Athletic freaks the NY Giants should target in each round of the NFL Draft

Not all great athletes make great football players. However, the 2020 NFL combine did showcase some exceptional athleticism from outstanding college football players that would help the rebuilding 2020 NY Giants.

Many of the biggest winners from the 2020 NFL combine are players that should already be high on the NY Giants draft board. While teams shouldn’t rely too heavily on NFL combine workout numbers, they can provide front offices with valuable information and confirm things they have been seeing on college tape.

The following players are some of the biggest winners of the 2020 NFL scouting combine that the Giants will or should target.

Each of these prospects can be considered an “athletic freak,” or a player that possesses exceptional speed, strength, agility, and/or explosiveness.

For each round of the draft, I have profiled players that possess these traits and would fill a need for the G-Men.

Round 1 Targets

Isaiah Simmons-LB, Clemson

Why the NY Giants should target him: Isaiah Simmons is the defensive playmaker that the Giants desperately need. I already wrote an article that explains why the front office would regret passing on Simmons in the first round. He is the ultimate chess piece for the modern NFL defense and can help the Giants in so many ways.

Freakish athleticism: At 6 feet 4 inches and 238 pounds, Simmons ran a 4.39 40 yard dash. His 39 inch vertical and 132-inch broad jump demonstrates the explosive athleticism that allowed him to dominate college football. His ability to cover ground quickly is what enables Simmons to shut down tight ends in coverage and even play deep-half safety on occasion.

Personal excitement level if drafted: (9/10)  Simmons is one of the only players from the draft that would immediately make the Giants defense a much better unit. I feel that his ability to blitz and get after the quarterback is underrated. His closing speed and football IQ will make him a dangerous blitzer on the NFL level.

Tristan Wirfs-OT, Iowa

Why the NY Giants should target him: The Giants desperately need to fix the offensive line. Tristan Wirfs would immediately start at right or left tackle. Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley would be the biggest beneficiaries of Wirfs uber athleticism and toughness.

Freakish athleticism: Tristan Wirfs athleticism is otherworldly. Not only did the 320-pound offensive tackle run a 4.86 (!!) 40-yard dash, he broke the NFL scouting combine record for an offensive lineman in the vertical and broad jumps. His historically great NFL combine workout backed up three excellent years of excellent and athletic play for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Personal excitement level if drafted: (7/10)  The knock on Wirfs is that he lacks ideal length for an NFL offensive tackle, which is why some believe he will move inside to guard. I feel like his tape from college and display of athleticism at the NFL combine show that he would be fine at tackle in the NFL. When defenders were asked during the combine who was the best offensive lineman they went up against in college, Wirfs was the most common answer.

Mekhi Becton-OT, Louisville

Why the NY Giants should target him: Mekhi Becton is the offensive lineman with the highest upside in the 2020 NFL draft. The 364-pound tackle could create gaping holes for Saquon Barkley. He is extremely nimble for a man his size and could eventually develop into an elite pass protector as well.

Freakish athleticism: Becton is not your typical 364-pound offensive lineman. He only has 17% body fat and looked very smooth running an incredible 5.10 40-time. He is the most physically impressive player to enter the NFL draft in a long time.

Personal excitement level if drafted: (6/10)  It would be fun to watch Becton pancake defensive backs downfield, but he is the offensive lineman with the highest bust potential. A defensive playmaker like Simmons would be a much safer pick in my opinion. Gentleman does love his hog mollies though.

https://twitter.com/harry_nfl/status/1236242360473919489?s=20

Round 2 Targets

Denzel Mims-WR, Baylor

Why the NY Giants should target him: Arguably the player that improved his stock the most at this year’s combine, Mims would give Daniel Jones a dangerous weapon on the outside. Mims’ elite speed, agility, and route running will allow him to get separation from NFL corners. The aging Golden Tate was one of the worst receivers in the NFL at getting separation from defenders in 2019 and is a candidate to be cut if the Giants go in this direction.

Freakish athleticism: According to Mim’s agent, Julio Jones is the only other receiver his size who ran a 4.3 40-yard dash and a 6.6 3-cone drill. Mim’s time in the 3-cone drill was the best of any participant in the 2020 NFL scouting combine. Some scouts believe the 3-cone drill, which measures short-range agility and body control, is the most important drill in evaluating which player will best apply his skills to the gridiron in the NFL.

Personal excitement level if drafted: (4/10)  The Giants have so many needs on defense and the offensive line. I feel like they don’t have the luxury of drafting a receiver in the first three rounds.

Erza Cleveland-OT, Boise State

Why the NY Giants should target him: The Giants need a long-term solution at left tackle. Cleveland has shown he has the athleticism to protect Daniel Jones blind-side and help solidify the offensive line. His ability to pass block would enable the Giants to feel comfortable putting him into the starting line-up on day one.

Freakish athleticism: Erza is very athletic and fluid in pass protection, with the ability to kick-slide and effectively mirror edge rushers. He helped himself immensely at the combine by putting up 30 bench press reps at 225 and ran a 4.93-second 40 with a very good 1.73 10-yard split. His 7.26-second three-cone time was the best among any offensive lineman at the combine.

Personal excitement level if drafted: (7/10)  I would be very excited if the Giants were able to draft a starter on the offensive line on day 2. There are concerns about Cleveland’s play strength, but I think he has a big enough frame to develop into a very solid NFL offensive tackle. His quickness and ability to stay in front of athletic pass rushers is something the Big Blue desperately needs.

Round 3 Targets

Jeremy Chinn-S, Southern Illinois

Why the NY Giants should target him:  The Giants lost games (like the game vs. Detroit) last year because of their inability to cover the deep half of the field. Chinn is a small school prospect but has the athleticism and ball skills to eventually develop into an elite safety in the NFL. The Giants would probably need to trade up into the 2nd or early third round to have a chance at Chinn.

Freakish athleticism: Chinn has elite safety size at 6 feet 3 inches and 221 pounds. He created plenty of buzz at the NFL Combine with a 41-inch vertical and 4.45 40 yard dash time. His athleticism allowed him to perform well at the Senior Bowl as well.

Personal excitement level if drafted: (9/10)  Chinn has been shooting up draft boards because of his Senior Bowl and combine performances. He held his own in man coverage against AJ Brown in 2018. There has been buzz that Chinn could move to linebacker, and if the Giants miss out on Isaiah Simmons, Chinn could play a similar role in the Giants defense.

Kyle Dugger- S, Lenoir-Rhyne

Why the NY Giants should target him: Dugger is another small school safety with limitless potential. He has the ideal size, speed, and physicality of an NFL safety. The Giants have a major need at safety and would be fortunate to draft Isaiah Simmons-lite at the end of the third round.

Freakish athleticism: Dugger seems like he was created by football coaches in a lab. He is the defensive back with the longest arms (32 7/8″), longest wingspan (78 1/2″) and largest hands (10 3/8″) in the draft class. His 42 inch vertical was the best of any player in the draft, and his 4.42 40 yard-dash at his size is why he reminds me so much of Isaiah Simmons.

Personal excitement level if drafted: (6/10)  Dugger has a very similar build to Kam Chancellor. I think he projects as a future box-safety. He could play right away for the Giants in sub-packages and special teams, but I feel like the Giants need a deep-half safety much more.

Round 4 Targets

Willie Gay Jr. -LB, Mississippi State

Why the NY Giants should target him: The Giants would regret passing on one of the uber-athletic inside linebackers from this draft class. The Big Blue ‘D’ has been lacking an off the ball linebacker that can roam sideline to sideline. Gay is the type of player that could excel in Patrick Graham’s system and make plays all over the field.

Freakish athleticism: William Gay Jr. needed to help himself at the NFL scouting combine after troublesome off the field issues in 2019, and he did just that. His 39.5 inch vertical, 11’6″ broad jump, and 4.46 40 yard dash time are all incredible numbers for a linebacker. Gay’s athleticism made him stick out in the SEC and will allow him to play all over the field in the NFL in a variety of roles.

Personal excitement level if drafted: (8.5/10)  I think linebacker has been the Giants’ biggest weakness for years, and I think Gay would be a great fit in Patrick Graham’s defense. When Patrick Graham was the defensive coordinator in Miami, he liked to have multiple linebackers roam up near the line of scrimmage on third downs to confuse the defense and blitz linebackers from multiple spots. Gay has the athletic traits to become a do-everything type of linebacker for the Giants.

Malik Harrison-LB, Ohio State

Why the NY Giants should target him: Harrison was a productive and versatile player for one of the best defenses in the country. The new coaching staff wants versatility and players that can do multiple things well, and Harrison is that type of player. Malik Harrison has the size (247 pounds) and athleticism to help anchor the middle of the Giants 3-4 defense.

Freakish athleticism: Harrison caught the attention of NFL teams at the combine with an insane 6.83 3-cone drill. This time was the best of any linebacker at the combine. His speed, power, and short-range ability will create havoc for offenses when he blitzes on third downs.

Personal excitement level if drafted: (6.5/10) Although Harrison can struggle in pass coverage, I think he would be a great value for the Giants in the fourth round. His impressive combine performance has him rising up draft boards and he could be gone earlier on day 2 of the draft.

Round 5 Targets

Jacob Phillips- LSU, LB

Why the NY Giants should target him: It was Jacob Phillips that led the national champion LSU Tigers in tackles in 2019, not the much-more heralded Patrick Queen. The Giants need linebackers that can make plays, and Phillips found ways to make them with other elite defenders playing around him.

Freakish athleticism: Phillips went overlooked on the star-studded LSU defense, but he caught the attention of coaches at the combine. His 4.6 40-yard dash and 39-inch vertical shows he has the speed and explosiveness to succeed at middle linebacker in the NFL.

Personal excitement level if drafted: (4/10) Phillips lacks ideal size and strength for middle linebackers in a 3-4 defense. He would immediately contribute on special teams though.

Darnay Jones-UCLA, CB

Why the Giants should target him: The huge weakness for the Giants is their nickel corner situation. Darnay Jones is undersized, but is the physical type of player fans would love at nickel cornerback.

Freakish athleticism: Jones ran an impressive 4.48 40-yard dash, and impressed with his smoothness in and out of cuts at the combine.

Personal excitement level if drafted: (6/10) Jones has the type of aggressive demeanor and attitude that would allow him to succeed at nickel corner for the Giants. Nickel corner is one of the most underrated positions on a defense in my opinion, and the Giants need to address it in free agency or the draft.

https://twitter.com/ProwayDarnay/status/1234662811831156743?s=20

Round 6 Target

K’von Wallace-Clemson, S/CB

Why the NY Giants should target him: Wallace is an athletic safety/cornerback that has experience playing all over the defense for the Clemson Tigers. He was actually at his best when he was blitzing and getting after the quarterback, something the Giants will be doing a lot in their new multiple defense.

Freakish athleticism: Wallace’s 4.51 40-yard dash time was solid, but his 6.73 3-cone time was extremely impressive for a corner that can play in the slot or in the box.

Personal excitement level if drafted: (7/10) Wallace is the type of versatile player that would be perfect for the Giants multiple defense. The agility he showed at the combine makes me think he would contribute right away as a late-round pick.

Round 7 Target

Derrek Tuszka-DE, North Dakota State

Why the NY Giants should target him: Tuszka played weak FCS competition at North Dakota State, but he dominated his opponents with 29.5 sacks in three years and is arguably the most athletic defensive lineman in the draft. He could transition nicely to a 3-4 outside linebacker with the Giants, and be used right away as a situational pass rusher.

Freakish athleticism: Derrek Tuszka ran a 4.79 40-yard dash and his 6.87 3-cone times was the best of any edge rusher at the combine. At 6 feet 4 inches and 251 pounds, Tuszka has elite size and athleticism for an edge rusher in the NFL.

Personal excitement level if drafted: (7/10) This is a weak draft for edge rushers, but I would be very happy if they take a flier on a guy like Tuszka at the end of the draft.