The NY Giants are in a position of power in the 2021 NFL Draft. They can choose to stand pat at No. 11, and there has been much talk about trading down. However, there hasn’t been much discussion surrounding a New York trade up into the top-10 that could cause mayhem early in the draft.
And by a New York trade up, we mean a double New York-sized trade.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell projected a Mock Draft last week depicting trades in every team’s 1st round draft spot. Things got real funky with Barnwell’s take on a trade centered around the #11 pick. Barnwell suggested the Giants trade their #11 overall pick to move up into the top ten and swap with the Lions at #7 overall.
The Giants would be giving up their 1st round pick, their 2nd round pick (42nd overall), and their Pro Bowl tight end in Evan Engram. The Lions would receive the Giants’ 1st and 2nd round picks along with Dawson Knox from the Buffalo Bills. The upstate New York team would get Evan Engram and a 5th round pick from Detroit.
This is a lot to digest here. There are many pros and also many cons to making this type of bold trade.
Here, we break down the trade scenario and how it could affect the Giants on Thursday night.
Why the NY Giants should look into trading up for Kyle Pitts.
If the Giants are desperate enough to fix their broken 2020 offense, then trading up for the draft’s top offensive weapon may be too enticing for Dave Gettleman. He made it no secret with his infatuation with Saquon Barkley in 2018, describing him as touched by the Hand of God and admitting his own mother could’ve scouted him.
Pitts is one of those types of prospects that’s relatively easy to project. There simply hasn’t been a tight end with Pitts’ skill set, size, production, talent, and upside in the NFL Draft in over a decade, if not ever. It’s not hard for any talent evaluator to gush over Pitts, few other tight ends play like him or are built like him.
He is a 6’6, 245-pound tight end who earned Unanimous All-American honors and the John Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end to go with back-to-back All-SEC honors in 2019 and 2020. Pitts lit up the SEC this season, racking up 43 catches for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns.
FanSided NFL Insider Matt Lombardo spoke with league executives to gauge their opinion of Pitts. One AFC Personnel Executive told Lombardo, “He is a FREAK. End of story. You can make an argument he plays his position better than Trevor Lawrence plays his. He has Hall of Fame potential, and is a game-changer at a position that keeps growing in importance.” An NFC Personnel Executive said of Pitts, “You can create some big-time mismatches with him, and if you look around the league, offenses are trending towards using flex tight ends like him or even more two-tight end sets.”
Pitts passed the eyeball test this season beating college football’s top defenses and individual defenders at linebacker, cornerback, and safety in the SEC. Few players could contain him or match his raw ability as he was basically unguardable. It didn’t matter if it was a slant, an out route, or a fade, Pitts was willing to make plays through traffic along with going over the top using his massive frame to box out defenders and win nearly every jump ball.
Along with the eyeball test, Kyle Pitts’ predraft numbers and evaluations confirmed what everyone saw on the field.
Pitts ran an electric 4.44 40-yard dash time to go with a 33-inch vertical and an 83-inch wingspan. The 83-inch wingspan is the longest wingspan measurement recorded in the last 20 years of any incoming wide receiver or tight end. Calvin johnson came the closest with an 82.5-inch wingspan back in 2007. There have been many comparisons between the two players due to their similar size, stature, gameplay, and overall traits. It’s not surprising to see why.
Adding a Calvin Johnson-like element to the offense could push this group over the top. Pitts would be joining a new talented group with Kenny Golladay, Kyle Rudolph, John Ross, and Saquon Barkley coming back from surgery. It’s an enticing idea but the other side of it also needs to be considered.