Nick Falato's Final 7-Round, Giants Only Mock Draft

Since my last mock draft, the Giants added tackle Cameron Fleming, running back Dion Lewis, defensive tackle Austin Johnson, tight end Eric Tomlinson, long snapper Casey Kreiter and cornerback Dravon Askew-Henry.

Fleming appears to be the swing tackle, with a chance to start at right tackle, depending on how the draft develops. Lewis was added to be a third-down running back, who can operate as a receiving option out of the backfield and add competence as a pass protector.

Johnson is a 2-down, run stuffer, who has familiarity with the coaching staff, and I expect him to make the roster, despite the depth of the position.

Tomlinson spent some time with the team in 2019, but bounced around the league a bit; he’ll be fighting for a roster spot as a blocking tight end, behind Levine Toilolo.

The Giants have finally replaced the long time snapper out of Brown, Zak DeOssie, with Casey Kreiter, who spent some time with the Broncos in 2019.

Dravon Askew-Henry has a slight uphill climb to make the roster, as the Giants plucked him for the XFL. I like the addition of Fleming, but I don’t want to rely on him as a starter, which means I must address the tackle position in the draft if the opportunity, and value, are present.

Utilizing The Draft Network’s draft simulator, here’s my final 2020 Giants 7-round mock draft. Let me know what you think in the comments section below.

Round 1, No. 4 | LB Isaiah Simmons, Clemson

If the draft goes as planned, then the best player available for the Giants would be the versatile defensive player Isaiah Simmons.

Are there four tackles that could be selected in the top 15? Yes. Do the Giants need tackle help? Yes, but drafting Simmons has to be a serious option for Dave Gettleman. Simmons’ freak athletic ability speaks for itself when you watch the tape, but his ability to anticipate plays is superb.

Simmons has the range to play safety, the man coverage traits to guard tight ends and slot receivers down the field, and the instinct to play linebacker. A game-changing defensive force that can be a movable chess piece for the second level of the Giants’ defense. I

If the Giants go with Simmons, they’re adding a talented, multi-faceted, young player, who will be the face of the defense for years to come. Gettleman has many choices with the fourth pick, which is an excellent problem to have, but the longtime talent evaluator will not regret adding a player like Simmons.

Round 2, No. 36 | OT Ezra Cleveland, Boise State

Not a lot of people were talking about Cleveland before the draft, but that changed when he ran a 4.93-second 40-yard dash, with a 4.46-second 20-yard shuttle, 7.26-second 3-Cone, and jumped 111 inches in the broad jump while being 6-foot-6 and weighing 311 pounds.

All of the testing scores I just listed were in the 90th percentile or above at the tackle position, according to Mockdraftable. Simmons' combine prompted me to go check out his film, and it’s not bad at all.

Simmons is an excellent mover in space, has quick feet, good hips, solid kick slides outside, but he’s not a finished product, he allows his pad level to get too high, his punch is a bit late, and his anchor was concerning.

Then came the news that Cleveland played the entire season with a nasty turf toe injury that should have sidelined him. The coaching staff at Boise State praised him for playing through it and commended his physical and mental toughness.

That fact, combined with his athletic ability, and Marc Colombo’s coaching, leads me to believe that Cleveland would be a solid option at 36 if the Giants go Simmons at four.

(I would have preferred to draft Lucas Niang, but he wasn’t available in the scenario.)

Round 3, No. 99 | C Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin

Turn on Biadasz’s 2018 film, and you will see a first-round center, who played with an excellent center of gravity and was solid in the run game. Turn on Biadasz’s 2019 film, and you’ll find someone who was often acquainted with the ground.

Biadasz's pass protection suffered in 2019, but there was a reason. Biadasz played through a lingering hip issue that affected his overall play. I would love to land this player at 99 for two reasons:

One, Biadasz was adequate when he was playing through an injury, and two, he has the 2018 tape to suggest that he’s much better than his 2019 film.

The Giants have a desperate need at center that people aren’t talking about enough. With no Jon Halapio, the Giants need to upgrade this position, and Biadasz would be that upgrade at a bargain.

Round 4, No. 110 | DE Alton Robinson, Syracuse

Like Biadasz, 2019 wasn’t Robinson's best tape, which was mainly due to increased attention he earned from offensive coordinators in the ACC.

Robinson finished 2019 with 46 tackles, nine for a loss, and four sacks, which is solid, but nothing compared to his 2018 numbers where he finished with 36 tackles, 17 for a loss, and 10 sacks.

Robinson landed at Syracuse after a stint with Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. Out of high school, Robinson had offers from Power 5 programs, but some off-the-field issues relegated him to the smaller school.

By all accounts, Robinson redeemed himself and turned his life around, which earned him the right to transfer to Syracuse. He has intriguing traits, an explosive first step, pop in his hands, bend in the lower half, but he just needs to be more consistent and could use more of a pass rush plan.

With the right coaching, Robinson could develop into a solid all-around pass rusher, and that’s precisely what the Giants need.

Round 5, No. 150 | WR Antonio Gandy-Golden, Liberty

Liberty made the jump to the FBS level in July of 2017. A year and some change later, Hugh Freeze took over the program and set up Gandy-Golden for a productive senior season. In 2019, Gandy-Golden had 79 receptions for 1396 yards and 10 touchdowns, earning a trip to the Reese’s Senior Bowl, where he impressed scouts and media.

Gandy-Golden is a big-bodied receiver with solid speed. He’s 6 foot 4 and 220 pounds with a long wingspan, strong hands, and brings physicality at the catch point. The Giants need a big-bodied playmaker who can fill the “X” receiver role on the boundary.

According to Pro Football Focus, Gandy-Golden was the right outside receiver on over half of his routes in 2019, while lining up in the slot sparingly.

Adding a big-bodied playmaker like Gandy-Golden will only help the development of quarterback Daniel Jones, while also assisting in maximizing the playmaking ability of the smaller receivers on the Giants.

Round 6, No. 184 | OT Jack Driscoll, Auburn

Driscoll held down the right tackle position, opposite of Prince Tega-Wanogho for the Auburn Tigers. Driscoll is a four-year starter and started every game in 2018 and 2019 at right tackle. Like Cleveland, Driscoll also tested in the 90th percentile for the 40 and the broad jump at the combine.

Driscoll is a technician who combines good movement skills, footwork, and active hands to force defenders into bad situations in both phases of the offense. The reason he’s available this late is because of his sub-par length, 33” (26th percentile for tackles), and his strength.

Driscoll’s anchor is adequate at best and, despite good positioning in the run game, his lower leg drives aren’t great. Overall, Driscoll is a solid addition to the offensive line and could potentially be a starter one day. He just has to get stronger at the point of attack.

Round 7, No. 219 | DE Carter Coughlin, Minnesota

Coughlin is a solid playmaker on the Golden Gophers’ defense that combines speed, quickness, and some pass-rushing moves off the edge. From 2017-2019, Coughlin had 6.5, 9.5, and 4.5 sacks, respectively. Coughlin's underwhelming 2019 campaign wasn’t ideal, but he was still able to be a contributor.

In 2017-2018, Coughlin had 26.5 tackles for a loss and 16 sacks. Coughlin isn’t the best at setting the edge and could certainly add more strength and weight to his 6-foot-3, 236-pound frame.

What I like about Coughlin is his suddenness and explosive first couple steps, he has varied rushes and flashes counter moves that have been effective. Coughlin can play in space, blitz, rush the passer, and cover at an effective enough level.

There are reasons why Coughlin is available late in day three, but that doesn’t mean he can’t fill a role and develop. I can see Coughlin’s rookie season being similar to Oshane Ximines' in which he plays on passing downs with limited run work, the hope to develop strength in year one. Ximines was a better prospect than Coughlin, but there’s still enough upside with this pick.

Round 7, No. 238 | S Jaylinn Hawkins, California

According to Pro Football Focus, Jaylinn Hawkins played well over half of his snaps at free safety for California. It just so happens that the Giants are interested in finding a free safety, and Hawkins fits the criteria: Good size, 6’1 208 pounds, serviceable range, athletic ability, and physicality.

Would Hawkins start year one at free safety? Probably not, but he could provide depth and special teams upside. Hawkins has 10 career interceptions and 7 passes defensed while adding 156 tackles. A developmental, upside selection that should play with a bit more discipline and clean up some open-field tackling.

Round 7, No. 248 | C Keith Ismael, San Diego State

I saw Ismael down at the Senior Bowl and noticed his hip hinge ability and his overall flexibility. It was impressive. Ismael showed good lower body explosiveness, which also checked out by his combine testing. Ismael played in San Diego State’s predominant gap and power type of offense, which is the expected offense that new offensive coordinator Jason Garrett may implement with the Giants.

Like Driscoll, Ismael needs to add some anchoring ability to his arsenal, which would maximize his overall skill set. Ismael is no rag doll, but he can get pushed back by a bigger, more physical defensive lineman in pass protection.

I think a year in an NFL weight room may assist with this plight, but I would love to land Ismael at this value. Ismael has the upside of a starter, but in this scenario, he can back up Biadasz and start if that lingering injury keeps affecting the former Badger.

Round 7, No. 256 | CB Reggie Robinson II, Tulsa

Talk about a Mr. Irrelevant that’s far from irrelevant. I selected Robinson II in my first Mock Draft a few picks before this one. Robinson II is one of the more underrated corner prospects that no one is discussing, possibly because he played at Tulsa.

According to PFF, Robinson II was targeted 60 times in 2019, and he surrendered 31 catches for 427 yards and one touchdown. At 6 foot 1 and 205 pounds, he ran a 4.44-second 40-yard dash, jumped out of the gym with over an 11-foot broad jump, and did 22 reps on the bench press.

Robinson II has size, physicality, explosiveness, and ball skills, but he lacks top-end play speed. Nevertheless, Robinson II will be selected well before this in real life, but it was an excellent way to end this Falato Mock Draft 2.0.