Defense or Offense? That's the sixty-four thousand dollar question before Dave Gettleman. What primary need does he address this Thursday with the 4th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft? Clearly, they need help on both sides of the football. They were ranked 30th defensively last year with one of the worst pass rushes in the league. And they were almost as bad at protecting the quarterback. So, either way, the Giants can't lose.
This will be the third consecutive year that the Giants will have a first round pick in the top 6. In 2018, they took Saquon Barkley with the 2nd pick; in 2019, they chose Daniel Jones with the 6th pick. Both picks turned out to be winners. In fact, with the exception of 2015 - Erick Flowers - the Giants have had pretty good success with their first rounders. It's the rest of the draft they've struggled with.
If we assume that the first two picks, QB Joe Burrow to the Bengals and DE Chase Young to the Redskins, are locks - and there's no reason to believe they aren't - the only question is whether the Lions and/or the Giants will trade down. That depends on how desperate the Dolphins (5th) and the Chargers (6th) are.
We know from past drafts that Gettleman does not trade down. However, this year he has indicated that he might listen to offers. It's clear that the Lions want Jeff Okudah. If neither team trades down, the Giants will have their choice of LB/S Isaiah Simmons, OT Tristan Wirfs or OT Jedrick Wills. All three are studs and can start on day one, assuming we have even have a day one.
So who would I pick? I happen to be a disciple of the George Young school of drafting. You always take the best player on the board when it's your turn. And for me, that's Simmons. To call this player a hybrid does a disservice to the word hybrid. The Prius is a hybrid; Simmons is a phenomenon. Adam Schein calls him an "absolute freak." He has the skill set to drop back into coverage as a safety or rush the quarterback as an edge. And he would be the first linebacker taken by the Giants in the first round since Carl Banks in 1984.
But if I were a betting man, I'd say that Gettleman opts for one of the two tackles, either Wirfs or Wills. My money's on Wills. He's from Alabama and Joe Judge's connection with Nick Saban will prove to be the tie breaker here. As far as I'm concerned, you can flip a coin between the two, that's how good they are. Both are hogs mollies and while they currently play on the right side, they could easily switch over to the left, which means Jones will have protection he needs on his blind side. The Giants can move Nate Solder and his $16 million cap hit to right tackle where he can do less damage.
As far as trading down goes, like I said, Gettleman may be open for business, but the opportunity might not present itself, especially if the glitches that took place Monday during the league's mock draft resurface on Thursday when they go live. And even if everything does run smoothly, the thing you don't want to do is trade so far down that you lose out on a top tier player in the draft. Whether you think an offensive tackle should be taken this high or not - and I don't - there's no denying the Giants desperately need one. Unless someone makes Gettleman an offer he can't refuse, he should stay right where he is and let the chips fall where they may. He still has nine picks over the next six rounds to get some defensive help. And there are plenty of quality players in this draft that can step in and make an impact this season; again assuming we even have one.
So here's how I think the first 15 picks of the draft will unfold:
1. Burrow QB to the Bengals
2. Young DL to the Redskins
3. Okudah CB to the Lions
4. Wills OL to the Giants
5. Tua Tagovailoa QB to the Dolphins
6. Justin Herbert QB to the Chargers
7. Simmons LB to the Panthers
8. Derrick Brown DL to the Cardinals
9. Javlon Kinlaw DL to the Jaguars
10. Wirfs OL to the Browns
11. Mekhi Becton OL to the Jets
12. Jerry Jeudy WR to the Raiders
13. CeeDee Lamb WR to the 49ers
14. Josh Jones OL to the Bucs
15. Henry Ruggs WR to the Broncos
And in a surprise move, Jordan Love QB to the Saints at 24.
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