After what felt like years, an event from one of the Big 4 sports finally happened, and New York fans should be excited. The NFL held the draft virtually and, to most fan’s shock, it turned out well. Seeing all of the coaches in their lavish homes with their family made the draft feel special. Whether it be Arizona’s Kliff Kingsbury in his luxurious bachelor pad, Tennessee’s Mike Vrabel’s setup which included a view of his son in the bathroom, or Bill Bellicheck having perhaps the most modest shelter, getting a glimpse into the lives of the coachers gave fans a new view of these men.
And, when the draft kicked off, suspense was high. When the first three picks went chalk the pressure fell onto the Giants. After shocking the world and taking Daniel Jones in 2019 fans were wondering what Dave Gettleman and new Head Coach Joe Judge would do this year. Would they take do-it-all defender Isaiah Simmons (an idea that seemed more far fetched with every passing moment) or their franchise left tackle? In most mock drafts experts pegged Tackles Jedrick Wills (RT), Tristan Wirfs (RT) and Mekhi Becton (LT) as potential targets. But, the Giants opted to take Left Tackle Andrew Thomas out of Georgia. Thomas, my personal Tackle 2, Left Tackle 1, and Pro Football Focus’s Tackle 1, to block for Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkely. Thomas, a smart, high character, strong pass protector and a force in the run game, should prove to be a great addition to Big Blue’s offensive line. When the second round came lots of first round talents were left on the board. The players that seemed to be in the running were Yetur Gross Matos, a high-motor pass rusher from Penn State; Zach Baun, a versatile linebacker from Wisconsin that seemed to fit the new culture that the Giants were trying to build; and Xavier Mckinney, Alabama’s defensive swiss army knife. And, when pick 36 came, Mckinney got the call to don the blue and white. Mckinney, a consensus top 20 player, will come in and be an immediate starter on the defense. By the time the Giants were up at pick 99, there were lots of great options. They opted to take hometown offensive tackle and team captain Matt Peart out of Uconn. Painted as a “developing” prospect by Coach Judge, Peart looks to suit up and start once Nate Solder is relieved of his duties up-front. On day 3 the Giants clearly had a strategy: draft smart, versatile, high-character men. This fits in line with the Giants new vision, best summed up by Judges quote saying “I’m not looking for 55 independent contractors, I’m looking for one team.” First, they took cornerback Darnay Holmes out of UCLA, a man that graduated in only two and a half years. Holmes was a standout outside corner for the Bruins and will likely transition to become “the best nickel cornerback from this draft” as scout Bucky Brooks put it. Later, the Giants took Shane Lemieux in the 5th round to shore up the interior of their offensive line. He will compete for the starting center job and serve as great depth at the worst. The Giants then spent 4 of their final five picks on linebackers. First came Cam Brown, a former captain of the Nittany Lion’s who touts his versatility, athleticism and love for the game. Next came edge defender Carter Coughlin, a multiple year captain for Minnesota who can serve as an outside linebacker in Yale graduate Patrick Graham’s hybrid defense. The Giants also nabbed Coughlin’s college teammate and cornerback Chris Williamson who Giant Darius Slayton described as a “pick we will love.” The Giants also took SEC linebackers and captains TJ Brunson (South Carolina) and Tae Crowder (Georgia) who might be able to make the team based on their special teams play. Once the draft was over, The Giants signed a pair of Ohio State receivers in Austin Mack and Binjimen Victor, who both have a chance at making the roster, or at least the practice squad.
Instant Grade A
Now, moving on to the Jets draft. After only one tacke had gone in the first 9 picks, the Jets had to have felt elated looking at the available talent. But, the Browns took Jedrick Wills at pick 10, leaving the Jets with 2 tackle options and 3 receivers that they could have taken. The Jets opted for the 365 pound behemoth, Mekhi Becton. Despite his massive frame, Becton moves as if he is 70 pounds lighted. Yet, he still is a mauler in the run game. If Becton cleans up his pass protection, which can be sloppy at times, the Jets are looking at a future pro-bowl caliber tackle and pancaker for the next decade. In the second round the Jets traded down to nab an extra third round pick. And, with their second round selection the Jets grabbed Denzel Mims, a receiver from Baylor. Widely considered a fringe first round talent, it was a shock that Mims fell to 59. Mims is a hyper-athletic wideout with all the tools to become a true No.1 or 2 receiver in the NFL, if he can improve his route tree. With their next pick, the Jets decided to take Cal free safety Ashtyn Davis (a former walk-on football and track star) in the third. Davis is a player with top end speed, great instincts and superb ball skills. Davis is going to be a great starting free safety/slot corner in the NFL. But, the Jets already have a great safety tandem in Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye, so one can deduce that the Jets are preparing to let Marcus Maye walk in free agency. With their final pick in the third round, the Jets drafted Jabari Zuniga, a pass rusher out of Florida. Although he was plagued with injuries in college, when healthy he can be a productive pass rusher. Zuniga fills the void at Edge rusher for the Jets, and he becomes even more valuable if starter Jordan Jenkins leaves in next year’s free agency. On day 3, the Jets had six picks, three in the fourth, one in the fifth and two in the sixth. With their first pick, the Jets opted to take a power back out of Florida, Lamical Perine. Serving as Le’veon Bell’s backup this year, Perine will be able to provide some much needed depth and a change of pace at the position. Next, the Jets took gunslinging Florida International Quarterback, James Morgan. Although this pick was a head-scratcher to many Jets fans because it was used on someone who is supposed to never see the field, in the NFL injuries occur and you want to make sure that your team is able to compete even if the starting quarterback is hurt. The Jets want to ensure that their organization is able to overcome any injury that they face, and hopefully Morgan can provide that stability. With their last pick of the fourth round, the Jets took another “nasty” offensive tackle, Cameron Clark out of Charlotte. Clark, a friend of Mekhi Becton, can provide the Jets with another “dog” upfront. The expectation is that he can play multiple positions, and maybe become a starter down the line. Next, with their lone fifth round pick, the Jets took Bryce Hall, a cornerback out of Virginia. Not to be confused with the TikTok star, Hall is considered one of the steals of the draft. Hall, a day two talent, had his stock dropped due to injury, but if healthy he can develop into a plus starter. With their first pick in the sixth round, the Jets selected Braden Mann, college football’s best punter, out of Texas A&M. This man has a rocket for a leg and one of his only criticisms is that he punts the ball too far. Mann has a chance to be a consistent pro bowl punter for years to come. With their last pick in the draft, the Jets traded with the Indianapolis Colts for cornerback Quncy Wilson. This is their third former Colts cornerback in the last year and their third Gator of the draft. A noticeable theme general manager Joe Douglas stuck to was leadership. In fact, the last five Jets draft picks were team captains. Joe Douglas emphasizes that he wants to “create the best culture in sports,” and adding an abundance of captains is a great start. The draft may have concluded, but the makeup of the roser is far from over. In my opinion, the Jets have set a great foundation for the future this offseason and are a year away, however, with the exit of Tom Brady, the AFC East is more open than ever and I think they have a strong chance to be in the running atop the division.
Instant Grade A-
And, here are some other teams with drafts I would like to highlight.
The Baltimore Ravens. They ended up having perhaps the best draft in the league. They nabbed a pair of linebackers–Queen & Harrison–an elite running back in JK Dobbins to give the Ravens an offense that can finally challenge the chiefs, and a bunch of other great talent.
Instant Grade A+
The Dallas Cowboys. As much as I hate to admit this, The Cowboys had an elite draft. They landed a great receiver in Ceedee Lamb (who could take over for Amari Cooper if they terminate his contract in 2021 at zero additional cost,) a solid cornerback in Trevon Diggs, and great players during the rest of the draft, like defensive tackle Neville Gallimore.
Instant Grade A+
The Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals were fortunate enough to have Isaiah Simmons fall into their laps at 8. Their second round pick was dealt for Deandre Hopkins and they selected a first round tackle in Josh Jones at pick 72. The Cardinals also drafted Cal linebacker Evan Weaver in a 7th-another excellent pick. Instant Grade A+
The Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks, again, made the most head scratching pick in the first round in Jordyn Brooks. They then traded up in the second round to select Darrell Taylor, a player that most people pegged as a 3rd-4th round player. Then, the Seahawks drafted Damien Lewis, a lineman who they picked far too high. Instant Grade C-
And, the Green Bay Packers. The Packers traded up for the tantalizing quarterback Jordan Love in the 1st round, a pick that signals Aaron Rodgers’ time is soon coming to an end. Instead of taking a receiver to give Aaron Rodgers another needed weapon, they opted for running back AJ Dillon, a player projected to go in the 4th or 5th round. Dillon is a limited, between the tackles runner, a glorified fullback. In the whole draft, one with over 25 receivers being selected, none of them ended up in Green Bay. Instant Grade D
