Category: 2020 NFL Combine

Julian Okwara not mad at Giants for cutting his brother

Notre Dame defensive lineman Julian Okwara says he holds no ill-will towards the New York Giants for cutting his brother, Romeo Okwara.

The New York Giants signed defensive end Romeo Okwara as an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame following the conclusion of the 2016 NFL Draft, and he went on to spend two years with the team.

During that span, Okwara appeared in 22 games (four starts), recording 28 tackles (two for a loss), two passes defensed, seven QB hits and one sack. He flashed several times, but never received the defensive snaps he seemed to warrant.

In September of 2018, Okwara was waived by the Giants and almost immediately claimed by the Detroit Lions, where his career has excelled.

Now in 2020, another Okwara is coming up through college and drawing interest at the 2020 NFL Combine.

Notre Dame defensive lineman Julian Okwara is under the bright lights in Indianapolis this time, and he’s fielded several questions about his brother. Among them has been whether or not he holds any ill-will towards the Giants for sending Romeo packing.

He does not.

“The Giants are a team that gave him a chance,” Julian said, via Newsday. “That’s the reason he’s with the Lions right now. He could have not been on a team. So I’m grateful to them for giving him an opportunity and hopefully it opens up a door for me.

“Whatever happened to him, in this league, you can bounce around from team to team. You have to work and be humble and hope to see the game the next day. You can get cut at any time. I’m not holding a grudge against them. It happens. It’s football.”

Julian said that he’d have no reservations about playing for the Giants if they called his name, but admits it would be “cool” to end up on the Lions’ roster alongside his Nigerian brother.

“It’d be cool,” Julian said. “I told him I’d move in with him on the couch and he’d have to pay the rent, I’m not splitting it. I’m the younger brother and that’s what older brothers do, they take care of younger brothers. But it’d be cool.”

As of Friday morning, the Giants have not held a formal or informal meeting with Julian.

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2020 NFL Combine: Giants’ prospect meeting scorecard

An active prospect meeting scorecard for the New York Giants at the 2020 NFL Combine.

The 2020 NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana is now well underway and beyond just the on-field workouts and prospect meetings, things are beginning to stir.

There are rumors abound across the NFL as teams and agents mingle ahead of the new league year, and teams begin to tip their hand a bit with the prospects in which they are meeting.

With that in mind, we’ve opted to create a tracker for New York Giants fans so that they’re able to keep track of prospects Big Blue has met with — both formally and informally.

As each day at the Combine passes, the below list will be updated.

Formal meetings:

  • Cesar Ruiz, C, Michigan
  • Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia
  • Keith Ismael, C, San Diego State
  • Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama
  • Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State

Informal meetings:

  • Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame
  • Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson

Unspecified meetings:

  • Zack Baun, LB, Wisconsin
  • Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville
  • Ross Blacklock, DL, TCU
  • K’Lavon Chaisson, EDGE, LSU
  • Lloyd Cushenberry, OL, LSU
  • Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor
  • Kendall Coleman, DE, Syracuse
  • Terrell Lewis, EDGE, Alabama

Information on NFL Combine meetings obtained via Twitter and Walter Football.

5 offensive prospects for Jaguars fans to watch at the NFL Scouting Combine

The Jags need help on the offensive side and Tee Higgins will be just one of many players at the combine for fans to watch Thursday.

The offensive prospects will take the field Thursday and Friday for the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine. That’s a side of the ball where the Jacksonville Jaguars need a lot of help, so needless to say, fans will be glued to their television sets.

All of that said, here are four prospects with first round grades to watch on the offensive end who could end up being drafted by the Jags come draft day:

Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa

Simply put, despite Dave Caldwell’s comments about liking the Jags’ offensive line, the bottom line is they need upgrades there. It remains to be seen if they will move Cam Robinson from left tackle, but at the least, they need to add a new starter at guard.

Tristan Wirfs has mostly started at right tackle, however, the Jags are unlikely to stop the development of Jawaan Taylor at that spot as he settled down late in the season and flashed. Instead, drafting Wirfs to play right guard might be an option as A.J. Cann hasn’t really developed like most had hoped.

Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia

Again, it’s unknown if whether the Jags will move Robinson this year, but I’ll give you one reason they should: Andrew Thomas.

Thomas is a massive player at 6-foot-5, 320 pounds, and is a strong run blocker and a mountain to get around in pass protection. Draft pundits have concerns about his technique, however, the Jags have an offensive line coach as their head coach in Doug Marrone, who can help Thomas develop over time.

Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama

This year’s receivers class is one many feel is the strongest and deepest we’ve seen in some time, which is good for the Jags who need help beside DJ Chark Jr. The second-year receiver exploded in 2020 and became a Pro Bowler but it was clear he needed another receiver to take the pressure off him down the stretch.

Henry Ruggs is a player with speed for days and some believe he’ll run a 4.2 in the 40-yard dash. He’s also a player who would set the league on fire if paired with Chark. With Caldwell being great at drafting receivers, Ruggs definitely could be an option in the first round as the Jags look to build around Gardner Minshew II.

Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson

Tee Higgins is another baller from this 2020 receivers class and has great size. At 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, he’d bring that Allen Robinson-like presence the Jags have missed since the young receiver departed via free agency. He can go up and pluck the ball and is very smooth as a route runner. Those a traits that could take Minshew to the next level.

Higgins said that his goal for the 40-yard dash will be to run in the 4.4s, and if he does, the Jags need to heavily consider him for the No. 20 pick or perhaps making a trade to get him sooner.

Solomon Kindley, OG, Georgia

Jags fans should be well aware of this young man as he is a Jacksonville native. Solomon Kindley was dominant in the trenches for the Bulldogs over the span of the last three years, especially as a run blocker. When looking at his physical style, he reflects what the Jags want in a lineman and he would be just what the doctor ordered for Leonard Fournette between the tackles.

He was one of the players who revealed he’s met with the Jags this week, and clearly their interest should be genuine. It will be interesting to see what he does in the strength related drills because the power is clearly there on tape.

2020 NFL Draft: Giants meeting with top centers

The New York Giants are meeting with various offensive linemen at the 2020 NFL Combine, but their interest in centers stands out.

The New York Giants are seeking to upgrade their offensive line at both tackle positions and at center this offseason. With Nate Solder getting up and years and coming off another inconsistent season and Mike Remmers a free agent, offensive tackle is likely high on general manger Dave Gettleman’s shopping list.

They are also seeking a long-term answer at center. They reportedly met with San Diego State’s Keith Ishmael and now it’s being reported they have interest in Michigan’s Cesar Ruiz.

Ruiz (6-foot-4, 320 pounds) hails from Camden and is a two-time All-Big 10 selection. He has been climbing up mock draft boards and may not get out of the first round. In fact, ESPN’s Mel Kiper has Ruiz going to Kansas City at No. 32.

Ruiz started at right guard the final games of his freshman year before moving to center his last two seasons. Kiper, in his latest Big Board projection, has Ruiz going to Kansas City late in the first round. He has the 6-foot-4, 319-pound Ruiz rated higher than Garrett Bradbury, the top-rated center in 2019.

That means the Giants would have to either trade up from the second round or trade back in the first round to get Ruiz. Good luck having the latter happen.

The Giants under head coach Pat Shurmur were high on both centers on their roster — Jon Halapio and Spencer Pulley. Halapio is currently a restricted free agent and Pulley is a candidate to be released as a salary cap casualty.

The Giants’ new coaching staff is obviously making some recommendations to Gettleman and that will refocus the team’s commitment to some of these marginal players the prior regime had been overrating.

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Cam Akers, Solomon Kindley amongst notables who’ve met with Jags at 2020 NFL Combine so far

The Jags have met with several at the combine so far, including Jax native Solomon Kindley and FSU’s Cam Akers.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ staff has been hard at work this week on their business trip to Indy, home of the NFL Combine. While waiting for the performance drill portion of the annual event, the team has reportedly gotten to interview several familiar players to fans, including DeeJay Dallas, Cam Akers, Solomon Kindley, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire to name a few.

Dallas, 21, played collegiately with the Miami Hurricanes where he accumulated 1,527 career rushing yards, 317 career receiving yards and 19 total touchdowns. He is a player who the Jags are well aware of as he is a native of Brunswick, Ga., a city just 70 miles from Jacksonville and attended Glenn Academy there. He’s also a player who offers physicality as a runner, and according to draft pundits, he could be selected between the fifth and seventh rounds.

Akers, 20, attended college down the road from Jacksonville at Florida State University. While there he accumulated 2,875 career rushing yards, 486 career receiving yards, and 34 total touchdowns. At 5-foot-11, 212 pounds, he brings a mix of size and shiftiness to the table and is projected to be a second or third round pick.

At 6-foot-3, 336 pounds, Kindley was a force for the Georgia Bulldogs in the trenches and would give the Jags a physical run blocker at guard. While at UGA, he started in 32 games and paved lanes for rushers like Nick Chubb, Sony Michel, and DeAndre Swift. He also is a Jacksonville native who attended Raines High School and is expected to be a late first round to early second round selection.

Lastly, Edwards-Helaire is a player who attended Louisiana State and is one of many national champions to enter the draft. At 5-foot-8, 209 pounds, he’s a player who will remind fans of Maurice Jones-Drew as he welcomes contact but also showcases breakaway speed on tape. Most draft pundits believe he’ll be selected in the third round.

The Jags will meet with a lot of prospects over the next few months but it’s still worth keeping tabs on their meetings to reflect back on when the selections are made. We’ll continue to monitor who the Jags speak with this week as more reports are sure to come out.

12 players Giants should watch carefully at 2020 NFL Combine

Workout at the 2020 NFL Combine will begin on Thursday, and here’s a quick look at 12 players the New York Giants should watch carefully.

The 20202 NFL Combine is being held this week in Indianapolis and the New York Giants, holders of the No. 4 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft, will be seeking their next class of presumptive stars.

What will they be looking for and what the rest of the football world believes they should be looking for are two distinct and separate things.

If I ran the Giants, I’d be looking specifically for two types of players first: ones that can make plays on defense and ones that can protect my young quarterback.

What is going through general manager Dave Gettleman’s mind is anyone’s guess. Like most, I’m under the assumption he knows what his team in lacking, but you can never tell with him. He falls in love with players and ends up reaching.

Here’s some players the Giants should be interested in this week.

Offensive Tackles

  • Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama (JR, 6’5″, 320 pounds)
  • Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia (JR, 6’5″, 320 pounds)
  • Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville (JR, 6’7″, 369 pounds)
  • Tristan Wirfs, OT/OG, Iowa (JR, 6’5″, 322 pounds)

You can take them in any order you’d like. They all should be there at No. 4 when the Giants select. The favorite here is Becton, who is just so massive and imposing he’s hard to pass up. The question is can you trade down a few spots and still get one of these guys?

The answer is yes. Gettleman should trade back from No. 4 with a team looking for a quarterback, grab some draft capital and maybe take one of the above and perhaps one from the below list in Round 1:

  • Isaiah Simmons, Clemson (rJR, 6’4″, 225 pounds)
  • Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma (JR, 6’2″, 234 pounds)
  • Patrick Queen, LSU (JR, 6’1″, 227 pounds)
  • Zack Baun, Wisconsin (rSR, 6’3″, 240 pounds)
  • A.J. Epenesa, Iowa (JR, 6’6″, 280 pounds)
  • K’Lavon Chaisson, LSU (JR, 6’4″, 250 pounds)
  • Yetur Gross-Matos, Penn State (JR, 6’5″, 264 pounds)
  • Terrell Lewis, Alabama (rJR, 6’5″, 258 pounds)

Any one of the above players would walk right onto the practice field in East Rutherford and take someone’s job Day 1. Simmons would be the optimal choice, but the Giants might have to stay at No. 4 to get him, pending his Combine performance.

I love Epenesa and Baun, but they aren’t Top 5 worthy. The rest could be mid-late first rounders or even second rounders, but I’m putting Becton, Simmons, Baun and Epenesa on my dance card. I’ll also be interested to see how Chaisson fares as well.

For those who are into the best available player theory, Alabama wideout Jerry Jeudy and Ohio State defensive back Jeffrey Okudah are two players to watch.

Giants’ Dave Gettleman admits fault in one area, promises change

New York Giants GM Dave Gettleman rarely admits fault, but acknowledged on Tuesday that he’s done this one thing wrong and vows change.

New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman gave another jaw-dropping performance at the NFL Combine on Tuesday when he discussed his philosophies with the media. Some of his statements had the masses checking the calendar to see what year, uh what decade, it was.

Earth to Dave: This is an offensive league. Yes, defense wins but only in Week 19. The first 18 weeks your offense has to get you there. Teams built around defense don’t usually make it as far as they used to. The 21st Century formula is to have an explosive offense with a defense that can make key stops to preserve leads.

Another key tidbit was Gettleman’s revelation about renegotiating contracts.

Wow. No wonder players bash him on the way out the door. This admission means that Gettleman has been willing to pay more or even let players hit free agency instead of locking them up long term in potential cost-saving moves.

Add these to the fact that Gettleman has never traded back in the draft to amass more capital and you get the picture of why he shouldn’t be running a football operation in 2020.

And you wonder why the Giants are a mess…

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Louisville OT Mekhi Becton on Giants: I love the blue

Louisville OT Mekhi Becton says he “loves” New York and loves New York Giants blue, which is good news since he may be wearing it soon.

The New York Giants could surely use a massive left tackle to protect franchise quarterback Daniel Jones and pancake defenders in the running game for Saquon Barkley.

There is such a player in this draft in Louisville’s Mekhi Becton, a 6-foot-7, 367-pound monster who said Wednesday at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis that he’d love to play for the Giants.

The Giants hold the fourth overall pick and barring something unforeseen, Becton should be sitting there when the Giants select. Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network believes that Becton is perfect for the Giants, whether they draft him at No. 4 or trade back a few spots to get him.

“To me Mekhi Becton is a freak, from Louisville, an absolute freak. I’m not in the business of trading off freaks at a need position. He’s a left tackle. He’s a better version of Bryant McKinnie. He’s going to be that guy for the next 10 to 12 years to protect your franchise quarterback. He’s so big, so long, so athletic, even when he is not perfect, it doesn’t matter because nobody can get through him. He’s 6’7″, 370 pounds.

You just don’t see guys like that come around very often. I know trade-back options exist. I know you can take a defensive playmaker. To me I’m not trading off that pick. I’m sitting there right there taking Mekhi Becton.”

So, there you have it. Becton wants to come to New York and the Giants should make that happen.

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Giants’ Dexter Lawrence helped Tee Higgins prepare for NFL Combine

Clemson WR Tee Higgins said his former teammate, New York Giants DT Dexter Lawrence, helped advise him on the 2020 NFL Combine.

The New York Giants are interested in bringing in one more home run-hitting offensive threat in this draft to join their already impressive arsenal of wide receivers Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, Golden Tate, tight end Evan Engram and running back Saquon Barkley.

One player they are interested in is Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins, a 6-foot-4 monster who could add an ungovernable dimension to their passing attack.

Higgins is about to raise his draft stock a bit by displaying his enormous physical ability at the NFL Combine. Eyes will be opened and, combined with his tape, will jettison him up a lot of teams’ draft boards. Some scouts are comparing him to Julio Jones and A.J. Green. The Giants could use a player like that, no?

Higgins, who caught a pass in every college game he started for the Tigers, met the media on Tuesday in Indianapolis and cited former Clemson teammate Dexter Lawrence — now a New York Giant — as a player he confides in.

More ammunition for the “trade back” strategy with the No. 4 overall pick. There’s a ton of talent in this draft, so why not get a few extra high picks and capitalize? Oh, that’s right. Dave Gettleman is the general manager. He doesn’t do such things.

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2020 NFL Combine: 8 takeaways from Giants GM Dave Gettleman

New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman held a press conference at the NFL Combine on Tuesday, and here are eight takeaways.

New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman, on the hot seat in 2020, addressed the media at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday morning.

Here are some takeaways from his presser.

Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

The Giants are open for business

The Giants hold the No. 4 selection in the draft and will entertain all comers for the pick, but warned that sometimes trading back can backfire. Of course, Dave Gettleman wouldn’t really know since he’s never done it in his seven drafts as a general manager.

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