ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. isn’t interested in switching things up, and in his latest mock draft — version 3.0 — he has the New York Giants once again taking their quarterback of the future and then addressing their needs along the defensive line.
At No. 6 overall, the Giants stand pat and luck out as Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins falls to them.
No. 6: Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State
I’ll stick with my top-ranked signal-caller here, with the Giants taking Haskins, who grew up a fan of the team. But, again, there’s no guarantee Haskins (6-foot-3, 231 pounds) will be available at No. 6, and GM Dave Gettleman might have to move up to get him. The team now has the No. 17 overall pick from the Odell Beckham Jr. trade, which could be used in another deal. It’s no certainty that the Giants take a quarterback with this pick, however; they are clearly rebuilding, have several needs (offensive tackle and edge rusher stand out) and could instead use the 17th pick for a QB.
At No. 17 overall, the Giants go with a pure 3-4 defensive end as opposed to an outside linebacker or stand-up edge rusher.
No. 17: Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson
This selection ends a run on edge rushers, with six going in my top 16 picks. The Giants need help there, too, especially if they move to a 3-4 under new defensive coordinator James Bettcher, but Wilkins (6-foot-3, 315 pounds) is a different kind of defensive lineman who could play tackle in a 4-3 or end in a 3-4. He has been underrated on a loaded Clemson defense, but he had 15 tackles for loss last season.
Wilkins is a somewhat curious pick for the Giants given their wealth of interior defenders, but come pick No. 17, there’s a strong change the elite edge rushers are already off the board.
But what say you, Giants fans? How would you feel about Haskins and Wilkins in Round 1?
