Two New Mock Drafts Project Defense to New York Giants at No. 11

Playmakers for the back end of the defense? That's what these two draft analysts are thinking in their respective mock drafts.

Thus far, most of the mock drafts that have begun infiltrating the internet have the New York Giants opting for offensive playmakers at No. 11. And of those playmakers, it usually comes down to either receiver Devonta Smith or receiver and Jaylen Waddle of Alabama, LSU receiver Ja’Marr Chase, or tight end Kyle Pitts of Florida State being the pick.

But two new mock drafts—the latest from Pro Football Focus’s Mike Renner and NFL Draft Bible’s Alex Gilstrap—have taken slightly different approaches.

Renner has the Giants drafting Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II, this after he has LSU WR Ja’Marr Chase No. 5, Bengals), Alabama WR Devonta Smith (No. 6, Eagles), Florida TE Kyle Pitts ( No. 8, Falcons, via trade with the Panthers), and Penn State OLB Micah Parsons (No. 9 Lions via a trade with Denver) all coming off the board before the Giants go on the clock.

Renner also skips over Michigan edge Kwity Paye (No. 12, 49ers) and Alabama WR Jaylen Waddle (no. 15, Patriots). Of Surtain, he notes:

Surtain is about as NFL-ready as it gets at the position, and his 88.6 coverage grade in 2019 was the second-highest in the country. While there are numerous other needs on the roster, a corner across from James Bradberry is a big one, as well.

Yes, the need for a second cornerback to complement James Bradberry on the outside is significant from the outside looking in. But the X-factor is what the coaching staff thinks of Julian Love, who closed out the season as the outside cornerback.

In the regular-season finale, Love posted a 93.1 coverage grade after taking most of his snaps on the perimeter. Is that a flash in the pan, or did this coaching staff figure out how to deploy Love at cornerback to where the position isn't as big of a need as first thought?

Gilstrap of SI.com's Draft Site was also thinking defense for the Giants at No. 11, but his selection for the Giants was Penn State OLB Micah Parsons, of whom he wrote:

This is a great value at a position of need for New York. With an outside pass-rush, as well as an off-ball linebacker presence needed, Micah Parsons can be a versatile impact player for both needs. With an edge-rushing background and playing primarily inside linebacker at Penn State, Parsons can be a chess piece in the front seven of this defense, with the tools that can make him one of the NFL’s best linebackers in the future.

Parsons was a dynamic playmaker for the Nittany Lions, but with that said, he also comes with character concerns stemming from an alleged fight with a teammate.

• Find all of Nick Falato's draft profile scouting reports in one centralized location.

However, former Penn State and NFL star Lavar Arrington openly and passionately vouched for Parsons' character, stating that he'd even trust Parsons with mentoring his son and that, "ID (sic) NEVER ALLOW A POOR CHARACTER DUDE AROUND MY FAMILY."

Nov 30, 2019; University Park, PA, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Johnny Langan (17) is tackled by Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Micah Parsons (11) during the second quarter at Beaver Stadium / Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

In any normal year, the Giants scouts cold thoroughly investigate any prospect's character by going into the community, on campus, and around the players' home towns to learn more about the young man.

But this isn't a normal year, not with the pandemic still gripping the world. Already those in the scouting community are concerned about how much information they're going to get to help decision-makers on whether to remove players from the big board for character issues.

RELATED: 2021 Mock Draft: Playmaker and Defensive Help Fall to New York Giants

Would Parsons fit into that category, no one outside of the Giants organization will know for sure, but if the young man is as stellar of a character as Arrington, who was briefly with the Giants, claims, then there is no reason to think that Parsons couldn't thrive in the Giants locker room given the culture and leadership structure head coach Joe Judge has implemented.

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