By Adam Nardelli @Adamnardelli
3-round 2021 Mock draft
The 2021 NFL Draft is only a few weeks away, so I figured it’d be a good time to put out a 3-round mock draft. The draft simulator used was from PFF (which I know not everyone is a fan of), but their site is simple and easy to use. I chose to emphasize less randomness as part of the settings for the mock draft to ensure we don’t have projected third-round picks getting chosen in the top five.
First Round, Pick 15 : Rashawn Slater, OT Northwestern
The New England Patriots came calling and were willing to part with a 2022 first-round pick to move up to the Giants pick at 11 (I also swapped fourth-round picks, with the Patriots getting pick 116 and the Giants getting pick 120). If Dave Gettleman was to actually trade back, something he has never done, the Patriots do seem like a logical fit. New England is a good candidate to want to to trade up for a QB, and at the 15th pick it’s possible the Giants could still target the same player they would have taken at 11.
Every Giants fan should be ecstatic if they’re able to come away with Rashawn Slater and a 2022 first-round pick after the opening night of the draft. Is that a likely scenario? Of course not, but if the Giants were to trade back to 15, they should get at least one premium pick back in return (in other words the return should be something better than just an additional fourth or fifth-round pick). Rashawn Slater opted out of the 2020 season but put on a show in 2019 against eventual 2020 2nd overall pick Chase Young. Slater is a three-year starter and as PFF noted has some of the cleanest tape in this draft class.
To me, clean tape indicates a consistently high level of play (he’s clearly not a top prospect based on one or two good games). He’s also an impressive athlete with excellent footwork and has played both left and right tackle at Northwestern. The major question with Slater is his arm length and whether or not he’ll be able to play the tackle position in the NFL. Using the 15th pick on a guy who has the potential to become an all-pro guard (if his arm length does prove to be an issue at offensive tackle) wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.
2nd Round, Pick 49: Dyami Brown, WR North Carolina
Another trade back! Will Dave Gettleman do it twice in one draft? Doubtful, but this is a mock draft so let’s have some fun. I traded back to the 49th pick with the Arizona Cardinals and grabbed the 160th pick as well.
Not that this necessarily has anything to do with Dyami Brown, but the second round has a rich history of producing star receivers. Davante Adams, AJ Brown, DK Metcalf, and Michael Thomas are just some of the receivers that have been recently drafted in the second round, all of whom you could argue are top 10 receivers in the NFL, if not top five. Brown’s strong suit is as a deep threat, as he had an 18.4-yard average depth of target in college. Brown can pair with Kenny Golladay to give Daniel Jones a pair of deep ball targets and will help give this offense a much-needed influx of big-play potential.
3rd round, pick 76: Jamin Davis, LB Kentucky
Davis’ draft stock is skyrocketing, so it’s very possible he doesn’t make it to the 3rd-round. He had an “eye-popping performance'” at his pro day, according to 247Sports.com, after running a sub 4.4 40 yard dash. The Giants could use some more talent next to Blake Martinez at linebacker. Davis is a raw player who needs to bulk up a bit and has just one year of starting experience under his belt. His coverage skills also need development, but he has the length at 6’4 and the speed (as previously noted) to turn into a quality linebacker. The questions are there, but as a third-round pick he’s way too intriguing to pass up on.