With the 2021 NFL Draft now under two weeks away, it’s time for every draft fans’ favorite ubiquitous exercise: a mock draft. After months of analysis and speculation, prospects have roughly sorted themselves into tiers and a general consensus “board” has emerged. We can now, with approximate accuracy, project the range in which players will be selected. Twelve days is a long time, especially in the information typhoon leading up to the draft, and a lot can change between now and April 29th. But it is still useful at this point to complete a mock to see how things may shake out over draft weekend. Today, I’ll be mocking all six picks for the New York Giants. I’ll be using The Draft Network’s draft simulator to determine which players will be available for each selection. So, without further ado, let’s get this mock on the road.
Round 1, Pick 11: WR Ja’Marr Chase, LSU
Please direct all your “But Chase will never be there at 11!” protestations to The Draft Network, as their simulator made him available for me to choose at 11. Granted, there’s a pretty miniscule chance that this is how it plays out come draft night, but the chance still exists. After the free-agent signing of Kenny Golladay, wide receiver dropped down the Giants’ list of needs, but the value of Chase is too good to pass up. The LSU standout is a physically dominant, bully of a receiver. He wins by using superior strength and hand skills to beat cornerbacks at the line of scrimmage, or by using tremendous ball skills and body control to win at the catch point. He’s also a good route runner and an absolute demon with the ball in his hands.
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There’s concern about whether his physical brand of football will translate to the NFL given his relatively small stature (six feet, 208 pounds). He also opted out of 2020, meaning he’s gone over a year without playing competitive football. Still, he’s hands down the best receiver prospect in this class.
Player Mould: Steve Smith
Round 2, Pick 42: OT Alex Leatherwood, Alabama
Choosing receiver in round one means the Giants’ most pressing need – offensive line – has to be addressed on day two. Fortunately for Big Blue, it’s an unusually deep offensive line class, and a quality prospect like Leatherwood is available at 42. Leatherwood played left tackle the past two seasons for the Crimson Tide, and there’s a chance he plays tackle again for New York depending on the development of second-year right tackle Matt Peart. The handy thing about Leatherwood, though, is that he also has experience playing guard. WIth Will Hernandez and second-year fifth-round pick Shane Lemieux currently pencilled in as New York’s starters, Leatherwood would represent an upgrade at the position.
At 6’5″ and 312 pounds, Leatherwood has really good length and power. He’s consistently able to generate movement in the run game, and demontrates good patience and hand usage in pass protection. His footwork sometimes fails him, but that flaw is mitigated if he kicks inside to guard.
Player Mould: Branden Albert
Round 3, Pick 76: EDGE Quincy Roche, Miami
Big Blue needs to address their pass rush, and Roche is a solid value pick in the third round. Roche tranferred to Miami for his senior season after three years at Temple, and continued to be a productive player despite the tougher competition. He had 4.5 sacks in ten games for the Hurricanes, following his huge 13 sack junior season. At 6’3″ and 243 pounds, Roche profiles as a 3-4 outside linebacker, which would fit New York’s defense perfectly. He’s not particularly strong against the run, but he’s a technically proficient pass rusher and a good overall athlete.
Player Mould: Markus Golden
Round 4, Pick 116: DT Alim McNeill, North Carolina St.
Defensive tackle may not be a need for the Giants right now, but McNeill is a great value pick in the fourth round. Plus, with nose tackle Danny Shelton only signed on for one year, McNeill could be in line to start for Big Blue as soon as 2022. At 6’2″ and 315 punds, McNeill is a sturdy run defender that uses good leverage, strength, and long arms to control the line of scrimmage. He doesn’t offer much sack production, but can at least help collapse the pocket with his bull rush.
Player Mould: Dalvin Tomlinson
Round 6, Pick 196: EDGE Malcolm Koonce, Buffalo
The sixth round is when you can take flyers on guys with good traits from lesser programs. Koonce fits that decription to a tee. He has the ideal length, frame, and athleticism to be starting NFL EDGE defender. He struggles set the edge in run defense, and doesn’t a fully developed arsenal of pass rush moves. Still, Koonce is a good gamble at a high value position this late in the draft.
Player Mould: Maxx Crosby
Round 6, Pick 201: TE Zach Davidson, Central Missouri
If the Giants gambled on a toolsy player from a low-rung program in Koonce, then their doubling down on that strategy by taking Davidson here. He played for Division-II Central Missouri, but at 6’6″ and 240 pounds with impressive speed, he has the physical makeup to be an impactful receiving tight end. Davidson is definitely a developmental player at this point. He could use some refinement in his route running and some more weight on his frame. Oh, and he’s a punter, too.
Player Mould: Dennis Pitta
– Ryan Cuneo is the Managing Editor of Full Press Giants. He covers the New York Giants. Like and follow on Follow @ryan_cuneo Follow @FullPressGiants and Facebook.
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April 17, 2021 at 08:02PM
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Giants Six-Round Mock Draft 1.0 - Full Press Coverage
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