Unlike some places of power, John Mara and the Giants brass admit they lost the NFC East fair and square. They don't like how it went down, but they realize it was in their power to change their playoff pursuit. So by accepting 2020, the owner of the New York Football Gants can get his people ready for 2021.
Mara embraced neophyte head coach Joe Judge, cherished the blue-collar culture of the team, and feels, as most do, that next year is the time when he needs to see marked improvement. Translation? Instead of 6-10 and scrappy, the G-Men need to be 10-6 to be happy.
So it starts, for all teams, with the draft. There's too much time and space between today and the NFL Draft for us to thumb through every pick in all seven rounds. But the Giants have firmly planted their flag at the No. 11 overall pick, which is where they get to pick from the most fertile field of players, addressing one of three widely-viewed needs on the gridiron. Here are some choices.
Defensive End / OLB: Gregory Rousseau (Miami) or Kwity Paye (Michigan)
Leonard Williams was a godsend - yes, you really just read that - for the Giants, posting 11.5 sacks, the most on a defense that sacked the QB 40 times (good for 11th in the league). So, they could use another maniacal edge rusher.
Rousseau sacked the opposing QB 15.5 times in his last season with The U, which was in 2019 (he opted out of the 2020 season). An impressive 6-foot-7 and 265 pounds, Rousseau may be the best player available, if the top four wideouts go in the Top 10. And Paye, the 6-foot-4, 265-pound Wolverine who is considered a stout run stopper as well as pass rusher, may join them in the Top 10. If not then Big Blue gets a crack at two big-time defensive ends.
Cornerback: Caleb Farley (Virginia Tech) or Jaycee Horn (South Carolina)
James Bradberry has been a blessing at cornerback, leading the team in picks and passes defended en route to a Pro Bowl nod; Xavier McKinney was on his way to being the highest-ranked rookie safety in the sport (according to PFF), but his 212 snaps weren't quite enough to qualify; and Jabrill Peppers has been solid since joining the G-Men.
Still, they need another cover corner to be a complete secondary. Patrick Surtain II, the Alabama stud who won the Bednarik and was Defensive MVP of the Rose Bowl, will get snagged before Big Blue can bag him, so two of the best options at 11 are Farley and Horn. Both have the size and skill to start right away in the NFL, even it Farley opted out in 2020. Horn is the son of the loquacious former Saints WR Joe Horn, and his son is fast enough to keep up with wide receivers but also big enough to blanket Florida's all-world TE, the 6-foot-6 Kyle Pitts.
Wide Receiver: Jaylen Waddle (Alabama) or Ja'Marr Chase (LSU)
The Giants could also use a game-breaker at wideout, and in an increasingly pass-happy league, it feels like there's always a gaggle of great wide receivers coming out of college. Indeed, a wide receiver – Alabama’s Devonta Smith - just won the Heisman Trophy for the first time in three decades, and while he’ll go early, Big Blue needs more weapons than Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton and TE Evan Engram (who dropped 11 passes, and was the target in six of the team's 12 interceptions).
As if the SEC doesn't churn out enough wide receivers, Smith’s teammate, Waddle, who was shelved with an injury in 2020, could still be available. Or perhaps, the Giants can pluck Bayou Bengal speedster Ja'Marr Chase, looking to strike gold like they did for a time with their last Tiger, one OBJ. Chase opted out of 2020, but in 2019, he set an SEC record for receiving yards, playing on a team with No. 1 pick Joe Burrow and breakout Vikings WR Justin Jefferson
A fair share of folks, including super mock drafter Todd McShay, have Chase going to Detroit at No. 7, but he may be there. Waddle may have one more chance to display his skills in Monday's national title game, though the Crimson Tide say it will be a game time decision for the speedster who hasn't played since October. Still, he averaged an obscene 120 yards per game over his first four contests, including a ridiculous 22.3 yards per catch and four TDs, before suffering a season-wrecking ankle injury.
Offensive Line: Alijah Vera-Tucker (USC)
Of all the high-grade tackles available in last year's draft, the Giants may have gotten the worst one even though they picked the first one. Andrew Thomas has been a big disappointment - allowing ten sacks while the Giants' offensive line ranks 31st out of 32 NFL clubs, according to Pro Football Focus.
So, the Giants could take a long look at Vera-Tucker, who can play both guard spots and may be able to spot start at tackle. A recent mock draft from CBS Sports pegged Vera-Tucker for the G-Men at No. 11. According to PFF, the Trojans lineman has allowed fewer than two percent of opponents to power past him on pass-rushing snaps. This may be the most unlikely pick of their draft, but it would fit with Dave Gettleman's obsession over "Hog Mollies."
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