The NY Giants are going to add some new faces this weekend.
NFL Draft week is finally here.
The NY Giants have a huge week ahead of them as they look to build up the foundation of the team’s young roster and optimistically bright future. This New York squad needs some starters, depth, and reserves at different positions all over the roster.
Every year, the NFL Draft throws many curveballs and the Giants are always right in that mix in terms of uncertainty, surprises, and the unexpected. Last season, it was pretty obvious the Giants were going with an offensive lineman at #4 overall unless they felt an Isaiah Simmons was worth it or if Chase Young slipped somehow into their hands.
This year, the Giants’ first-round choice will be much more unclear.
There are the clear and obvious names that will likely top the Giants’ draft board. However, don’t rule out a curveball being thrown at any time from the 1st round until Mr. Irrelevant hears his name called last overall.
Here are five bold predictions for the NY Giants’ draft plans this Weekend.
Bold Prediction No. 1: NY Giants will go with Defense in 1st Round of the NFL Draft.
To kick it off, maybe the NY Giants won’t draft DeVonta Smith or Jaylen Waddle after all.
New York has some needs on the offensive side of the ball, but they have spent considerable amounts of resources at different position groups. The Giants went out and signed two receivers this offseason, they have two solid starters on the team already, and this is an exceptionally deep and strong wide receiver class in this draft.
The only other true offensive position being mocked to the Giants is an offensive lineman. With that, the Giants have spent a 1st round, 2nd round, 3rd round, 5th round, given Nate Solder the largest OL deal ever at that point in 2018, and they have made several smaller depth transactions as well. The main issue with the NY Giant offense is the line struggled with pass protection all season. That worry hasn’t gone away as the team has made little moves along the lines this season.
Is there a reason for that?
The Giants seem to like what they have on their line in Andrew Thomas, Nick Gates, Matt Peart, and the combo of Will Hernandez and Shane Lemieux. They’ve spent enough time, draft picks, and money into them so the team likely feels they need to play and see how the young guys play together in person. It’s a risky proposition but one the Giants seem to be worth taking. It could make or break their season.
As for the defensive side of the ball, the Giants can really upgrade all over the defense and enhance the team’s strength. On defense, the Giants still need more pass rushers, another inside linebacker would be useful, and they are still looking to add cornerbacks to the already talented group.
Plugging in a guy like Micah Parsons as a do-all linebacker next to Blake Martinez is certainly intriguing for New York. Having an EDGE presence such as Azeez Ojulari or Kwity Paye is also worth exploring too. Lastly, the rumors haven’t gone away about the Giants’ extended work and research on the draft’s top two corners in Patrick Surtain and Jaycee Horn so that is a key thing to watch as well.
The NY Giants may in fact end up with better defensive options on the board than their offensive counterparts. Here, we’ll go with the Giants attacking their defense in Round One.