Mel
New York Giants: B+
Top needs: OLB, OL, WR
The talk of this Giants draft is all about general manager Dave Gettleman --
"Trader Dave" -- trading down not once but twice, marking the first time he has traded down in his nine drafts as a general manager. It's pretty amazing. Gettleman got an extremely valuable
2022 first-rounder from the Bears in the deal that saw the Giants drop nine spots in Round 1. This team is still rebuilding and Gettleman is under pressure, so give him credit for thinking long-term and seeing the bigger picture. If the bottom falls out for Chicago in 2021 -- you never know in the NFL because of injuries -- this could be one of the deals of the draft.
I liked all of the Giants' top three picks.
Kadarius Toney (20) is a speedy slot target who will make life easier for quarterback
Daniel Jones, who needs to take the next step in Year 3. (
Urban Meyer has already said that the Jags were going to take Toney at No. 25.) Jones has solid weapons around him now -- there's no way they will average a league-low 3.0 yards after catch again -- though the offensive line is still mediocre. Edge rusher
Azeez Ojulari (50) is a perfect fit for Patrick Graham's 3-4 defense, and New York got value in taking him in the middle of Round 2. There was some first-round buzz around Ojulari leading up to the draft. Cornerback
Aaron Robinson (71) began his career at Alabama and flashed last season at UCF.
New York only had three picks on Day 3, and
Elerson Smith (116) was my favorite of the trip. He's 6-foot-6 and had 14 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss in 2019, though he's still a work in progress. The picks "Trader Dave" added -- particularly that 2022 first-roudner -- and the value he got with his top three picks makes this a solid haul.
The ringer, Danny Kelly
New York Giants
WR Kadarius Toney, Florida (Round 1, Pick 20)
EDGE Azeez Ojulari, Georgia (Round 2, Pick 50)
CB Aaron Robinson, UCF (Round 3, Pick 71)
EDGE Elerson Smith, Northern Iowa (Round 4, Pick 116)
RB Gary Brightwell, Arizona (Round 6, Pick 196)
CB Rodarius Williams, Oklahoma State (Round 6, Pick 201)
I didn’t love the Toney pick in the first round―he’s a raw route runner who freelances too often and may need some time to adapt to the NFL―but there’s no doubt he brings a dynamic playmaking element to this offense that no other Giants receiver can. The team’s next two selections, Ojulari and Robinson, were both home-run picks; Ojulari was the 16th-ranked player on my board, and fell to the second round largely because of concerns
over knee and ankle injuries. Add in that GM Dave Gettleman finally traded back, and all in all this was a great weekend for the Giants.
Grade: A
NFL.com
Chad Reuter
Grade
A
New York Giants
Draft picks
Day 1 grade:
A+
Day 2 grade:
A
Day 3 grade: A
Analysis: The Giants added another excellent receiver to their corps in Toney after
trading down nine spots and acquiring first- and fourth-round picks from the Bears next year, as well as a fifth-rounder in this draft. You can’t ask for much more than that. GM Dave Gettleman took a calculated risk on the former Bulldog, anticipating Ojulari's
medical issues will not overshadow his talent as a rusher and run defender. Robinson could have easily been off the board 20 spots earlier.
Smith gives the Giants another long pass rusher to complement Ojulari. Brightwell displays quickness, but he must tighten up his ball security to become a reliable backup to
Saquon Barkley. Williams isn’t an elite athlete, but Greedy’s brother is a feisty outside defender who could have been picked two rounds earlier.
SI
CONOR ORR
While you could argue the merits of Kadarius Toney and whether he was worth a first-round pick, what Dave Gettleman was able to do in this draft, accumulating resources for a much stronger 2022 draft and securing the likes of Azeez Ojulari in the second round, should be lauded.
Kevin Seifert over at ESPN.com
called it noble, given that there is no certainty that Gettleman will be around to utilize those picks given his track record with the
Giantsleading up to this draft. Still, this was an exercise in preparedness and the Giants managed to check off one of their biggest needs (and an ancillary need with high upside) in the first two picks.
It wouldn’t be a Giants draft without Gettleman falling in full-bloom love at the Senior Bowl. Elerson Smith is a middle-round selection to watch, as he could find himself a quick favorite of defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.
GRADE: B+
PFF
Day 1:
Kadarius Toney is still learning to play wide receiver, but his development in 2020 was impressive to watch if you cued up his tape chronologically. Plus, there is no more electrifying playmaker in this draft. Toney is a tackle-breaking machine, and while he was primarily a slot receiver in college, he has the size and moves to develop into more than that at the next level.
Day 2: Ojulari could have easily been drafted in the first round, making this selection one of the better values so far in Round 2. He is one of the more advanced pass rushers in this class technically and has an impressive first step off the edge. It helped lead to a 91.7 PFF pass-rushing grade this past season at Georgia. Ojulari also happens to fill a clear area of need for the Giants, whose top four pressure leaders were all interior defenders in 2020.
The Giants’ secondary was already in a good spot entering the 2021 NFL Draft. By adding Robinson, potentially to man the slot, New York only improves its outlook. Robinson isn’t your prototypical slot cornerback. He has the size and press experience to potentially play outside. He also picked up 80.0-plus run-defense grades in each of the past two seasons at UCF. New York adds another talented piece to its secondary.
Day 3: Williams projects as a man-to-man cornerback for the Giants. Although he had issues tracking the ball and getting his hands on passes, he’s a patient player and offers a skill set that is needed in the NFL. Williams needs to gain some strength but this is an intriguing pick.
Draft Grade: B+