The New York Giants are facing a transformative 2020 offseason and nothing will be more important for their roster-building around quarterback Daniel Jones than the 2020 NFL Draft. It's time to start preparing for and thinking about the draft, and we've got you covered. Recently, CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso released a seven round mock draft, and it answered a lot of needs for the New York Giants. However, it also prioritized a few positions the Giants might not have the luxury of attacking via the draft. Below, we'll break down all of Trapasso's mock draft picks and how they would impact the Giants moving forward.
Day 1
Round 1, No. 4 overall: Tristan Wirfs, OL, Iowa
In Trapasso's mock draft, the Giants aren't forced to make the decision -- draft an offensive tackle to protect Jones for (hopefully) the next decade or draft a defensive playmaker and chess piece in Isaiah Simmons. The Lions take care of that by selecting Simmons at No. 3 overall in this mock. However, the Giants do opt to pass over prospective No. 1 cornerback Jeffrey Okudah (who only further solidified his case as a blue-chip prospect at the combine). This is not all that surprising, however, when you consider the Giants used four draft picks at the cornerback position (including a supplemental third-round pick) in the 2019 NFL Draft to acquire Deandre Baker, Sam Beal, Julian Love, and Corey Ballentine. The Giants are also expected to be players in the free agent bidding war that will ensue for cornerback Byron Jones this March.
If the Giants are locked in on an offensive tackle, Wirfs makes a lot of sense as their No. 1 choice. For starters, there has been buzz connecting the Giants and Wirfs since the Senior Bowl. Wirfs comes from an Iowa program with a rich recent history of developing offensive line prospects by teaching proper technique and he was the only true freshman to start at offensive tackle during current head coach Kirk Ferentz's tenure. Wirfs dominated the combine -- he was one of the most athletic tackle prospects ever. And it's easy to envision Wirfs leading the way for a strong screen passing game to get the most out of running back Saquon Barkley and potentially move tight end Evan Engram. Wirfs may very well be the safest pick for the Giants.
Day 2
Round 2, No. 36 overall: Grant Delpit, S, LSU
Round 3, No. 99 overall: Hunter Bryant, TE, Washington
The Giants address another massive need on Day 2 by selecting a prospect who was widely mocked as a top-10 pick prior to the start of the 2019 college football season. Delpit's stock has fallen since after registering a high number of missed tackles in 2019, and he didn't do himself any favors by not participating at the combine. The Giants have swung and missed before drafting a safety with tackling issues (Darian Thompson in Round 3 of the 2016 draft), but it's impossible to deny the upside of a prospect like Delpit who can play around the line of scrimmage, match up with tight ends, and even play the deep half. Theoretically speaking, Delpit's versatility makes him a strong fit for new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham's multiple defensive system. However, with Jabrill Peppers in the mix and 2019 rookie Julian Love showing late-season promise after converting to safety -- both of whom thrive around the line of scrimmage -- what the Giants really need is a true deep-half safety. Can Delpit fill that specific role?
As for Bryant, I feel strongly that selecting the move tight end is a luxury this roster simply and bluntly can't afford. For starters, although ESPN's Matthew Berry reported the Giants might look to trade Evan Engram this offseason, there has been no other movement on that front. Using context clues, specifically how important tight ends have been in the past for new offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, it's safer to assume Engram will be a key component in the Giants' 2020 offense. Injuries have hampered his career, but Engram showed an excellent rapport with Jones when healthy in 2019. He's still under team control for two years (with the final year coming as a team option). The Giants also remain high on 2019 rookie tight end Kaden Smith, who showed a lot of promise down the stretch of the 2019 season while Engram was sidelined. Drafting Bryant would stymie Smith's development. And in today's 11-personnel driven NFL (three wide receivers, one tight end), it's difficult to imagine how the Giants would get Engram, Bryant, and Smith on the field often enough to fully utilize the skill set of all three players.
Day 3
Round 4, No. 110 overall: Darrell Taylor, EDGE, Tennessee
Round 5, No. 150 overall: Logan Wilson, LB, Wyoming
Round 6, No. 183 overall: Cohl Cabral, OL, Arizona State
Round 7, No. 218 overall: Keith Davidson, QB, Princeton
Round 7, No. 238 overall: Darius Anderson, RB, TCU
Round 7, No. 247 overall: John Penisini, DL, Utah
Round 7, No. 255 overall: Carlos Davis, DL, Nebraska
The Giants finally get serious about their desperate need to improve the defense on Day 3 with a flurry of picks that they can use as developmental players for what will hopefully be an improved defense over time. Taylor has the length, size and flashes big-time potential on game tape but injuries have stymied his draft stock. It would be a high-upside pick for the Giants. Wilson provides the Giants exactly what they've needed for what feels like the last decade -- an off-ball linebacker who can hold up in pass coverage. Davidson could be an intriguing Day 3 flier for the Giants as they search for a long-term backup for Jones at the quarterback position. The Princeton connection is obviously there with Garrett, who played quarterback there, but Davidson also has the size, frame, and projects as a strong fit for the former Cowboys head coach's offensive system -- or at least what we can project it to be based on his history as an offensive coordinator in the NFL.