Pro Football Focus, a site heralded for their grading and tape analysis, released their mock draft on Tuesday and the board breaks very favorably for the New York Giants.
The end result, however, is the same as plenty of mock drafts that come before it; the Giants select Clemson defensive end Shaq Lawson. Lawson made 25.5 tackles for loss during the 2015 college football season and is fairly unanimously the second-best DE in the draft behind DeForest Buckner. At 6’3”, 270 pounds, Lawson has the bulk to stand up against the run and Lawson has flashed real upside as a pass-rusher.
Lawson was a popular pick in mock drafts prior to Jerry Reese’s spending spree in free agency where the defensive line was addressed. After the addition of Oliver Vernon and Damon Harrison, analysts tended to think the Giants would lean towards an addition on the offensive side of the ball.
For instance, if Ole Miss wide receiver Laquon Treadwell or Notre Dame offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley were available for the Giants at 10, they would fill a more-pressing need. The PFF mock draft board breaks exactly that way, yet the analysts there still have Lawson heading to New York.
If that scenario plays out, would Reese really add Lawson with Stanley and Treadwell still on the board?
Offensive line is a desperate need for the Giants. On paper, John Jerry and Marshall Newhouse will start on the right side of the line in Week 1. Mel Kiper, ESPN’s draft guru, believes offensive line is such a need, the Giants will select MSU’s OT Jack Conklin at ten because Stanley is off the board.
PFF’s mock draft was a three-rounder and in the second round, wide receiver was addressed. The Giants select Ohio State’s Michael Thomas and here’s PFF’s take: “One of the draft’s sleeper WR prospects, Thomas plays much bigger than his listed 6-foot-1, making acrobatic catches and winning at the catch point more than any top receiver in this draft. His +19.5 receiving grade ranked 11th in the class in 2015.” In this mock, Treadwell was on the board in the second round. While highly unlikely, the Giants would consider making a move up in that scenario.
In the third, the Giants address another glaring need (see a pattern here) at safety and select Boise State’s Darian Thompson. PFF writes, “Need and value match up well here as Thompson is a playmaker in the secondary and should pair with last year’s second-rounder, Landon Collins, to form a well-rounded duo”
Giants fans, how would you feel when preseason starts with these three players on the roster?