For the first time since 2017, the NY Giants will not be picking in the top-10 of the 2021 NFL Draft, but that doesn’t mean general manager Dave Gettleman won’t be able to come away with an elite playmaker.
The NY Giants played meaningful football in December, thanks to the historically pathetic NFC East, but that can’t mask the myriad needs on both sides of this roster, and lack of high-end talent that buttresses championship caliber rosters.
Looking at NY Giants’ biggest needs:
There are few positions on this roster that the Giants can take comfort in are finished products.
On offense, the Giants must add playmakers around Daniel Jones both to set 2021 up as a year to truly and fairly evaluate his potential to become a franchise quarterback, but can’t ignore a glaring hole at offensive tackle and inconsistent guard play.
Defensively, the Giants need to add a dominant linebacker presence inside next to Blake Martinez, but bolstering the pass rush and mining a competent outside cornerback to pair opposite James Bradberry must be top priorities.
Here’s a look at five NFL Draft prospects the NY Giants could potentially target with the No. 11 overall pick who would fill immediate needs:
Kwity Paye – edge rusher, Michigan
If there is one thing the resurgent NY Giants defense missed last season, it was a dominant edge presence.
Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham was often tasked with scheming up pressure with the front-three while dropping the secondary into zone coverage to hide deficiencies at outside cornerback and make up for the lack of a dominant pass rusher.
The GIants’ defense produced 40 sacks, but defensive linemen Leonard Williams and Dalvin Tomlinson combined for 15.5 of them.
That could change with the NY Giants’ first-round pick.
Michigan edge rusher Kwity Paye produced 8.5 sacks, 16.5 tackles for loss and proved that he can be a power rusher either with his hand in the dirt or standing up as an outside linebacker, in his 16 career games in Ann Arbor.
Patrick Surtain – CB, Alabama
James Bradberry was a revelation for the NY Giants’ defense this season, and arguably the most gifted player added by Dave Gettleman during his tenure as general manager.
However, for the third consecutive year, the Giants had a revolving door at one of the outside cornerback spots.
Alabama’s Patrick Surtain might be an ideal complement to Bradberry and has the chance to be one of the first defensive players to hear his name called during the draft.
Surtain, 6-foot-2 and 202 pounds, has the prototypical size and length that defensive coordinators hope to build secondaries around, and broken up 24 passes during his time at Tuscaloosa, showing that quarterbacks best be careful when targeting his side of the field.
Plus ball-skills and field presence give him a high ceiling in the NFL, and he could be an ideal fit for the Giants’ glaring needs in the secondary.
Christian Darrisaw – OT, Virginia Tech
The Giants chose Andrew Thomas No. 4 overall in last April’s NFL Draft, but it remains to be seen if third-round rookie Matt Peart can emerge as a bookend on the right side.
This year, there is no consensus No. 2 offensive tackle behind Oregon’s Penei Sewell, expected to be a top-five pick, but Darrisaw has built quite a case during his time at Virginia Tech to carry that torch.
Darrisaw, 6-foot-5 and 314 pounds, has shown an ability to thrive in power or zone blocking schemes with an ability to quickly get to the second-level as a run-blocker, which could prove an asset for the Giants opening running lanes for Saquon Barkley.
In pass protection, Darrisaw has a solid anchor, rarely blown off his spot by a power rusher and has the chance to be a mauler in the ground game.
If the Giants prioritize fortifying the offensive line during the draft, adding Darrisaw to pair opposite Thomas could push him up the team’s board.
Kyle Pitts – TE, Florida
As quarterback Daniel Jones enters his pivotal third season, after regressing dramatically in 2020, the Giants would be wise to surround him with as many playmakers as possible in 2021.
If the Giants’ offseason philosophy is to wisely follow the blueprints of the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Los Angeles Rams by building the offense around explosive weapons at their quarterback’s disposal, and Florida tight end Kyle Pitts is on the board, he should be the pick.
Pitts is a generational talent at tight end, and also has the versatility to line up at wide receiver. Two positions that the Giants struggled mightily to get consistent production from in 2020.
In Pitts’ final season in Gainesville, he caught 43 passes for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns, while averaging 17.9 yards per reception.
Standing 6-foot-6 and 246 pounds, Pitts is a matchup nightmare against linebackers and cornerbacks alike. Pitts has the speed to generate separation, the size to be a dangerous weapon in the red zone, and reliable hands that could quickly elevate both the Giants’ offense and Jones’ development. There’s a chance Pitts goes off the board in the top-10, but if he’s available when the Giants go on the clock, he’d be difficult to pass up.
Jaylen Waddle – WR, Alabama
The Giants did not have a 1,000-yard receiver this season while Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard tied for the team-lead with three receiving touchdowns.
That lack of production and consistent inability to generate separation makes upgrading wide receiver through both free agency and the NFL Draft a top organizational priority for the Giants this offseason.
Jaylen Waddle could solve many of the Giants’ issues.
Waddle, 5-foot-10 and 182 pounds, might not have the ideal size but he has plenty of speed to take the top off a defense. Last season, Waddle averaged 21.1 yards per reception while catching 28 passes for 591 yards and four touchdowns.
If Waddle is the Giants’ highest-rated offensive skill player and he is on the board at No. 11, his speed and athleticism would be a dangerous combination to pass up, particularly because of the impact he has the potential to make on Jones.
Matt Lombardo is the site expert for GMenHQ, and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday for FanSided. Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattLombardoNFL.