A Detailed Look at How the Giants Should Address Their Most Glaring Needs

The Giants are facing an interesting off-season.

They possess ample cap space (an estimated $75 million) for a free agency class that features a lot of young talent, and they also hold the fourth pick in the upcoming NFL draft.

Juxtapose this year’s circumstance with 2016’s spending spree that started with the team owning $55 million in cap space, which led to the contracts of cornerback Janoris Jenkins (5 year-$62.5 million, $28 guaranteed), edge Olivier Vernon (5 years - $85 million, $52.5 guaranteed), defensive tackle Damon Harrison (5 years - $46.5 million, $24 guaranteed), and the re-signing of defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (1 year - $10 million, $8.5 million guaranteed).

Outside of the $3.5 million dead cap from Jenkins, the Giants have rid themselves of these cap-eating contracts. But unlike 2016, the 2020 Giants cap doesn't have the quarterback taking up roughly 15% of the cap.

Daniel Jones is on Year 2 of his rookie deal with a cap number just under $6 million. The fourth-highest cap number belongs to running back Saquon Barkley, who is set to begin Year 3 of his rookie deal. The Giants have just one veteran (currently) whose cap number is eight figures, that being left tackle Nate Solder ($19.5 million), who tops the team's salary cap hits for 2020.

Otherwise, most of the team is made up of rookie contracts and inexpensive veterans, which is a solid infrastructure to help a rebuilding team, especially with the cap space and the high draft capital.

The problem is the Giants have so many questions with their roster and no one way to address them.

Do they go after one of the big four offensive tackles early and worry about linebacker in free agency? Or do they sign a tackle in free agency first, with the mindset of drafting a player like Clemson’s linebacker Isaiah Simmons?

There are so many scenarios that can play out, so in this exercise, I've highlighted the most significant areas of need for the Giants, and have gone through each position to arrive at what I think is the best way to address the need.

Off-ball Linebacker: Isaiah Simmons or Kyle Van Noy

The Giants find themselves in a quandary with their second level defense. The Alec Ogletree experiment has finally ended, and the only reliable piece they have at the position is a young linebacker (Ryan Connelly) with three games of experience, coming off a torn ACL.

Veteran David Mayo was re-signed to a 3-year deal last week, which helps the position. Deone Bucannon is a free agent who probably won't be re-signed. In short, the Giants must be diligent with how they mend this historically neglected position.

As previously noted, the Giants hold the fourth overall selection in the upcoming draft, and their predicament, while favorable, puts the team in a Catch-22. Do they use the high draft capital on one of the big four offensive tackles, to ensure the protection of their franchise quarterback, or do they select Simmons, the defensive unicorn out of Clemson, to help anchor a defense that ranked 26th in yards against per game?

It won't be surprising if general manager Dave Gettleman has flipflopped over this decision several times, as the answer will inevitably set the franchise on a different trajectory.

Can this seesaw transform into a weighted scale, elevating one side of the decision above the other? Possibly--and these puzzle pieces may be discernible once free agency commences.

What’s not to love about Simmons? He’s a versatile weapon at linebacker who possesses the athletic ability, range, and mental processing to play deep safety. He also shows an ability to blitz off the edge effectively.

He will immediately be a mismatch for offenses and can guard opposing tight ends, slot receivers while masking a defense's ability to be in base personnel. He is a true exemplar to where the modern linebackers are trending.

As great as the young Clemson Tiger truly is, the opportunity cost of selecting him with the fourth overall pick in the draft must be weighed. Is he worth the pick? Absolutely.

But offensive tackles are hard to find in the NFL, and there are four options in Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs, Louisville's Mekhi Becton, Alabama’s Jedrick Wills, and Georgia’s Andrew Thomas.

If the Giants were to draft Simmons, that means they'd potentially miss out on a future stud offensive lineman. This is a loaded offensive tackles class, and the years past haven’t possessed this type of talent.

Players like these four tackles aren’t typically around long in the draft, and Gettleman no doubt isn't planning on holding a pick in the top 10 again next season as his job likely depends on it.

Will Isaiah Simmons help the Giants? Yes--immensely. But is it wise to go with him over a tackle? That’s one of the many questions Gettleman is no doubt wrestling over.

This leads us to another option: Van Noy. Once a second-round “bust” with the Lions, Van Noy is not a hot commodity on the free-agent market, But this is his first time on the market, and he might be looking for a big contract.

There’s familiarity with Joe Judge and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, from their days in New England, and Van Noy’s versatility, while much different than Simmons', really meshes into the projected Graham defense.

Van Noy can blitz, stunt, drop into coverage, and he brings the physicality within the trenches. Van Noy proved to be one of the versatile leaders of the Patriots' vaunted 2019 defense, delivering 56 tackles, 7 for a loss, and 6.5 sacks while also serving as the defensive play-caller.

Van Noy will be 29 years of age come the start of the season. His camp may be looking for a contract that is comparable to what the Packers signed Za’Darius Smith last off-season, which was a 4-year $66 million deal ($16.5 million average), but I don’t think he’ll receive that kind of cheddar.

Van Noy has stated that he would love to stay with the Patriots, but don't look for him to take a discount to do so, which is why I initially started with the Za'Darius Smith numbers as a potential starting asking point for Van Noy.

There's no question that the Giants must spend money on this porous defense. Still, a Smith type of a deal for Van Noy is probably a bit pricey for a guy who had 6.5 sacks--many of which came on broken plays, stunts, and offensive line errors--but, who while not a true number one pass rusher, is a leader.

Here are a few of his sacks from last season. Sacks and other predominant statistics fail to paint a player’s true overall effect in football accurately. It’s a way to quantify success, but it doesn’t always show the nuances of how linebackers have success.

For example, a linebacker winning the “cat and mouse” game of a running back on a zone run; the linebacker can execute their assignments and force running backs to bounce to a more disadvantageous situation.

Van Noy has shown this ability in the interior parts of the line, while also having the upside to play the edge and drop into space. As such, sometimes, a player’s importance isn’t always quantifiable on the stat sheet.

The addition of Van Noy would bring championship pedigree, toughness, and leadership to the Giants locker room, along with effective and versatile play at the second level of the defense, something the Giants have lacked for so long.

I am fine with the Giants pursuing Van Noy, and think it’s a solid investment; however, I don’t believe the signing of Van Noy automatically eliminates the Giants from selecting Simmons.

Both players can coexist and thrive on this team, especially in Graham’s versatile fronts. If the Giants do sign Van Noy, they shouldn’t shut the book on the talented young Clemson Tiger, who could be the face of the Giants defense for years to come.

If Van Noy isn't an option, other veteran off-ball linebackers I could see drawing interest from the Giants include Corey Littleton (Rams), Joe Schobert (Browns), and Sean Lee (Cowboys).

Offensive Tackle

The shortage of talent at the tackle position in college over the last several drafts has been apparent, yet the Giants seem to have struck a talented tackle goldmine in 2020.

With the fourth overall pick, the Giants have four possible tackle options, which gives Gettleman a lot of flexibility to possibly trade back if he views some of these tackles in a similar lite, or he feels the need to do something different and trade back for once.

Here are the four tackles and their measurements:

Of the four, I believe the Giants will probably have a higher grade on Jedrick Wills and Tristan Wirfs.

Wills is very clean in pass protection and effortlessly glides while mirroring defenders well; he packs a powerful punch, is technically sound, and incredibly balanced. Based on his film, I can't see how he will fail in the NFL.

Wirfs moves so well in space and has very good body control. He has excellent lower body explosiveness and is very effective running through defenders while blocking the run.

The corner with Wirfs on the left side is length (which I feel he has enough of) and his propensity to overset against faster EDGE players. I think these are correctable, but I didn’t see this as much with Wills.

Then there’s the mountain of a man himself, Mekhi Becton, who has excellent movement skills in space for a player of his size. He dominates at the point of attack and his long arms, combined with his punch, rock defenders.

My concern would be the transition to the next level, against fantastic technically sound edge players in the NFL. Yes, Becton moves very well for a player of his size, but it’s not as well as top tackles. He’s unlike anything we’ve seen before, yet those concerns will linger for me.

Thomas is incredibly powerful and stout in the run game, but I saw concerns with pass sets. He played in Georgia’s run-first, heavy play-action scheme that limited his vertical sets. I saw concerns on some obvious passing downs with his overall footwork, and he seemed to be heavy-footed at times, so in my opinion, he'd be the fourth of the big-four tackles grade-wise.

Besides who to take, the bigger question is should the Giants go with one of these four players with the fourth overall pick, trade down a few spots to collect assets (which if they don't go far should allow for them to land one of the four players they might like), or lock up Titans right tackle Jack Conklin in free agency?

Conklin was widely reported as a draft target of former Giants general manager Jerry Reese in 2016, but the Titans jumped in front of the Giants to select the former Michigan State Spartan.

Conklin received very good marks from Pro Football Focus; in 645 pass sets, he only allowed 34 pressures and had nine penalties, which is pretty good. The offense he played in was favorable towards these types of statistics because it was a run-first, heavy play-action type of scheme.

Financially, Conklin could be looking to surpass Lane Johnson’s $18 million a year deal. I could see Gettleman going in this direction because his job is on the line, and a veteran lineman is more trustworthy than a rookie making his first starts.

If Gettleman shares that thinking, then the Giants may go Isaiah Simmons in the first round. (I think the Giants should take the player they view as the best left tackle prospect, but I would never begrudge them for going Simmons.)

Alternate Options

If Conklin proves to be too costly for the Giants' tastes (or not their taste at all), some other options include Cordy Glenn and Ricky Wagner, released by the Bengals and Lions respectively last week.

Glenn, who had a tumultuous time in Cincinnati after being acquired via trade, had a 5-year, $60 million that he initially signed with the Bills before he was traded. Wagner, meanwhile, had a 5-year, $47 million dollar deal from the Lions after his first stint in Baltimore went well.

Both players are 30 years of age, and there is a chance each might be willing to play on a “prove it” deal. I think the Giants should inquire about both players and see if one or both would be interested in playing the "swing tackle" role at minimum or even serving as a stop-gap at offensive tackle as Mike Remmers did.

The Giants, by the way, don't have to wait for free agency if they want to sign either of these players since both were released from their respective contracts and are now free to sign elsewhere.

Cornerback

The question is whether the Giants would be better off signing soon-to-be Cowboys free agent Byron Jones to a long-term deal that will likely reset the corner market, or draft a corner at No. 36 overall despite the other holes on the roster.

Corners projected in that 30-39 range: TCU’s Jeff Gladney, and Alabama’s Trevon Diggs as Ohio State's Jeff Okudah, LSU's Kristian Fulton, and Florida's C.J. Henderson will all likely be off the board by the time the second round begins.

Gladney failed to wow at the combine, but his tape is solid. He has very good footwork/footspeed that allows him to excel in man coverage, and he also has solid ball skills and very fluid hips in transition. He is a willing run defender, who can tackle, and I saw no issues with his ability to play/anticipate in zone coverage.

Diggs is a "longer" corner who may best be suited as a boundary Cover-3 type of player. He isn’t as aggressive or willing against the run, but his size, range, and athletic ability will endear him to an NFL franchise.

My top free-agent target for 2020 is Jones. Yes, I know the Giants invested heavily in the position last year, and the addition of Jones may “stunt the growth” of some of those younger players, but that shouldn’t stop them from targeting this excellent young player.

Jones is sticky in man coverage. He is an elite-level athlete and a willing tackler who can lock down one side of the field. Jones is 27 years old and, along with DeAndre Baker, the two would be a formidable, young, cornerback duo, while Sam Beal, Grant Haley, and Corey Ballentine compete for roles.

I think the Giants should go heavy after Jones, who will be looking to reset the market at $16-$18 million a year, which I feel is a no brainer for the Giants. Taking Jones away from the Cowboys and ensuring that the Eagles do not land him is an ancillary prize to the deal as well.

Here are two clips that highlight how smart and disciplined Jones is in coverage.

The first clip has him outside the numbers on a vertical stretch route to open up the horizontal cross, like a Yankee concept.

Jones recognizes the route concept and reads the eyes of the quarterback to come off his assignment and force an interception to Jeff Heath. Overall, this shows very high mental processing and the ability to read what the offense is doing.

The second clip shows the patience Jones has on the inside curl route--he waits, baits, and reacts to force a pass breakup.

Again, I feel the Giants need to go all-in on Jones to upgrade a defense that has less than $30 million invested, albeit much of the defense is on their rookie deals.

EDGE Rusher

Just like corners, we look at the 36th selection of the upcoming draft since it's unlikely that the Giants will have a chance at Ohio State’s Chase Young.

The two players I have my eye on at No. 36 are Wisconsin linebacker Zach Baun and Penn State edge Yetur Gross-Matos, while in free agency, I'm watching to see what happens with Seattle’s Jadeveon Clowney.

Getting back to the college prospects, Baun comes from Jim Leonhard’s aggressive, multiple blitz type of defense. Baun is incredibly versatile, can blitz off the edge, play off-ball linebacker, operate in space, and is a very cerebral player.

The versatility aspect of Baun is very intriguing; while a much different player than Simmons, Baun’s fit in Patrick Graham’s defense would also be valuable.

Graham runs a lot of multiple fronts, with 1 or 2 down linemen in obvious passing situations, while 4 or 5 players roam behind the line and either drop in coverage or blitz. Baun, along with Simmons and Van Noy, fit excellently into this scheme.

Watch some Baun clips above, and it’s easy to see how quick and decisive he can be in high leverage situations.

He’s 6-foot 2, 238 pounds, and has solid movement skills and a good pass-rushing repertoire that he has flashed throughout the 2019 season. He utilizes excellent timing to strike, go inside, or react to the offensive players' actions.

Baun had 27 tackles for a loss and 15 sacks in the last two seasons while leading the Badgers defense. I would love to see Baun as the No. 36 selection in the draft, but I’m not overly confident he’ll be available.

Another edge prospect that should be around at 36 is Gross-Matos. A long-limbed (just under 35-inch arms), raw, yet still productive (17.5 sacks in last two seasons), a player that has immense upside.

Gross-Matos has good lower body flexion, can set the edge and crash the B-gap against the run, while showing a solid push-pull. But he still needs to develop hand placement, timing, and more pass-rushing counters.

He’s not as versatile as Baun and appears more comfortable if he has his hand in the dirt, but he’s still an intriguing prospect, as you’ll see in a few examples below.

Clowney is looking to reset the EDGE market, but he’s a 27-year-old player that has an injury history, despite not missing many games.

He’s tough and usually plays through injuries, but it affects his ability to shine on the field. Clowney has never had more than10 sacks in a season, but he’s a game-changing player that is an excellent run defender.

As of right now, Khalil Mack is the highest-paid edge player at $23.5 million per year, but I feel Clowney is looking to top the 2019 contract of DeMarcus Lawrence’s $21 million per year.

As the cap goes up every season, the contract isn’t exactly outlandish, especially given the context of the Giants' current state, and the fact the team has roughly $75 million dollars in cap space.

I do have my reservations with Clowney: the injuries that nag him, he can disappear in certain games, and that this would be his third team. The Giants desperately need an EDGE rusher, and there aren’t many available, and they might have to by-pass this need if a suitable option doesn't materialize.

Shaq Barrett could be an option, as could 26-year-old Dante Fowler Jr, but it’ll all come down to the price tag.

Safety

The Giants have been in desperate need of a single high safety. New England's Devin McCourty is a name that has been floated out in the Giants direction because of the link with the Giants staff, but on the eve of the league's annual pre-free agency negotiating window, McCourty announced he's staying in New England.

Another interesting option is the 28-year-old former Vikings free safety Anthony Harris. Since taking on a more significant role for the Vikings in 2018, Harris has 17 passes defensed and nine interceptions, while being an effective run defender.

Above are some clips from Harris' play in 2018 and 2019. These are small microcosms to Harris’ game and how effective he has been for the Vikings as a deep half player.

Harris has the athletic ability, short-area quickness, long-range, ball skills, physicality, and ability to judge angles that are needed to excel on the backend.

If this position were to be filled via the draft, it would have to more than likely be the 36th pick where three players that come to mind are Cal’s Ashtyn Davis, Southern Illinois’ Jeremy Chinn, and Lenoir-Rhyne's Kyle Dugger 9and we'll throw in a fourth, Minnostoa’s Antonie Winfeild Jr.)

None of these players have that Malik Hooker type of single high ability/range, but all would be welcomed, just not at 36, given all the other needs of the Giants.

With the presence of Jabrill Peppers and Julian Love, I feel the Giants should look to invest that No. 36 pick somewhere else. I would love for the Giants to add depth, and hopefully something more, in the later rounds of the draft with Clemson’s K’Von Wallace, a player that most have been sleeping on.

Wallace has flashed the traits necessary to excel on the backend, but he isn’t overly consistent. Still, I feel he would be an excellent addition to the Giants in the fourth round.

I also think the addition of former first-round pick and former Steeler Sean Davis would be a wise move for the Giants. In addition to having a high draft pedigree, the 27-year-old has shown positive flashes, and would likely be available on an affordable contract.

Final Thoughts

There’s a lot to unpack with these needs, and my thoughts aren’t set in stone, but as of right now, here’s a game plan for the Giants offseason:

Giants cap space: $75 Million

Sign:

CB Byron Jones, 5 years, $85million ($17 million per year)
LB/EDGE Kyle Van Noy, 4 years, $44 million ($11 million per year)
EDGE Emmanual Ogbah, 3 years, $18 million ($6 million per year)
Safety Sean Davis, 2 years, $9 million ($4.5 million per year)
Tackle Ricky Wagner, 1 year, $4 million

Resign: Leonard Williams, 5 years, $70 million ($14 million per year)

Draft: Trade back one spot with Miami. In such a scenario, the Giants could probably ask for the 70th selection in the draft, which would be an overpayment by the Dolphins, according to the trade chart, but those are the breaks.

And here is the Giants' complete 2020 draft if this trade-back scenario comes to fruition:

Pick 5: OT Jedrick Wills, Alabama
Pick 36: Edge/LB Zach Baun, Wisconsin
Pick 70: Edge Julian Okwara, Notre Dame
Pick 99: OC Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin
Pick 110: S K’Von Wallace, Clemson
Pick 150: LB Logan Wilson, Wyoming
Pick 184: WR Antonio Gandy-Golden, Liberty
Pick 219: OT Jon Runyan, Michigan
Pick 239: RB J.J. Taylor, Arizona
Pick 248: CB Lamar Jackson, Nebraska
Pick 256: (Mr. Irrelevant) IOL Gage Cervanka, Clemson

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