Trades have turned over the apple cart in the NFL mock draft cottage industry the past week, so many experts have had to alter their prognostications.
Luke Easterling of Draft Wire has done just that with his adjusted first-round outlook and included a few trades of his own:
1. Jacksonville Jaguars | Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence
2. New York Jets | BYU QB Zach Wilson
3. San Francisco 49ers (from HOU via MIA) | Alabama QB Mac Jones
4. New England Patriots (from ATL)* | Ohio State QB Justin Fields
5. Cincinnati Bengals | LSU WR Ja’Marr Chase
6. Miami Dolphins (from PHI) | Florida TE Kyle Pitts
7. Los Angeles Chargers (from DET)* | Oregon OT Penei Sewell
8. Chicago Bears (from CAR)* | North Dakota State QB Trey Lance
9. Denver Broncos | Penn State LB Micah Parsons
10. Dallas Cowboys | Alabama CB Patrick Surtain II
The quarterback craze once again hijacks the draft. 49ers fans would lose their minds if general manager John Lynch chooses Jones over Fields and Lance. Other than that, this mock is smart not to have Chase, Pitts, Sewell, Parsons and Surtain fall out of the top 10.
This mock would present the New York Giants, who hold the 11th overall pick, a plethora of choices. Do they take one of Alabama’s game-changing wideouts (DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle) or bolster their offensive line with Northwestern’s Rashawn Slater? Easterling believes they’ll do none of that.
11. New York Giants | Michigan EDGE Kwity Paye
This defense already has some talented playmakers, but they’re missing that difference-maker on the edge who can get after the quarterback with explosiveness and athleticism. No edge rushers are off the board yet, so the Giants get their pick of a deep class, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Paye’s rare athletic ability and upside make him the first one taken here.
Paye is the other option the Giants will find hard to pass up. He reminds some of a young Justin Tuck and that will please Giant fans greatly. My concern is where he fits in a 3-4 base defense. I’m sure defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will figure it out.
If Paye can play outside linebacker, that would be optimal, but he’s best as an edge rusher or a 4-3 defensive end. Graham will have to line him up as such in the beginning as not to expose him against the run or in pass coverage. These are all coachable traits, but to bypass three players that don’t need to be taught their roles coming in could be a hard pill for Giants fans to swallow, especially if Paye turns out to be nothing more than a situational player at the pro level.
It is also not a productive use of the No. 11 overall pick. A high pick such as this should be spent on a player who will play 100 percent of the snaps (or close to it) such as an offensive lineman, running back, quarterback or tight end, not a situational player. That is what Day 2 is for.
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