The New York Giants go in a new direction in this three-round 2021 NFL mock draft.
The 2020 season has started off about as bad as possible for the New York Giants. After their 37-34 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, the Giants have started the year at 0-5, but that is just the beginning.
Star running back Saquon Barkley is out for the year with a torn ACL and quarterback Daniel Jones has not progressed well through the first five games. The defense looks bad at all three levels and rookie offensive tackle Andrew Thomas (who was taken No. 4 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft) has struggled while other rookie offensive tackles (like Tristan Wirfs, Jedrick Wills and Mekhi Becton) have been fantastic.
Simply put, the New York Giants have been terrible this season and there is not much for their fans to get excited about for the rest of the season. Unless Jones really starts to take his game to the next level, the Giants are going to be among the worst teams in the entire NFL this year and will have a lot of work to do over the offseason. Will general manager Dave Gettleman be around to make those offseason decisions? That is looking less and less likely by the week.
No matter who is making the decisions for the New York Giants next offseason, this is not a situation where a quick turnaround is likely. This team lacks impact talent on both sides of the ball and they do not have a player who they can legitimately build their roster around.
With 2020 likely being a lost season for the Giants, it is fair to look forward and look at some potential offseason moves. In this post, we are going to go three rounds deep with a 2021 NFL mock draft for the New York Giants. An interesting decision will have to be made quickly as the Giants will go on the clock at No. 2 overall.
This mock draft was completed using The Draft Network’s Mock Draft Machine.
New York Giants Mock Draft: Round 1, 2nd Overall
Giving up on your franchise quarterback after just two years is a difficult decision to make. The Giants taking Daniel Jones with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft was a shock to many and a pick that was constantly ridiculed throughout the draft community. While Jones looked better than we expected as a rookie last season, his play slipped down the stretch and turnovers were clearly a major issue.
Jones has taken a step back this season, continuing to struggle to protect the ball. Through 18 career NFL games, Jones has turned the ball over an astonding 31 times. He also seems hesitant to push the ball down the field. While the Giants have done a terrible job of surrounding Jones with legitimate NFL talent, unless he takes major steps forward for the rest of the season, I just do not see how they can move forward with him as their franchise quarterback after the season.
With this in mind, Justin Fields stands out as the best pick for the New York Giants here. If the Giants end up picking first overall, Trevor Lawrence will be the guy, but quarterback still makes plenty of sense here at number two.
Fields is a big, strong and athletic quarterback prospect who undoubtedly has massive upside at the next level. He has fantastic natural arm talent and shows legitimate accuracy to all levels of the field. With the ability to make plays with his arm and his legs, Fields is a perfect fit for the modern NFL and would be the ideal player to lead the New York Giants into the future.
New York Giants Mock Draft: Round 2, 34th Overall
The Giants go back to the Big Ten for their second-round selection, making a much-needed addition to their offensive line mix. Rashawn Slater is a mean and nasty offensive line prospect who shines as a run blocker at all times. He is quick off of the ball and incredibly powerful at the point of attack.
Slater shows a great combination of power and quickness and is particularly impressive when he is allowed to be aggressive. As both a run blocker and pass protector, Slater is great while playing forward. He does struggle at times when asked to kick slide deep in pass protection.
Whether Slater would play right tackle or offensive guard for the New York Giants, he would quickly be an important piece for them up front. No matter where he plays, the key is to let Slater attack forward on a consistent basis.
New York Giants Mock Draft: Round 3, 66th Overall
After making two big additions to their offensive mix, the New York Giants address a defensive need in the third round, selection Pittsburgh edge rusher Patrick Jones II. Jones really seems to be coming into his own as an edge rusher this season and would be a massive steal for a team in this range.
Jones is extremely quick off of the ball and shows natural bend around the edge. He is a fiesty competitor who plays with a high motor and displays fantastic closing speed when attacking the quarterback. Jones is a bit of a project player who certainly has some work to do as a run defender, but he is an exciting edge rusher who undoubtedly has a high ceiling at the next level.