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Now that the New York Giants have signed veteran wide receiver Kenny Golladay to a four-year deal, most mock drafts have moved away from projecting Alabama wideout Jaylen Waddle at No. 11 overall.
That was who ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. had going to the Giants in his previous mock draft, but in version 3.0 he switched things up a bit. The draft analyst now has New York selecting Michigan edge rusher Kwity Paye.
The question I asked when I did my mock draft 2.0 was: Can the Giants get Daniel Jones a No. 1 wide receiver? Well, they’re certainly paying free-agent acquisition Kenny Golladay like one. That means general manager Dave Gettleman could try to address another position with this pick, likely on defense. Though I don’t have an edge rusher rated this high, Paye isn’t far off, and teams always reach for pass-rushers with intriguing physical prowess. I’ve heard that Paye is going to impress scouts at his pro day on March 26 and put up incredible testing numbers across the board. The production wasn’t there at Michigan — 11.5 sacks in four seasons — but I would bet on his upside, and you can see his tremendous first-step ability if you turn on the tape.
The selection of Paye comes with Northwestern offensive lineman Rashawn Slater, Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons and Miami edge rusher Gregory Rousseau still on the board.
When the Giants were in more dire need of playmakers, Paye at No. 11 seemed like a potential disaster. However, with so many issues shored up on both sides of the ball through free agent signings, this pick makes a lot more sense now.
The Giants feel like they’re really only one top-end pass rusher away from compiling one of the best defenses in the NFC if not the entire NFL, and Paye certainly has the potential to be that guy.
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