A wide receiver and a QB in Round 1
These weekly New York Giants multi-round mock drafts are all about scenario presentation. It's about doing things a little differently each time and imagining different ways Giants GM Joe Schoen could approach the draft. It's about providing the opportunity to discuss different players.
This week's mockery is radically different. I used the Pro Football Focus simulator instead of the simulator from the NFL Mock Draft database to get a slightly different ranking of prospects. There are also two trades – including one for a quarterback.
Round 1 (No. 6) – Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
I left out quarterback Jayden Daniels here for a few reasons. Partially because I wanted to present a trade back to the middle of the first round for a quarterback scenario. Partly because I'm not sure Schoen and coach Brian Daboll will go quarterback at No. 6 and have a chance to get an immediate impact player staring them in the face.
Malik Nabers, in case you were wondering, went No. 3 to the New England Patriots in this simulation. Marvin Harrison and Brock Bowers are also not on the roster, as are quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Drake Maye.
Other players considered: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame, Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State; Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State; Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
Round 1 (No. 16) – JJ McCarthy, QB, Michigan
Yes, I moved up to the middle of the first round to grab a quarterback. I sent both 2024 second-round picks, Nos. 39 and 47, to the Seattle Seahawks to move to this spot. The irony, of course, is that the 47th pick was taken by Seattle for Leonard Williams. So I'll just give it back.
I more or less flipped a coin between McCarthy, Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. Replace McCarthy with Penix or Nix if you wish. The idea is simply to discuss whether you like this type of move. Or kill me for picking McCarthy if you feel the need.
Here's how the different trading charts see the deal:
The simulator was okay with the swap, but HATED the choices I made, as you can see below. The McCarthy pick received a grade of D-. Ouch! I probably would have gotten a slightly higher grade if I had chosen Nix or Penix, but this is more about illustrating what the draft could look like with this type of move.
Other players considered: None.
Round 3 (No. 83) – Ruke Orhorhoro, DT, Clemson
Another trade!
The Los Angeles Rams called looking for pick No. 70. When I thought about giving up both second-round picks, I decided to go back and get the 100th overall pick to ease the pain.
Anyway, the Rams moved up and selected Georgia safety Javon Bullard. That didn't bother me.
I chose Orhorhoro here over a player I love – Western Kentucky wide receiver/all-around offensive weapon Malachi Corley. This is mainly because I have already decided on Odunze. This is also a nod to the work of BBV's Chris Pflum, who has a second-round grade on Orhorhoro. I was also really tempted by Boston College guard Christian Mahogany.
By the way, the trading value diagrams look like this:
Other players considered: Trey Benson, RB, Florida State; Christian Mahogany, G, Boston College; Malachi Corley, WR, Western Kentucky; Blake Corum, RB, Michigan
Round 3 (No. 100) – Blake Fisher, RT, Notre Dame
When I recently rewatched some of Notre Dame's left tackle Joe Alt, I also took a closer look at Fisher, the Fighting Irish's right tackle. I think he's a solid mid-round option if you want to push Evan Neal inside, sign someone like Jermaine Eluemunor from the Las Vegas Raiders, and have a young tackle who can move into the lineup at some point if needed.
Here's The Draft Network on Fisher:
Overall, Fisher is a sophisticated offensive tackle with the fundamental skillset to quickly succeed at the NFL level. A nuanced hand approach against a variety of pass rush moves is evident. The strength in the running game continues to need improvement, but the refinement in both areas shows a mature approach to the position that will only improve with time. He has experience in both gap (471 career snaps) and zone (307) programs. All of his 710 college snaps came at right tackle.
Other players considered: Trey Benson, HB, Florida State; Max Melton, CB, Rutgers; Cade Stover, TE, Ohio State; Zak Zinter, G, Michigan
How PFF rated the mock:
How did I do this week, Giants fans?
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