We are now less than two weeks away from the 2021 NFL draft, which begins on April 29th. That means there’s just one more New York Giants mockery of me after this one.
No scenarios, no trading of mine today. This is more or less a mockery I would do. As anyone knows who has read my work for a long time, I believe I should set value and long term, not ‘Position A in Round 1, Position B in Round 2’, etc., or specifically focus on what is being observed. needs are. That said, I entered this exercise with a list of things I was hoping to accomplish. I searched for places where I think the value matches the items from the bucket list.
Here’s how things turned out.
Round 1 (No. 11) – Azeez Ojulari, Edge, Georgia
I will be honest. Ojulari here was not plan A. The way this board played out, however, I thought the Georgia Rusher was the best choice.
Broad receivers DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle went sixth and ninth to the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos, respectively. Offensive linebacker Rashawn Slater is number 10 after the Dallas Cowboys. Kyle Pitts and Penei Sewell were also on the board.
To me, Ojulari is the leading defender (defender, not just rusher) in this class. Because he has a good experience of getting up and playing with his hand in the ground, and has the ability to chase, defend the run and fall into a short area cover. I see him as perfect for the multiple scheme of defense coordinator Patrick Graham.
It’s also a player that I think has a huge untapped potential. He only turns 21 June 21. He has put together 14.0 sacks in the past two seasons and forced five fowls at a high level of competition and had the second highest Pro Football Focus pass rate in the country (91.7) with a limited arsenal containing only a fast rush. / dip move to circumvent offensive attacks and an occasional bull storm. At 21, he has all sorts of time to develop a variety of movements.
I’m also attracted to the fact that Ojulari is a tall character who is the only first captain in Georgia in Kirby Smart’s six seasons as Bulldogs head coach. I could definitely understand the choice of Penn State fullback Micah Parsons here. I believe Parsons is the best overall defender in this draft class. The constant character questions about Parsons and the fact that he looks like a great personality make me a little embarrassed. The giants have not had the best luck with such players over the past few years.
In his draft guide, Dane Brugler of The Athletic writes:
Ojulari realizes how blockers want to attack him and is very skilled at using his crack / bend to attack their outer shoulder, smear the corner and loosen the blocks with his violent hands. While he does not have an elite size for the job, it should not limit his NFL ceiling if he diversifies his approach and develops his counters. Overall, Ojulari is an instinctive and explosive athlete with the skills in the twist-and-rip curves and versatility to become an impact on the NFL pace. He projects as a younger version of Yannick Ngakoue.
In the Pro Football Network draft guide, Tony Pauline mentions the Giants as one of the top three landing spots for Ojulari. He writes:
This season, I enter Ojulari as a potential day 2 pick of his freshman film. He has made a lot of progress this past season and is making a complete defender who can stand up and come out of a three-point position. His lack of bulk will end up early in the road, but Ojulari will eventually be a tremendous defensive forward.
I could also understand the theory of taking Alijah Vera-Tucker, the offensive linebacker of USC, in this spot. I just believe that I am more likely to land a starting caliber guard on day 2 than I would be to find a player with great passing potential.
Other players considered: Micah Parsons, Patrick Surtain, Alijah Vera-Tucker
Round 2 (No. 42) – Wyatt Davis, G, State of Ohio
In my eyes, it’s a must that the Giants come out of this concept with a domestic attacking linebacker. To me, this is the perfect marriage of value and need. Davis, 6-foot-3½, 315 pounds, is an NFL starting-caliber right-winger who has good value in the draft at this point.
Davis is the 63rd position of Brugler and the 36th of Pauline.
User writes:
In pass protection and as a walking blocker, Davis is fast gaining the upper hand due to his hitting power, body control and competitive nature. Although his physical appetite is a strong point, he may be too eager to start contact without leaving his feet under him, leaving him off balance and on the ground. In general, Davis needs to play under control and improve his stroke
In the PFN draft guide, Pauline mentions Davis as fit for the Giants and writes:
Davis has been a dominant linebacker for Ohio State for the past two seasons and has shown continued development in his game. He is a zone-blocking linebacker with excellent size and just needs to improve his finishing power to complete his game. The injury he suffered during the national title game will push him off the boards, but once he is healthy again, Davis will be a productive starting guard in the NFL.
Other players considered: Landon Dickerson, Kelvin Joseph, Kadarius Toney, Jabril Cox, Alim McNeill, Milton Williams, Dyami Brown
Round 3 (No. 76) – Nico Collins, WR, Michigan
If you followed my weekly sketch designs, you already know that Collins is one of my favorite mid-round wide receivers in this concept class. It would honestly not be wrong to “consider other players” from one of the players on the list below, but I take ‘my’ guy.
At 6-foot-4½, 215 pounds, with the ability to beat cornerbacks deep and win controversial, Collins ’skill throws‘ Kenny Golladay ’for me. If he ends up being as good or almost as good as Golladay, I will accept that. Collins is now 15 pounds lighter than when he last played for Michigan in 2019.
User writes:
Collins is a plus athlete for his size with the speed of the foot and body control to win over the edge. Although he shows a flash of a playmaker, he must constantly play to his size and be enhanced by the window panes. Overall, Collins is not a sudden or energetic player who will constantly separate from each other, but he is an impressive height, weight, speed prospect with the smooth routes and reliability to pursue an NFL starting role (N ‘). Keal Harry style player).
Other players considered: Dyami Brown, Amari Rodgers, Tyson Campbell, Walker Little D’Wayne Eskridge, Kenneth Gainwell
Round 4 (No. 116) – Tyler Shelvin, DT, LSU
The Giants added Danny Shelton, a singer-songwriter, and signed Austin Johnson again. However, one of my bucket list items was to do more to replace Dalvin Tomlinson. The choice of the 6-foot 2 and 350-pound Shelvin does just that. He is a huge double team that eats early and short run-off stops.
Pauline writes:
Shelvin is a traditional nose barrel with two gaps whose size, power and ability to consistently get the leverage on his opponents gives him the upper hand. He may be a little too big at this point and should follow through all year with conditioning, but if he focuses on football, Shelvin will have a long and productive career in the NFL.
Other players considered: Chazz Surratt, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Khalil Herbert, Keith Taylor, Jaelon Darden
Round 6 (No. 196) – Thomas Graham, CB, Oregon
The giants have James Bradberry and Adoree ‘Jackson starting from the outside. They have Darnay Holmes and a number of other options on the corner of the lock. What they do not have are appetizing options as depth behind Bradberry and Jackson.
It is speculated that Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II may still play for the Giants at No. 11, despite the presence of Bradberry and Jackson. I have often said that you can never have enough good cornerbacks, but with other areas needing immediate attention, I could not use the 11th choice on cornerback.
I did want to add a development player in the corner room. Graham is a player I recently became acquainted with via a conversation with Rob Rang on the podcast of ‘Valentine’s Views’. Rank in Seattle is more familiar with and has a higher grade on Graham than many draft analysts. He gave Graham to the Giants in Round 3 of his recent mockery.
Brugler has a round 4 grade on Graham, so between the opinions of the two I feel really good about the value here. User writes:
A coach and confident contestant, Graham is quick to sort and respond to what he sees, showing a skill in disrupting passing windows. While playing urgently, he is not a sudden athlete and needs to be protected from wrong steps. In general, Graham does not have physical characteristics, but he works hard to stay up to date and play football. He projects as an immediate depth piece for an NFL team.
Round 6 (No. 201) – Larry Rountree, RB, Missouri
I have often said that I think the Giants should look for a setback on Day 3. I grab one here. Brugler has a round 5 degree on the Rountree of 5 feet-10½ and 211 pounds. He writes:
Rountree remains in control with his lower body and runs with a reliable vision and pace to chase the defense away. Although he is a workhorse who gives a pack of punches and keeps grinding, he does not make a bunch of plays after initial contact, without a lack of balance or explosive equipment to be a constant breaker. In general, Rountree may not have any special traits, but he is reliable, and the strengths of his game (vision, footwork, toughness) may well match any plan. He projects as a potential backup if he proves to be reliable in third places.
In the Pro Football Network draft guide, Tony Pauline writes:
Rountree was a consistent ball carrier who played very well during Senior Bowl practices and displayed a full game. He has the size and ability to be a third on the next level, as well as a situation.