Mock draft season is in overdrive and everyone from experts to fans have done at least one by now. The New York Giants are one of the teams that everyone seems to be split on.
No one really knows what general manager Dave Gettleman has in store for Giant fans. He can’t afford to make mistakes with his two first round picks (No. 6 and 17) after purging the Giants of their two best players this offseason.
There’s plenty to choose from and it will be hard for Gettleman to screw this up, but here’s four players we think he should avoid in the first round next month.
Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State
Simmons might be the best lineman in this draft. In fact, NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein compares him to Ndamukong Suh. Simmons projects as a dominant interior defender who can play in just about any scheme. He would be perfect for the Giants’ sagging defensive front.
There’s a catch, though. A couple of them, actually. Simmons is on video striking a woman in 2016. Granted, he’s apologized umpteen times and has kept his nose clean since, but the bell cannot be unrung here.
The other issue with Simmons is that he tore his ACL while training for the draft in February. He was forced to miss the combine but will be participating in Mississippi State’s Pro Day on March 27.
Rashan Gary, DL, Michigan
Teams fall in love with Gary’s versatility and potential, but the truth is the former Paramus Catholic star is more of a “tweener” on the defensive front. Sure, he can play all three positions on the line if needed but is not particularly dominant at any of them.
That doesn’t mean Gary will not be a solid pro. He is a tremendous talent. He will certainly be selected in the first round of the draft but must land with the right defensive coordinator who can unlock his potential.
There’s a fear that Gary could be misused and fall more into the ‘bust’ bucket than the ‘boom’ one. With all the other attractive options in the first round, the Giants must be absolutely certain he can be coached up to fill the voids in their defense. As one NFL general manager used to say: let somebody else make that mistake.
Daniel Jones, QB, Duke
Giant fans would go absolutely bonkers if Jones is selected in the first round. The fear is he’s the Giants’ guy and has been all along. The dots are all there to be connected and the association with Jones and Manning brothers mentor David Cutcliffe is had to ignore.
Jones was the MVP of the Senior Bowl and we know the Giants love players who win that award having drafted the last two (Davis Webb and Kyle Lauletta).
Jones will be a good pro. He’s smart, efficient and is probably has the highest football acumen of any quarterback in the draft. Zierlein likens him to Ryan Tannehill. The issue is Giant fans will liken him to another Duke quarterback — Dave Brown — who played here in the 1990s and never panned out.
D.K. Metcalf, WR, Ole Miss
Metcalf was a workout wonder at the combine, running a 4.33 40-yard dash at 6-foot-3 and 228 pounds. His physique is not that of a normal wideout and teams have fallen in love with his ability.
Zierlein has Metcalf going to the Giants in his latest mock draft, which is way too high in many circles. He just isn’t top 10 timber. If taken this high, he will immediately be under the gun to perform like Odell Beckham Jr. and he’s just not in that class.
That being said, Metcalf can play the game. He’s just not a player the Giants should select over the many defensive options on the board who are slam-dunk picks.
