Jordan Reid on the Giants' Potential Draft Blue Print
Will it be an offensive tackle, Isaiah Simmons or someone else who hears his name called as the Giants' first-overall pick in the draft next Thursday?
Draft analyst Jordan Reid of The Draft Network, in a phone interview, believes it's going to be an offensive tackle.
“We just don’t know which one of the "big four" it will be of Mehki Becton, Tristan Wirfs, Jedrick Wills, and Andrew Thomas,” Reid said.
Reid's opinion would appear to coincide with a potential clue Gettleman himself dropped Friday during a conference call with reporters to preview the Giants upcoming draft.
"You know my theory. It’s very, very difficult for Saquon (Barkley) to run the ball if he doesn’t have holes. It’s going to be difficult for Daniel (Jones) to throw the ball when he’s on his back," Gettleman said.
"We’ll continue to build the offensive line. Is it a pressure point? To a degree. I’m not going to deny that. But it’s about getting the right guy. It’s about not panicking."
GEttelman's biggest clue might have been when he referred back to the Giants' 2007 and 2011 championship teams and the solid offensive lines each had.
"(Head coach) Joe (Judge) and I are of the same mentality that the offensive line sets the tone for the team," Gettleman said."I think of all the teams that I’ve been with that have gone to Super Bowls, the offensive lines were the tone-setters. We’re going to do everything we can to make sure we replicate that."
For Reid, it's hard to ignore Gettleman's draft history given that the general manager has never taken an offensive lineman higher than No. 34 overall, which was where the Giants selected guard Will Hernandez in 2018.
“His draft philosophies are the reason why a lot of people think they will take Simmons and then go tackle at 36,” said Reid. “Prince Tega-Wanogho from Auburn is one guy who I think they will like a lot because he has the qualities in a lineman that the Giants look for. Lucas Niang out of TCU is another guy I’d keep an eye out for at this spot.”
“We will see if Austin Jackson from USC is still there, but I think he will be taken in the first round. Same for Boise State’s Ezra Cleveland, who had an impressive combine and has risen on a lot of draft boards because teams value athletic offensive linemen.”
As much as he likes Clemson’s Swiss army knife Isaiah Simmons, Reid doesn’t believe it makes much sense for the Giants to take a defensive player first, given this tackle class after investing in franchise quarterback Daniel Jones a year ago.
Again, this thinking would align to yet another clue Gettleman offered up in which he sounded less than impressed with the suggestion that Simmons was unique.
"What’s happening now is there are a lot of college players like that," Gettleman said. "There are a lot of guys that, because the college game is so different, they take a young man with a unique skill set, and they use him in a variety of ways that maybe hasn’t happened before."
Gettleman noted that, like Simmons, many of the players he was referencing were linebackers.
"There’s a lot of versatility going on, a lot of different ways that people are using players. It’s not standard."
With Reid leaning toward the Giants picking an offensive tackle in the first round, he pointed out that across town, the Jets still don’t fully know what they have in quarterback Sam Darnold because they did not surround him with weapons or protection in his first two seasons after taking him third overall in 2018.
So who of the Big 4 offensive tackle s might have Giants written all over him?
“I think Alabama’s Jedrick Wills is a really good pick because you don’t have to worry about him flopping sides," Reid said.
"Wills is a guy who’s only played on the right side in his career. He can step in at his natural position from Day 1 and be a starter, which is an underrated factor. He also protected his left-handed quarterback’s blind spot for the past three seasons."
Then there is the Alabama connection. Reid believes Giants head coach Joe Judge and running backs coach Burton Burns might favor Wills given their connection to Nick Saban, where they both served on his staff.
“Scouting and prior experience play a big factor in who teams will take," Reid said. "I’m sure they know the inside and outs of Wills and other Alabama players in this class too.”
The Giants have also been linked to Iowa’s right tackle Tristan Wirfs, who is a freak athlete running a 4.85 40-yard dash at 6”5 320 pounds to go along with a 121-inch vertical.
“I’d be a bit surprised if they took Wirfs over Wills,” said Reid. “Everyone knows Gettleman likes hog mollies. Wirfs is more of a finesse guy who tries to out athlete defenders. Wills likes to get a body on a body and maul people, which is more appealing to the hog mollie style.”
If they take a tackle first, Reid believes they could double down and grab a center in the second round, such as Michigan’s Cesar Ruiz, to solidify the offensive line for Jones and Barkley.
And while there have been some calls for Gettleman to trade back from number four, Reid doesn’t see it happening.
“I don’t think Gettleman will trade back. General managers are always going to stick to their philosophy, so I don’t see that changing this year with him.”
He added that it only makes sense for a quarterback-needy team such as the Dolphins and Chargers to trade up. A lot of experts believe this could occur with the Washington Redskins at two, or the Lions, who are reportedly shopping their pick, at three.
Another second-round option Reid mentioned was Wisconsin edge rusher Zack Baun, with whom the Giants met with at the combine and Wisconsin's pro day before the COVID-19 pandemic forcing schools to suspend pro days.
Baun played with current Giants linebacker Ryan Connelly, who has that similar relentless motor that makes them both valuable assets on a defense.
“I love those Big Ten guys. They are gritty blue-blooded players that come ready to start and make an impact,” Reid said.
“I think there’s a strong possibility he will be there at 36. I could see them taking him there if they go tackle in the first round. The familiarity and chemistry he has with Connelly can be really important on a team.”
So too could Baun's background.
“It’s intriguing because like Connelly, he used to play quarterback, which is not common to see from a linebacker. He brings energy and physicality that can be used as a versatile chess piece at edge rusher and linebacker,” said Reid.
This philosophy attests to Judge’s recent comments about all of their players needing to be versatile.
“Even though they signed Blake Martinez, I believe they still need to add some more athleticism at linebacker, which I think Baun fulfills,” said Reid.
As for Gettleman, Reid likes his track record as a talent evaluator.
“I think Gettleman’s a really good talent evaluator and I love what he did last year drafting Jones and Dexter Lawrence in the first round, and then Darius Slayton and Ryan Connelly on Day 3.”
Speaking of Slayton, who was selected in the fifth round last year, Reid revealed his Day 3 sleeper as Oregon State’s wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins.
The 6-foot-4, 209-pound Hodgins only had three career drops at OSU, and Reid believes he would fit nicely in the Giants offense as a solid route runner and the big-bodied wideout they’ve been missing.
