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The 2016 NFL Draft saw New York Giants get aced out of several players they favored as teams leapfrogged them in the first round causing a dilemma by the time the Giants were on the clock at No. 10.
The Tennessee Titans traded up into the 8th position to grab Michigan State offensive tackle Jack Conklin. Then, the Chicago Bears jumped in front of the Giants to select Georgia linebacker Leonard Floyd.
The Giants were seemingly caught off guard. It was suspected they could take a chance on falling Ole Miss tackle Laremy Tunsil, but instead made a huge blunder by taking Ohio State cornerback Eli Apple, who was a late first-round, early second-round prospect at best.
Its always easy to play Monday Morning Quarterback with these things, but everyone knew at the time the Giants blew this. They should have traded back (if they had the opportunity) but appeared to panic and make the Apple pick.
Apple turned out to be ‘not NFL ready’ and fell victim to his immaturity. The Giants ended up trading him in the middle of his third season.
So, who should the Giants have selected with that 10th overall pick in 2016?
Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report says the Giants should have taken Maryland EDGE Yannick Ngakoue, who was eventually taken in Round 3 by Jacksonville. They also could have gone for Chris Jones, defensive tackle of Mississippi State, who went to Kansas City in Round 2.
“Jones was a significant difference-maker on a Super Bowl team last year and is one of the NFL’s best all-around interior defensive linemen, but the New York Giants need a strong edge-defender way more than they need a defensive tackle,” writes Gagnon.
“So they’ll pass on him in favor of Ngakoue, who has recorded at least eight sacks in his first four seasons and has the fourth-highest forced-fumble total in football since he came into the league. Not a single current Giant hit the five-sack mark last year, so he’d immediately be the top dog in that pass rush…This is also a no-brainer, considering that Apple didn’t pan out in New York.”
That would have solved many of the Giants’ pass rush issues the past few years, but who knew? That’s what makes the NFL Draft so alluring.
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