New York Giants 7-round mock draft replacing lost veterans with young talent

Round 5, pick No. 147: DT Neil Farrell Jr., LSU

With the loss of Austin Johnson and Danny Shelton, alongside the poor run defense the NY Giants put together last season, the NY Giants should look to improve in this area through the draft. I believe a slept-on prospect who specializes in run defense is Neil Farrell Jr. out of LSU.

Coming in at a monstrous 6’4, 330 pounds, Neil Farrell is a true nose guard, something the NY Giants have not had since Damon “Snacks” Harrison. In 12 games played last season, Neil Farrell tallied 45 combined tackles, 2 sacks, 9 tackles for loss, and 19 QB hurries. While he does not provide the most as a pass rusher, his ability as a run stopper is something the NY Giants desperately need.

Last season, the NY Giants run defense ranked 8th in rushing yards allowed, 18th in rushing TD’s allowed, and 9th in rushing yards allowed per attempt. Adding a run stuffer such as Neil Farrell Jr. could be a huge difference maker for the NY Giants defense.

Neil Farrell possesses elite upper body strength, using this to absorb and dominate double teams. Alongside this, Farrell also has very solid speed and movement for this size. However, he has some things that needs to be worked on.

In order for Neil Farrell to reach his full potential he must improve his lower body strength, as this is probably his biggest weakness. While it is not the end of the world, as he possesses above average strength in that area, his lack of elite strength is preventing him from being truly dominant.

Despite this, Neil Farrell Jr. is still a big-time nose guard prospect with a ton of upside as a run stopper. If the NY Giants want to improve upon their run defense they should heavily consider drafting Farrell.