1. DT Derrick Brown – Auburn
Derrick Brown’s spot on this list has less to do with his NFL potential, and far more to do with his potential fit with the NY Giants. Infamously, Dave Gettleman has heavily invested into his three-man defensive line, to the point where there is already a promising young player – BJ Hill – who looks like he won’t be getting many snaps in 2020.
Simply put, Gettleman loves himself a monster defensive tackle that eats up blockers to free up action for other players. The GM has spent a whopping 3/7 career first-round draft selections on the position, while also going back-to-back in rounds one and two on defensive tackles in his first-ever draft as a GM with the Panthers in 2013.
In his second draft with the Giants in 2019, Gettleman took an almost identical player to Brown in stud defensive tackle, Dexter Lawrence. Luckily for us, Lawrence has been better at every level than Brown so far (high school, college in the SEC), so if it was going to be a pick between these two in separate drafts, it seems like we may have got the right one.
Either way, there is simply no logical argument to be made to select another player so similar to Lawrence in the following draft, even if he has the highest grade while the team is on the clock.
Even for those that will argue the team might play some 4-3 defense, this would leave the team with little threat on the outside and mainly all ‘3 technique’ defensive lineman, with Dalvin Tomlinson also claiming his stake after a terrific 2019 season.
Even though the defensive line was one of the strongest suits of the 2019 NY Giants, Gettleman still traded for another interior pass-rusher in the infamous Leonard Williams deal at the deadline last season. Scaringly enough, Gettleman reportedly loves the former Auburn big man heading into this draft (shocker).
Selecting Brown would leave Big Blue with 5 options to play 3 positions while not addressing any of the huge holes the team currently has.
Derrick Brown is going to be a top-ten pick and likely flourish in the NFL as a double-team eater that still makes plus plays, it just simply cannot be for the Giants. This selection would be means for a riot amongst the fanbase.