Mock Draft Monday: A Dream Scenario for Giants?

Here is an updated mock draft for the Giants, which addresses some major needs.

How much did the New York Giants' free agency activity potentially shape their draft?

Well, the Giants now have one less pick after trading for edge rusher Brian Burns. And they probably are good as far as the offensive line goes, as general manager Joe Schoen, as I thought he would, double-dipped in the veteran market with the signings of Jon Runyan Jr. and Jermaine Eluemunor, who should potentially help that unit hit the ground running regardless of who is under center.

They also reshaped the running backs unit, moving away from the bell cow approach (Saquon Barkley, now with the Eagles) and toward a committee approach that Devin "Motor" Singletary will spearhead. They added a new veteran backup quarterback in Drew Lock and a big-time addition via trade in edge rusher Brian Burns.

That all said, there is still some work to be done, namely acquiring a No. 1 receiver, a young quarterback who can sit and develop this coming year while incumbent Daniel Jones (once healthy) and Lock do the heavy lifting, and a cornerback. 

In my latest mock draft, run on Pro Football Focuse's simulator, I managed to fill in those needs with some decent value picks and a few value picks I couldn't pass up. Here's what I came up with, along with the grades PFF assigned my selections.

Moc Draft 3/18/2024 / PFF Mock Draft Simulator

R1, No. 6: WR Marvin Harrison, Jr. 

6-4 | 205 lbs. | Ohio State

I tried two other mock simulations that involved a trade-up with the Arizona Cardinals, as I had two quarterbacks I was hoping would fall to No. 4. Realizing that there would be a run on quarterbacks regardless of how I ran the simulation, I decided to stay put at No. 6 and low and behold, I landed Ohio State's Marvin Harrison, Jr. 

But in the end, I decided to stay with a receiver at No. 6, which is a position I've kept to for most of the off-season. Regardless of who the quarterback is, a legitimate No. 1 receiver will help turn a very good Giants receiving corps into a lethal threat for the passing game. Had Harrison not been here, I would have gone Rome Odunze in this spot. (Malik Nabers was not on the board.)

Quarterbacks are such a crap shoot as it is, and my best guess is that if the Giants want to start showing progress right away, they'd be better off grabbing one of the top receivers in this draft. That's not to say that getting a quarterback isn't important, but I get the sense that the Giants are willing to be patient with selecting and developing a quarterback, which was not the case the last time they were in this position.   

R2, No. 47: QB Bo Nix 

6-2 | 217 lbs. | Oregon

I believe the Giants intend to let Daniel Jones (once healthy) and Drew Lock (if needed) do the heavy lifting at quarterback this year while a young prospect sits and develops.

In Bo Nix, I think the Giants would get someone who would fit what the Giants want to do on offense. Nix ended his college career as one of college football's most consistent and accurate quarterbacks, completing 71.9% of his passes for 3,593 yards, 29 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 2022. He then beat those numbers by a wide margin in the 2023 season to post a Heisman Trophy runner-up campaign.

His combination of those two intangibles at the forefront allowed the senior to thrive despite an offensive coordinator and scheme change into the RPO-style offense between his two seasons with Oregon. Nix also showed that he was adept at reading defenses and, timing and delivering his passes.  

With such a solid foundation, a little fine-tuning could get Nix to a spot where he's ready to take over in 2025 should the Giants decide to move on from Jones.

R3, No. 70: CB T.J. Tampa 

6-2 | 190 lbs | Iowa State

The Giants tried to get Darious Williams in free agency as a potential CB2, but that didn't work out. They haven't been linked to any cornerbacks since, which has me wondering if they have changed their mind about filling the spot via free agency and will instead look to the draft to find depth.

What I liked about T.J. Tampa in this spot included his length, physicality, ball skills, and instincts, particularly in zone coverage. I've mentioned that historically, Shane Bowen's Titans defenses didn't deploy as much man coverage as Wink Martindale liked to run. One of Tampa's strengths is his instincts, which is something you can't teach.

Tampa has sufficient speed to keep up with the deep balls and does a good job getting himself into position to break up passes. He's posted 19 career pass breakups and three interceptions. His 54.8 coverage rating last year ranked 13th among draftable cornerbacks with at least 300 coverage snaps.

R4, No. 107: TE Cade Stover 

6-4 | 251 lbs | Ohio State

My lone "meh" grade from PFF, I still think the Giants might want to prepare for life after Darren Waller sooner rather than later. (As of this writing, Waller has not made a decision.) Even if Waller does return this year, this would be his last season, regardless.

Stover is a guy I actually had in my last mock, even before the Giants re-signed Lawrence Cager and added Jack Stoll and Chris Manhertz. I'm drawn to Stover's game, which, as I noted, is a throwback to the old smashmouth style of football, making him a player who will win his matchups on toughness and physicality. He also has some receiving ability, which is always a plus for a tight end. 

R5, No. 141: DI Khristian Boyd 

6-2 320 pounds | Northern Iowa

This might be one of several instances in which I see the Giants need differently than they do, but I still believe they could use more depth on their defensive line.

After losing A'Shawn Robinson and trading away Leonard Williams, they're left with Dexter Lawerence, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, D.J. Davidson, and Jordin Riley. I'm very high on Riley's development after what he showed last year and hope he doesn't hit the sophomore slump.

Boyd, a five-year player, stood above his competition. He is a solid three-down interior lineman who mucks up the interior and has shown an ability to win his matchups on third down, having recorded 89 career pressures to go with 10.5 career sacks and two forced fumbles in 1,202 pass rush snaps.

Boyd was named Third Team FCS All-American (AP, Stats Perform, FCS Football Central; 2023) and was a two-time All-MVFC Selection (2022-2023). 

R6, No 183: Grayson Murphy 

6-3 | 260 lbs. | UCLA

Yes, I know the Giants just acquired Brian Burns, but as former general manager Ernie Accorsi once said, "You can never have too many pass rushers." Besides, I tend to think ahead with certain picks, and this is one of them.

I don't think the Giants will re-sign Azeez Ojulari after his rookie contract expires. If you read me, you know I believe the Giants need to be at least two deep when it comes to pass rushers, if not three or more. On paper, they're three-deep--four if you include Dexter Lawrence's ability to get after the passer. 

But we all know about injuries, which is why Accorsi would load up on pass rushers if the value was there. I think there's something to it, and hey, isn't it better to throw as many pass rushers as possible at a team? (Does anyone remember Steve Spagnuolo's famous "Four Aces" and "NASCAR" packages and how successful those were back in the day?)

Murphy, who has held up well against the run and the pass rush over his college career, could be a nice little developmental prospect the Giants can have in reserve for those early downs. He can probably use a little more bulk in his frame, but he's a good finisher with a high motor and holds up well to the game's physical nature.  

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