Mock Draft Rebuild Series: New York Giants
The New York Giants, in recent memory, have been plagued by mediocre Quarterback play, lackluster offensive weapons, and an inconsistent defense. There are a lot of questions around Brian Daboll as well, and if he is the guy to get the Giants back to their winning ways when they had Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning. Similar to the Commanders rebuild, the Giants are more than 1 year away from contending, and things are going to have to be broken into stages. Free agency, and the Giants handling of their large contracts, like the $47 million dollar cap hit that Daniel Jones carries in 2024. Things will also look different as we get closer to the draft, as college players improve and hurt their draft stocks. The Giants will want to be contenders in 2-3 seasons, and that is where we will put them on the path towards.
As always, we will be using the PFF (Pro Football Focus) Mock Draft Simulator to assist us in this draft, as well as any PFF rankings that come with the upcoming class of rookies. Lets begin:
Round 1, Pick 6
At this point, the big name Quarterbacks are off of the table, and reaching for a guy like Jayden Daniels at this point would hurt the Giants more than it would help them. The Giants have needs at Wide Receiver, Offensive Line, Defensive Line, Defensive Back, more holes than can be filled with just this one pick. However, if the Giants believe that Daniel Jones is the guy, at least for this next season, you need to do your best to give him some weapons to succeed with. If Jones isn’t your guy, you will have a decent offense for a Free agent veteran, or a new rookie next year, to walk into.
Pick: Rome Odunze, Wide Receiver, Washington
Odunze was the number one option for the National Runner-Up’s in the Washington Huskies. Odunze came onto the College football scene in 2022, posting a 75-1145-7 receiving line as a sophomore. He leaped into another stratosphere as a Junior, with a 92-1639-13 receiving line. Odunze is solidly behind Marvin Harrison Jr and Malik Nabers in this receiver draft class, but he still has potential to be a 1000 yard receiver as a rookie. Daniel Jones is no slouch at Quarterback, and Darren Waller and Jalin Hyatt make up decent options that can take the pressure off of Odunze. While it remains to be seen if Daniel Jones will be the guy for years to come, Odunze will make a nice option for whoever is under center for the G Men.
Round 2, Pick 39
The Giants are faced with a choice here in the second round, and some would argue that it is more consequential than their first round pick. Do the Giants take a Quarterback here, if one falls? Would Jayden Daniels fall this far? Highly unlikely. Would Bo Nix, or JJ McCarthy be available, and if so, are they the guy? Questions that we cannot answer here, but will be answered the closer we get to the draft. For this rebuild, we will buy into Daniel Jones being the guy for this next season, and we will build around him. What has plagued Daniel Jones for the last few seasons has been injuries, and the fact that his offensive line cannot protect him. I believe the Giants will go for best available Tackle here, and solidify someone to protect their $47 million dollar Quarterback.
Pick: Kingsley Suamataia, Tackle, BYU
Kingsley Suamataia is an interesting prospect here for the Giants, and here is why it makes sense. The Giants already have a solid left tackle in Andrew Thomas. While Suamataia played Left Tackle for BYU last season, he played Right Tackle for them in 2022, and received a much better season grade. Last season, he allowed 7 QB hurries, 6 QB hits, and 2 sacks, whereas in 2022 he allowed 8 QB hurries, 3 QB hits and 0 QB sacks. Suamataia is a more natural, fluid Right Tackle, and would fit in on the right side of that Giants offensive line beautifully. Now, his run blocking needs to be improved, and I feel it would be more improved if he is back on the right side of the line, but that remains to be seen. The Giants need to protect their investment in Jones for at least one more season, and Suamataia would do just that.
Round 2, Pick 47
The Giants added an additional second round pick back in October when they traded Leonard Williams to the Seattle Seahawks. It is only appropriate that we take a Defensive Lineman here with the pick. This high in the draft, there will be a lot of names available, and maybe some that we wouldn’t normally think of.
Pick: Adisa Isaac, Edge, Penn State
At 6’4, 254lbs, Isaac has the physical capabilities to compete at the next level. He also has the production to back it up. In two seasons at Penn State, Isaac played over 900 defensive snaps, totaling 44 QB hurries, 12 QB hits, and 13 sacks. Isaac also grades out as a very good run defender for someone that plays the majority of his snaps outside of the tackle. Isaac ranked 66th out of 837 eligible Edge players in 2023. The Giants are in dire need of some help on the defensive line, and Adisa Isaac would be able to come in and contribute from day 1.
Round 3, Pick 70
The Giants are still in need of a lot of help on the defensive side of the ball. Any and all success on defense starts up front in the trenches, just as it does on offense. Yes, the Giants already added Adisa Isaac in the 2nd round, but they will double dip at the Edge position in back to back rounds.
Pick: Bralen Trice, Edge, Washington
Bralen Trice has been one of the most consistent, most dominant forces on the edge in college football for the last two seasons, and how he has fallen this low on draft boards is beyond me. Trice will likely be selected before this come April, but should he fall, teams like the Giants will jump at the opportunity to take him. Trice has ranked in the top 20 in Edge players in each of the last two seasons. Trice has also been super productive at his position, with 99 QB hurries, 34 QB hits, and 17 sacks in that same time frame. It begs the question, why is he not higer? Trice isn’t the best in run defense, and his tackling can use some improvement. While Trice excels in rushing the passer, the rest of his game needs work. All of that is perfectly fine for a 2nd or 3rd round prospect. Trice would be a phenomenal addition to the Giants, and he would help solidify a young defensive line for the future.
Round 4, Pick 108
The Giants are going to continue the rebuild of their defensive squad in the 4th round. What the Giants have added so far in defensive lineman, they will need to add secondary positions as well. Being able to get after the Quarterback is all well and good, but if your guys on the back end can’t tackle or cover, it is going to be a very long day for any defense.
Pick: Sione Vaki, Safety, Utah
The Sophomore Safety from Utah is a swiss army knife for any defense that chooses to add him. Vaki played significant snaps for the Utes at the Slot Corner spot, the Deep Safety spot, as well as in the box as a down Safety or a Linebacker. He can do a lot for this Giants defense, even though he is not a huge ballhawk, only having 1 career interception. Vaki is also a below average run defender, and though he can play a lot of different positions, there is a lot of improvement that is needed. That being said, at this point in the draft, there are players that can be found that can fit into multiple different positions. Vaki is a good player that can develop to a contributor for this Giants defense, but it is unlikely that he would do that on day 1.
Round 5, Pick 140
The Giants stayed away from taking Daniel Jones’s replacement in the first two rounds of the draft. And while a replacement for Jones will not likely be found this late in the draft, there are players that can be taken that could turn into something useful in the NFL. Brock Purdy was Mr. Irrelevant in his draft. Dak Prescott was a 4th round pick. Tom Brady was pick 199. There are stories all the time about players being taken this late, and becoming phenomenal players.
Pick: Jordan Travis, Quarterback, Florida State
Jordan Travis and the Seminoles were on a tear this season, and were slated to be in the College Football Playoff’s. That changed the moment Travis broke his leg in November against North Alabama. Travis has had a long road of recovery, and while he is making progress in his rehab, he will not be ready to workout at the NFL scouting combine. That being said, Travis has a workload of the last 3 seasons to look at. Since 2021, Travis has thrown for 59 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and over 7400 yards. Travis was the 6th ranked QB out of 308 in 2022, and ranked as the 26th QB out of 307 in 2023. Jordan Travis takes what the defense gives him, and will keep the ball out of the hands of the defense. The Giants taking a flyer here on Travis is not an indictment on Daniel Jones, rather a chance on a player that has a very high ceiling in the NFL, and if he heals right, could be an option down the road.
Round 6, Pick 185
The final selection for the Giants in the 2024 Draft is one where they look to find someone who can add depth, and might make the roster their first or second season. Injured players coming back, or guys from G5 schools that did decently well are all in play here. The Giants go back to the offensive side of the ball, again taking someone who was injured in 2023, but has a very high ceiling.
Pick: De’Corian Clark, Wide Receiver, UTSA
De’Corian Clark is an interesting name that not many people have likely heard of. Clark tore his ACL, MCL, LCL, and his Hamstring in November of 2022 against UAB. Clark was sidelined for the first half of the 2023 season for UTSA, but made his return against Temple in an extremely limited fashion. Clark would then miss the rest of the season as complications in his recovery forced him to be sidelined again. While this is a big red flag for any prospect, Clark has the potential to make the flyer worth it. Between 2021 and the half season he played in 2022, Clark had 105 receptions, over 1500 yards, and 15 touchdowns. At 6’3, 215, Clark has the size to contend with most corners in the NFL as well. The entire story around Clark is if he can come back from his injury, and if he does, what kind of player will he be? Will he be remotely close to the same, or will he be a shell of himself? Only time will tell, but De’Corian Clark is worth taking a flyer on in the late rounds.
Much like the Commanders, the Giants did not have a good 2023, and there are still a lot of holes that need to be filled. This draft can fix a lot of the issues, and tie this with a solid Free Agency, the Giants can be competing again in 2-3 seasons. If Daniel Jones is the guy, then this draft will give him the tools that he needs to succeed in the years to come. If he is not the guy, this offense and this team are primed for someone to step in and take the reigns, and maybe bring the Lombardi back to the Big Apple. Up next in the NFC East: The Philadelphia Eagles.
