What the New York Giants should or shouldn’t do in the first-round of the 2020 NFL Draft has been beaten to death, so Pro Football Focus recently decided to switch gears and take a look at what they should do in Round 2.
Whether they trade down or not, the Giants are expected to select either an offensive tackle or pass rusher in Round 1, which leaves several other positional options open entering the following round.
Despite their recent influx of young cornerbacks, PFF believes the Giants should add another cornerback in the second round, this time by way of Clemson’s A.J. Terrell.
NEW YORK GIANTS: CB A.J. TERRELL, CLEMSON
At 6-foot-1 with 4.42 speed, Terrell has the combination of length and speed that you want at the cornerback position. More importantly, his movement on the field is just so smooth. Terrell put up two consecutive seasons on the Clemson defense in 2018 and 2019 with coverage grades of 80.0 or higher. Yes, LSU and Ja’Marr Chase got the better of him in the National Championship Game, but Terrell remains one of the better cornerback options in the class.
The Giants selected the first cornerback off the board a season ago in Deandre Baker. His struggles as a rookie, along with the lack of high-level play from anyone else at the position, warrants another go in the 2020 NFL Draft. While New York will likely have its pick of the tackles or a player like Isaiah Simmons at fourth overall, Terrell would be a strong second-round target if he makes it to them at pick 36. As we saw with Baker, it doesn’t always work out in Year 1, but it’s worth taking shots at good cornerback prospects early in the draft when the opportunity arises.
Here’s what our very own Draft Wire had to say about Terrell:
Coming off yet another trip to the College Football Playoff and the National Championship Game, Terrell helped lead one of the nation’s most talented defenses. His combination of size, length and athleticism should make him one of the first players off the board at his position. Terrell should come off the board on Day 2, at the latest, when draft weekend rolls around.
The Giants are reportedly prioritizing cornerback in free agency, which could impact their draft approach and leave a player like Terrell on the outside looking in. However, if a bidding war erupts for players like Byron Jones (which is likely), the Giants may bow out and fall back on the NFL Draft, where a player like Terrell becomes an obvious choice, especially if he’s there in Round 2.
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