Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Breaking Down the Top Giants Undrafted Free Agents on Offense
Every year, the NFL Draft arrives and ends in what seems like a blink of an eye. Around 255 players earn the right to call themselves NFL draftees, while the remaining draft-eligible players look to earn a spot on an active roster.
Arguments can be made that being selected late in the draft can have an adverse effect compared to a player signing on as an undrafted rookie free agent (UDFA).
UDFAs can select their destination and can put themselves in an optimal position to earn a roster spot while maximizing their gains from a signing bonus perspective.
Teams have just north of $123,000 to allocate for 2020 undrafted free agents as a signing bonus this season. A highly regarded UDFA could command a $50,000 signing bonus, while others may only earn a $5,000 bonus; it’s a rush for teams after the draft to try and get desired players to latch onto their rosters, and the signing bonus is one way to entice them.
General fans seem to forget the impact some UDFAs have had in the past: Kurt Warner, Tony Romo, John Randle, Antonio Gates, James Harrison, Arian Foster, and many more great players have arrived in the NFL via UDFA.
Every year, there are at least 25 undrafted free agents who find a home on a roster for an extended period, while having a significant impact on the field.
The Giants may have found a few players in the 2020 NFL Draft that may fit this mold.
UDFAs must get an opportunity to have success. I want you to think of first-round picks for a second; a UDFA may be more talented than the team’s first-round selection, and that may be apparent to everyone, but the investment made by a team’s front office will afford that first-round pick so many chances. In contrast, the UDFA will only really get a few opportunities to prove his worth.
If the UDFA doesn’t seize the day, then he would be cast aside. The Giants tried to repair Ereck Flowers several times, and it never materialized at all.
From a business perspective, it makes sense; a team has to protect and attempt to aggrandize a highly invested asset. Nobody wants a sunk cost in high capital.
Draft picks will get more leeway, and the Giants had three selections on offense, along with seven on defense.
But what about the undrafted free agents added? Let's take a closer look at each of the players signed on offense (we'll look at the defensive side of the ball tomorrow) and see who has a realistic chance of hanging around. :
1). Javon Leake, RB, Maryland
I was quite happy when the Giants signed the explosive running back. A First Team All-Big 10 kick returner, who can fill in as a one-cut running back with home run ability.
Leake is 6’1, 215 pounds, and had two kickoff return touchdowns in 2019. Leake ran a 4.65 at the combine, which effectively led to him not being drafted. But I assure you, he’s much faster than that time. Look at these silly yards per touch numbers throughout his time as a Terp:
He averaged one rushing touchdown for every 8.5 touches that he received; is that sustainable in the NFL, probably not, but it gives the player a high level of intrigue.
He's not an every-down type of running back, but he could be an interesting change of pace behind an already explosive Saquon Barkley. Leake’s shot on this team may be contingent on him winning the kick returning job over Corey Ballentine, Darius Slayton, or Jabrill Peppers.
There’s a realistic shot that can happen if Leake proves competent. The uncertainty around Wayne Gallman’s roster spot could also assist Leake in a backup role behind Barkley and Lewis. After the signing of Dion Lewis and Leake, hopefully, the Giants won’t have another Jon Hilliman situation on their hands.
2). Austin Mack, WR, Ohio State
The Giants signed three interesting wide receivers that can execute different assignments. Ohio State’s Binjamen Victor has an incredible catch radius and a freakish 81½” wingspan, but he’s super thin-framed for the NFL. LSU’s Derrick Dillon is an electric playmaker, who is very quick in the open field, but he’s undersized at 5’11 185 pounds.
Then there’s the Buckeye Austin Mack, who isn’t a burner and doesn’t possess great athletic traits, but he’s a very crafty route runner with incredibly strong hands at the catch point.
At 6’1, 208 pounds, Mack showcases a nuanced ability to run routes, get open against man coverage, with crisp breaks in the short-intermediate parts of the field.
He has highlight-worthy catches and is very sure-handed, with his 10” hands that are like catchers’ mitts when he secures the ball in tight traffic while absorbing a powerful hit.
Mack’s issues at Ohio State were nagging injuries and a lack of production; he had only 27 catches for 361 yards and three touchdowns in 2019. Ohio State wide receivers have never been the flashiest with production, but those numbers aren’t great.
Although the toughness and strength he possesses at the catch point are very evident, I love how he jumps up and plucks the ball out of the air, with very good body control and concentration.
The Giants did not address the wide receiver position in the 2020 NFL Draft. Sterling Shepard has dealt with a lot of concussion issues, and Golden Tate isn’t getting any younger, which leaves second-year wide receiver Darius Slayton as the only safe long-term starter.
It’s not crazy to think Victor, Dillon, and Mack could all earn a roster spot; but if I’m choosing one, it’s Mack. He’s more pro-ready, a better route runner, with superior hands, albeit Dillon’s electric playmaking may earn him a specific role on the roster.
3). Kyle Murphy, OL, Rhode Island
Hallelujah, the Giants finally made significant investments into their offensive line! They spent a day one and day two pick on Georgia’s Andrew Thomas and UConn’s Matt Peart, respectively, to secure the tackle position, while coming back in the 5th round and selecting Oregon left guard Shane Lemieux.
Then the Giants land a player like Murphy as a UDFA, which I felt excellent about. Giants’ general manager Dave Gettleman put a high precedent on his players being versatile.
Thomas was a freshman All-American at right tackle before dominating college football on the left side; Peart started an equal amount of games at left and right tackle.
Versatility provides more options, allowing a team to get the best combination of 5 players out on the line.
That brings us to Kyle Murphy. Murphy is no stranger to versatility. A team captain who has started at every position along the offensive line for the Rhode Island Rams.
He’s 6’3", 316 pounds, with 33⅞” arms, so he’ll probably be moved inside, which he has experience playing. Murphy was projected as a Day 3 prospect, but he fell out of the draft and right into the Giants' lap. Murphy should make the team as a swing interior offensive lineman behind Nick Gates.
If Jon Halapio returns from the injured Achilles, Murphy’s 2020 roster spot may be in jeopardy, which would relegate him to the practice squad.
Something tells me Murphy may not pass through the waiver system, so the Giants could look to carry Murphy all season.
Hey, the league gave teams two extra roster spots to use in 2020, so it would behoove the Giants not to waste them.
