With the NFL draft looming the NY Giants have many needs to fill, the team is going to have a hard decision to make on what route to take with the #4 overall draft pick.
The NY Giants have been linked to various players at the #4 overall pick during this long NFL draft process. The team possesses the opportunity of trading back, but with Dave Gettleman’s track record not exactly ensuring confidence in that regard (the GM has never traded back in any round during any draft), most consider this scenario now so likely.
The names Big Blue has most commonly been linked to are Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons, the four major offensive tackle prospects (Mekhi Becton, Andrew Thomas, Tristan Wirfs, and Jedrick Wills), with longshot possibilities being defensive lineman Derrick Brown and wideout Ceedee Lamb.
If Dave Gettleman did decide to shock the world and go with another defensive lineman in Derrick Brown as he has done in so many other drafts, it might be means for a riot among the fanbase.
The best-case scenario for the NY Giants has been and still remains a flurry of quarterback action, with the draft going 1-2-3- by the way of signal-callers. That would land them the most prized non-quarterback in the draft at their biggest position of need with edge rusher Chase Young.
With chances of that playing out being incredibly slim, you can bet the personnel department is going to have some long nights of arguing about which need should be filled with the team’s first-round draft pick; finally landing a top-tier offensive tackle, or taking a true difference-maker on defense.
The case for Isaiah Simmons is a fairly simple one. The Clemson linebacker is one of the most versatile players we have seen come out in the draft in a very long time while displaying the ability to play multiple positions at a high level in college. He has shown himself to be a terrific inside linebacker, a capable free safety, and slot corner, while also being able to rush the passer – basically, a defensive coordinator’s dream player.
The former National Champion would be the first linebacker the Giants selected in the first round since Lawrence Taylor if you’re looking for any sentimental reason to consider Simmons. Big Blue’s lack of star talent on the defensive side makes grabbing Simmons extremely enticing. Dave Gettleman is often a fan of selecting the best player available in the draft and Simmons should fit that bill, especially at #4 and beyond.
Another pick the NY Giants could make is mammoth offensive tackle Mekhi Becton from Louisville. Many believe that Becton has the highest ceiling, and as such he has been increasingly linked to Big Blue. While Becton is considered to be a bit raw and might not help out in 2020 as much as some would like, the possibility of him becoming a Jonathan Ogden type player down the line makes him a real possibility.
Daniel Jones outplayed just about everyone’s expectations in 2019, and that was with two of the worst starting offensive tackles in the league. Having an anchor protecting his blindside remains
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Of course, this is not just a Simmons vs. Becton debate. The NY Giants have also been heavily linked to Jedrick Wills Jr., an offensive tackle from Alabama. Wills Jr is another player who fits the Gettleman mold of Hog Mollies, as the young stud tackle packs a punch and has a real mean streak. This is another player that would be great for the progression of Daniel Jones.
Tristan Wirfs and Andrew Thomas are also strong offensive line prospects, with Thomas not getting near the love he should be for some odd reason. Wirfs and Wills mainly played right tackle during their college careers, and if they don’t project to be able to play left tackle in the long-term it would definitely drop their value a bit.
The NY Giants have infamously had major offensive line troubles dating back to just after their last Super Bowl run in 2011, with the team making the playoffs a couple more times over that span would have been exponentially more likely with a capable unit. The ugly offensive line play has left most Giants fans starved for premier talent along the line, so it’s going to be really difficult to pass up the kind of offensive tackle help this draft possesses.
Other players that have been mentioned as possibilities are corner Jeff Okudah and wide receivers Ceedee Lamb and Jerry Jeudy. Both of these scenarios are long shots at best, with the team heavily investing in the cornerback position in free agency and last few drafts, while the Giants have much more pressing needs – as discussed – than wide receiver at the moment.
The only thing that lends itself towards a receiver being taken is just how special Lamb and Jeudy are.
In the end, the best bet for the NY Giants will be meshing their biggest need(s) with the best player available. Under that scenario, Isaiah Simmons probably stands out as making the most sense.
Will Dave Gettleman go for the potentially better player, or the potentially bigger need (offensive tackle)?
Only time will tell.