For the first time in Dave Gettleman’s tenure as NY Giants general manager, fans can enter the NFL Draft with a feeling of optimism.
Instead of the doom and gloom of a rebuild hanging over their heads, this year’s NFL will be about putting the finishing touches on a playoff caliber roster.
The Giants’ front office got busy in free agency, allowing the team a surplus of flexibility when they go on the clock. Instead of locking their selection in based on need alone, strategies like drafting the best player available will be at the team’s disposal.
Between electrifying offensive players like DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle and even offensive lineman Rashawn Slater, the Giants could bolster an already talented unit. On the other hand, they could give their genius defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham, a new toy – if Micah Parsons, Patrick Surtain or Azeez Ojulari are playing in New York next year, he’ll get their best.
Gettleman has never traded back in the draft, even dating back to his days calling the shots for the Carolina Panthers – could this be the year where he finally does so? If one of the highly sought after quarterback prospects begins to fall, he’ll be hard-pressed not to think about it.
Alas, speculation will run rampant – as it does every draft season. Let’s take a look at what the Giants’ can do with their six selections in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Here’s a look at our latest full NY Giants 7-round NFL Mock Draft projection:
Round 1 (11th Overall): DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
Gettleman didn’t hide his plans for this off-season, beating the drum of we need play-makers to the tune of adding weapons Kenny Golladay and Kyle Rudolph in free agency. In this mock, he drafts another – Heisman winning superstar, Devonta Smith.
The Alabama legend immediately gives the Giants one of the best receiving corps in the entire league, joining Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, John Ross, Dante Pettis and the aforementioned Golladay. Instead of giving up on their young quarterback like the NY Jets did with Sam Darnold, the Giants will be giving Daniel Jones no excuse not to succeed.
We’ve seen how valuable the Alabama connection is to Joe Judge this off-season – the team hiring multiple former Crimson Tide staffers along with signing a bevy of graduates. It’s obvious the Giants’ head coach respects the football mind of his former boss, Nick Saban – one phone call to his former employer might be enough to bring Smith to New York.
"“Tell me how many receivers are tougher than he is – that block better, that play more physical than he does – so I think maybe there’s a time when you say this guy really overcomes the fact that he’s not the biggest guy in the world and he really plays this game really, really well,” Saban said on Smith. “I don’t think anybody can argue that fact.”"
The one thing that makes decision-makers wary of Smith is his size, but his emphasis on football tape will help Gettleman look past the Alabama receiver’s slender frame. It’s been reported by GMenHQ’s Matt Lombardo that multiple NFL scouts believe the Giants’ GM is targeting Smith with the team’s first selection – one AFC scout even going as far as saying “He’s going to be a Giant.”
Smith continually showed up in the clutch while at Alabama – catching the game-winning touchdown in the 2018 National Championship, and setting records in 2021’s iteration of the game. A winner, team-player and all-around superstar – he would be a home-run selection by the Giants at #11.