wingspan and body control that he leverages in 50/50 balls and contested-catch situations. He also has strong hands, along with exceptional athletic traits that allow him to excel before and after the catch.
After N’Keal Harry was drafted in the first round last year by the Patriots, Aiyuk had a great season for the Sun Devils, recording 8 touchdowns with just under 1,200 yards receiving. In my opinion,
Aiyuk is the much more explosive, and much more polished, receiver and someone’s going to get a steal if he falls out of the top 40. I expect a low 10 yard split from Aiyuk.
Aiyuk doesn’t have the height measurables of a true X receiver that the Giants may be looking for, but he makes up for that with his playmaking ability. Sterling Shepard and Golden Tate are solid receiving options, but they don’t possess the explosiveness that Aiyuk has in his arsenal.
The combination of Aiyuk and Darius Slayton would give the Giants a one-two punch that could help assist Jones for the next several seasons. Height be damned, Aiyuk could operate in the X role for Jason Garrett’s offense and I know he has the versatility to also play in a Z type of roll in the offense as well.
WR Chase Claypool, Notre Dame
Height: 6-foot 4 1/4
Weight: 238 pounds
Arm Length: 32 4/8 inchesWingspan: 80 inches
Claypool may be a biscuit away from being a tight end, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Had a very good Senior Bowl week in Mobile where he showed the ability to win on the line of scrimmage and more explosiveness in and out of breaks than I thought he possessed at his size.
Strong hands, good lower body explosiveness, and a huge catch radius are all very appealing parts of his game. He’s also a player that displays a high level of competitive toughness and he really takes pride in blocking downfield, which will endear him to the Giants General Manager Dave Gettleman.
Claypool is a tough, sure-handed, receiver that should be available on Day 3. If he can manage to run in the 4.5s, at his size, that would be a major success, but I hope that his explosive testing numbers will be good.
If his 3-Cone drill is under 7, then that could also be chalked up as a success, for there are questions about his ability to change direction.
Claypool would really assist the Giants in the red zone and even act as a second tight end type, or big slot, in 11 personnel packages. His ability to block should be highly regarded by Giants’ brass, as well as his ability to use his body to shield defenders away from passes; this is something that he did well at Notre Dame and down at the Senior Bowl in one versus ones.
Separation quickness will be the make or break aspect of the combine for Claypool, so a sub 4.6 40 and a good 3-Cone drill could be the difference of Claypool being drafted in the 5th round or the 3rd.
TE Adam Trautman, Dayton
Height: 6-foot 5
Weight: 255 pounds
Arm Length:32 5/8 inchesWingspan: 78"
If I were a betting man, the tight end that would test the best at the combine would be Washington’s Hunter Bryant, but that may mean he’d test himself out of being a realistic option for the New York Giants.
Before the Senior Bowl, not many people were digging into Adam Trautman film. Coming from an FCS program, there wasn’t much to base his film against; he dominated the lower level of competition and looked like a man amongst boys.
It wasn’t until he went down to Mobile and performed exceptionally, then people started talking about the prospect. Trautman is a large man, who is effective in the short to the vertical passing game, due to his natural ability as a receiver and his above-average athleticism.
He showcases soft hands and an ability to pluck the ball out of the air effortlessly, while also displaying concentration and tracking ability.
Another thing I love about Trautman is the fact that he can block. Saw some pop in his hands, a good base, and solid technique down in Mobile; he didn’t overextend or put himself in many dangerous situations, he played balanced.
Trautman fits with the Giants because of his ability to block, catch, run, and separate from linebackers and safeties. Garrett’s offenses have always done unique and different things with the tight end position.
We aren’t certain on the long-term future of Evan Engram in New York, so Trautman is a player that can fill that void a little bit later on in the draft. I feel he may have an above average combine and move up to day 2, a la the 2017 Ashland product Adam Sheehan who was drafted in the 2nd round by the Bears.
I am not advocating that the Giants spend a high pick on the tight end position, especially since Kaden Smith played so well this season, but Trautman is a name to monitor, for he keeps rising up boards throughout this process.
TE Jared Pinkney, Vanderbilt
Height: 6-foot 4
Weight: 257 pounds
Arm Length: 32 7/8 inches
Wingspan: 79 inches
Huge 10½ inch hands assist Pinkney in catching the ball and blocking at the point of attack.
Pinkney had an epic junior season where he had 50 catches, for 740 yards, with 7 touchdowns, but a different offense led to his senior season being underwhelming.
I remember last off-season Pinkney was a name a lot of people were talking about for this draft, but the new scheme didn’t mesh with that idea. The skill set is there though; he’s not going to test through the roof athletically, but he may win the bench press reps for the tight end position.
He’s a willing, and capable, blocker that I feel can develop into a reliable number two tight end, that can catch checkdowns, and do an effective job blocking in the run game.
Pinkney’s fit with the Giants right now would be as a number two, blocking, tight end that would need to develop as a pass catcher.
Garrett’s offense runs a lot of plays from multiple tight end packages, so having at least 3 competent tight ends on the roster is imperative. Scott Simonson will not be back with the Giants and Rhett Ellison should be a cap casualty before the season.
This leaves an often injured Evan Engram and a second-year player in Kaden Smith. I feel adding Pinkney late in the draft would help the depth for the Giants, and provide a solid pass catcher, and good blocking option to the squad.
