Look, it’s hard to find something that’s perfect (except for that one person, she knows who she is). Anyways, in terms of football, the New York Giants need to nail this draft. There’s a way for GM Joe Schoen to make this the best draft (possibly) in his career. How, you ask? Let me show you.
*once again, PFF Mock Draft Simulator was used.
TRADES
Don’t ask me how they were accepted. It’s the simulator, not me. I just offer the trades.
- Traded 2024 R1 (sixth overall), 2025 R1, and QB Daniel Jones to Bears for 2024 R1 (first overall)
- Traded 47th overall pick to Rams for picks 52 and 99
- Traded 52nd overall pick to Cowboys for picks 56, 174, and 216
- Traded 56th overall pick to 49ers for picks 63 and 94
Time For Perfection
So, with the first overall pick in the hands of the Giants (oh, calm down Bears fans. You still have the ninth overall pick this year, still. A quarterback is still there for the taking (just not Caleb Williams…).
With that said, the Giants take the electric quarterback from USC with the newly acquired pick. Finishing with three straight seasons with a PFF grade of 90+, he is a talented player who will change a franchise. The only concern is consistency. But, his arm talent is outstanding, can create off-script plays like no other, and solid footwork. Just being able to make something out of nothing is what Williams is good at.
With 72 touchdowns in the past two seasons, he knows how to put points on the board. Put him on the Giants, and he’s the best quarterback the team has had in years. You risk your future first-rounder next year plus deal with some dead cap by trading Jones. But, for Williams, it’s worth it.
Reinforcements On The Way
To surround your franchise quarterback without protection and weapons would be a crime. I made sure that was not going to happen here. With my round-two pick, I went with the guard Christian Haynes. Starting on the right side for UConn, he has a solid first step off of the line of scrimmage, and is athletic enough to be a long-term starter at the next level. At 6’2″, 313 lbs, he also has good size. Haynes is at his best on the move, whether that means being a puller on man/gap schemes or just in zone blocking as a whole.
Don’t worry. More protection is on the way. But, with the loss of Saquon Barkley at running back, a clear replacement was found in round three. Trey Benson is someone the Giants have their eye on, and for good reason. He has excellent acceleration and top speed (thanks to his track speed background). Add in his explosiveness to help him break tackles, and he has RB1 potential out of the gate.
How about a receiver? With my second round-three pick, I was able to get Williams’s teammate Brenden Rice (who caught 12 touchdowns from the quarterback in 2023). A fluid route runner with great size (6’3″), having that college connection will help both guys succeed early.
Finally, with the third and final round three pick, guard Christian Mahogany was the selection. Well-built and known to be a “throwback” type of lineman, he has power right at the punch and has the mentality to bury his defender into the ground by any means necessary. If he can work more on pass-blocking, he automatically solves the issues at left guard for the Giants. But, run-blocking-wise, there will not be any issues there for the physical guard.
Alright, Defense Time
On day three, it was time to address the defense. One of my favorite cornerbacks Kris Abrams-Draine was still on the board in round four. After all, the Giants need a CB2 opposite of Deonte Banks. The Missouri product knows how to make plays on the ball, and will be perfect on this team’s defensive scheme led by Shane Bowen. Seven interceptions and 34 incompletions forced since 2021? Sign me up.
Safety help? You got it with the selection of James Williams. The former Miami Hurricane had an 85.6 coverage grade in 2023 and loves to lay the wood on ball carriers when tackling. Add in his solid route recognition and fluid hips in coverage, and he’s a steal on day three.
Myles Murphy provides depth on the defensive line. He has long arms, is strong, and is solid at stopping the run. He isn’t the best pass-rusher, which is why his upside isn’t that high. But, over time, he does have the potential to be consistent in terms of that.
In round six, AJ Barner and Dominique Hampton were the selections here. The former provides depth at tight end (since we don’t know what Darren Waller is going to do). He is a big target at 6’6″ and could be a potential impactful starter because of his solid run blocking and ability to get open for his quarterback.
As for the latter, he has an intriguing 6’7″ wingspan and is big and fast. Defensive coordinators can work with that, indeed. He won’t be a starter out of the gate, and will need time before even being considered a starting safety. Special teams will be his calling card for now, and he did run a 4.51 40-yard dash…
Thanks For Reading
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