After trading back to the No. 20 pick in Round 1, the NY Giants took elusive slot receiver Kadarius Toney. Here’s the top targets for the Giants on Day 2.
Thursday was a roller coaster to say the least. After months of speculation, anticipation, mocks, and predictions, general manager Dave Gettleman and the NY Giants ultimately traded back and took Florida’s Kadarius Toney with the No. 20 overall pick.
While the pick itself was interesting considering the EDGE players and other receivers on the board, the biggest surprise was the fact that the Giants traded back in the first round. This is something GM Dave Gettleman had never done before and a move the Giants themselves haven’t done since 2006 when they dropped from 25 to 32 with the Pittsburgh Steelers and took Mathias Kiwanuka.
The trade back was ultimately sparked by the uncommon in-division trade between Dallas and Philadelphia, where the Eagles swapped picks with the Cowboys and jumped ahead of the NY Giants.
With the No. 10 pick, the Cowboys took Alabama’s Devonta Smith, who was clearly at the top of the NY Giants’ board.
With Chicago desperate for a QB, and New England only a few picks away, they ultimately swapped picks with the Giants and took Ohio State’s Justin Fields.
When it was all said and done, Gettleman and company walked away from the trade with the No. 20 pick, a fifth-round pick this year, and a first and fifth-round pick in 2022.
With picks 42 and 76 on day two, the G-Men will need to address both the offensive line and EDGE positions. With a deeper offensive line class in 2021, I would expect to see an EDGE go in round two for Big Blue. Either way, huge needs will be addressed today and the real fun of the Draft will begin.
Let’s take a look at the top targets for NY Giants on day two of the 2021 NFL Draft:
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame
While the NY Giants need help on the offensive and defensive lines, they could also see an upgrade at linebacker.
Blake Martinez is a tackling-machine and defensive captain, adding an athletic freak such as Notre Dame’s Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah that can run sideline-to-sideline and cover slot receivers to pair up with him would create an unreal duo.
That is exactly what Koramoah is. He is the linebacker of tomorrow in the NFL and would be an absolute weapon in a Patrick Graham defense.
Owusu-Koramoah is this year’s Isaiah Simmons, but more physical. It is shocking that he made it out of the first round, and I honestly do not expect him to make it to the Giants at 42.
With Philadelphia taking DeVonta Smith, Washington adding Curtis Samuel to pair with Terry McLaurin, and Dallas already boasting one of the top receiving corps in the NFL, the Giants cannot afford to fall behind on elite defensive talent.
If for some reason JOK falls to the NY Giants, they shouldn’t waste a second in selecting him.