2021 NFL Draft order: Giants back into the top 10

If the regular season were to end prior to Week 15, the New York Giants would select 10th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.

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Following a blowout loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, the New York Giants find themselves a game back of the Washington Football Team in the NFC East standings.

The Giants will now need help to get into the playoffs over the final three weeks as they find themselves back on the outside looking in.

As far as the 2021 NFL Draft order, the Giants’ loss also led to a titanic shift in their placement. If the season were to end today, Big Blue would select 10th overall.

The Giants’ division rivals all notched wins on Sunday. As it currently stands, both the Dallas Cowboys (4) and the Philadelphia Eagles (9) would pick ahead of Big Blue.

Meanwhile, the Giants’ crosstown rivals, the New York Jets, would pick first overall. Most anticipate the Jets to obtain the first pick by seasons end, where they are expected to take highly-touted quarterback Trevor Lawrence out of Clemson.

The potential selection of Lawrence would all but end the Sam Darnold era in New York.

Darnold, of course, will always be tied to running back Saquon Barkley, who was selected second overall in 2018 — just one pick ahead of where the Jets took Darnold.

After the Giants started 0-5, many thought they would be in the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes. At this point in the season, with the Giants projected to pick in the ballpark of the top 10, it’s a little more difficult to determine who Big Blue would target.

Tankathon.com’s mock draft has the Giants slated to take cornerback Caleb Farley out of Virginia Tech at No. 10.

With three games remaining, the Giants could pick much later if they make a playoff push and end up winning the division. But either way, they have many positions of need moving forward as they continue to build what is currently the youngest roster in the NFL.

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2021 Mock Draft Roundup 2.0: Who experts are projecting Chargers to select

The Chargers are in a prime position to go best player available.

After Sunday’s win over the Falcons, the Chargers are currently 4-9 and hold the No. 4 spot.

With only three games remaining, the positions that Los Angeles could address are all starting to come into fruition.

With that being said, let’s take a look at who draft experts are pairing with L.A. in the first-round along with the reasoning for it.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper & Todd McShay — WR Ja’Marr Chase, LSU

“Allen, Williams and Chase would instantly become one of the NFL’s best receiving trios, though Williams will be a free agent in 2022. This is definitely a spot to watch for a potential trade up as well.”

The Draft Network’s Drae Harris — CB Patrick Surtain, Alabama

“Patrick Surtain brings youth, length, and positional flexibility to L.A. He is big-game tested and has played under a microscope since high school. His ability to be effective in man or zone from a press or off position will be a welcome addition to a ball club that desperately needs a spark in the secondary.”

Pro Football Network’s Neal Driscoll — WR Ja’Marr Chase, LSU

“In a perfect world, there would be an upper-echelon offensive line prospect who could come in and protect Justin Herbert. The Chargers’ woeful offensive line has been the team’s Achilles heel for quite some time. Taking an offensive lineman not named Penei Sewell this high would be too rich for me, so why not provide Herbert with a game-changing wide receiver? The combination of Keenan Allen and Ja’Marr Chase would be an absolutely lethal combo for the Chargers’ dynamic rookie signal-caller.”

NBC Sport’s Glynn Morgan — EDGE Greg Rousseau

“The Chargers face several realities about their defense going forward, and most of them surround the team’s lack of a consistent pass rush. Unrestricted free-agent, edge rusher, Melvin Ingram has been ineffective in a contract year, and his backup, Uchenna Nwosu hasn’t played to his potential. The anemic pass rush has overworked a secondary that’s surrendered 24 passing touchdowns (tied for fifth worst in NFL) in a total of 12 games played. Drafting a game changing talent like Rousseau, would ease the double teams pro-bowler, Joey Bosa faces and lessen the time Charger defensive backs need to cover receivers.”

Sportsnaut’s Matt Johnson — CB Patrick Surtain, Alabama

“The Chargers seem destined fora top-five pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. They would love to jump ahead of the Bengals, sniping them for Penei Sewell. Since the Jets and Jaguars won’t be trading down, that is unlikely to happen. There is a slight drop off in talent and positional value after the top-three players, but that shouldn’t sway Los Angeles from being happy about its top-five pick. In that spot, two great options stand out.”

2021 Mock Draft Roundup 1.0: Who experts are projecting Chargers to select

The Los Angeles Chargers have to upgrade both sides of the football.

The Chargers are currently projected to hold the No. 5 overall selection in the 2021 NFL draft after dropping to the Bills on Sunday.

Sitting at 3-8, all attention has been shifted to the upcoming offseason and what Los Angeles could do to bolster an already talented roster.

With that being said, let’s take a look at who draft experts are pairing with L.A. in the first-round along with the reasoning for it.

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler — CB Patrick Surtain, Alabama

“The Chargers would be wise to invest in the offensive line to protect their quarterback, but it might not be an option this early in the draft if Sewell is off the board. Instead, their focus moves to defense, where cornerback has been a consistent issue for them this season. Surtain isn’t going to run a blazing 40-yard dash time, but he can pattern match from press and find the football downfield.”

Pro Football Network’s Matt Valdovino — CB Patrick Surtain, Alabama

“Surtain lacks an elite physical profile, but he plays with patience and understands the game that allows him to cover the best. He is aggressive when the ball’s in the air and plays calm and collected, which keeps him from getting burnt. He’s big and long enough to handle even the most physical of receivers, and he provides some youth to the cornerback room.”

The Draft Network’s Brent Weissman — CB Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech

“While the Chargers desperately need help along their offensive line, no offensive line prospect is worth a top-five selection outside of Sewell. I considered going Ja’Marr Chase here and giving Justin Herbert another weapon on the outside, but I instead went with Virginia Tech’s cover man Caleb Farley. Farley has the length and athletic ability that teams covet in their corners and can step in right away and improve a defense that has struggled in 2020.”

NJ Advance Media’s Mike Kaye — CB Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech

“A cornerback run! Gus Bradley loves defensive backs with size, and Farley fits the bill at 6-foot-2 and 197 pounds.”

CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso — OT Rashawn Slater, Northwestern

“Some are going to view Slater as a guard in the NFL. The Chargers need those. But most important is the left tackle, protecting Justin Herbert on throws down the middle and to his right. Slater can be a fine tackle in the NFL. His 2019 film was more than enough evidence, and technique and balance is more important than sheer size at that position.”

CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards — EDGE Gregory Rousseau, Miami

“Melvin Ingram is scheduled to be a free agent after the season. In a year where the salary cap is expected to plummet, Los Angeles has the chance to add a young talent while creating some breathing room.”

Eagles land Virginia Tech CB Caleb Farley in Todd McShay’s early 2021 NFL mock draft

Eagles select Caleb Farley in Todd McShay’s 2021 NFL mock draft
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With the Big Ten and Pac 12 conferences officially canceling their 2020 college football seasons, several big-time names in the world of college football will now look towards taking their skills to the NFL.

ESPN and Todd McShay decided to get a jump on the mock draft season, dropping his way too early 2021 NFL Draft projection.

Even after a long playoff run by the Birds, the Eagles land one of the NFL draft’s most coveted players in Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley.

27. Philadelphia Eagles
Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech*

He was the first player to opt-out of the college football season, but regardless, Farley registers as my third-ranked cornerback for the 2021 class (behind Surtain and Wade). He has the frame and speed to be a problem for opposing receivers, and he closes in a flash. A former wide receiver, Farley also has the ball skills and instincts to make plays, evidenced by his 12 passes broken up and four interceptions last season. Four Eagles cornerbacks, including Sidney Jones and Nickell Robey-Coleman, could hit the open market next spring. Trading for Darius Slay gives Philadelphia a top-tier CB, but the team still has to address the spot opposite him.

Farley originally intended to play wide receiver upon his arrival to Virginia Tech in 2017 but missed his freshman season due to a knee injury.

As a redshirt freshman, Farley was converted to cornerback, where He finished the season with 36 tackles, two interceptions, and a sack. Farley had a breakout campaign as a sophomore in 2019, earning first-team All-ACC honors after recording 20 tackles, four interceptions, and one touchdown.

A preseason All-American in 2020, Farley returned to Virginia Tech for his redshirt junior season but he then became the first high-profile player to skip the 2020 season because of the coronavirus pandemic, announcing that he would instead focus on preparing for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Landing with the Eagles, Farley could learn from a crafty veteran, while preparing to take over when Darius Slay is ready to move on.

Giants select CB Caleb Farley in The Draft Network’s 2021 mock

The New York Giants select cornerback Caleb Farley in Round 1 of The Draft Wire’s 2021 mock.

Jordan Reid of The Draft Network posted his 2021 mock draft this week and the New York Giants drew the seventh overall pick, meaning Giant fans are in for another long season in 2020.

Who Reid has them selecting with that pick is even more frustrating. The progression of the plan put in place in late 2017 when Dave Gettleman took over the team is going very slowly and if this pick is any indication of where the Giants will be in 2021, it has to trouble the fan base.

Reid mocks Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley to the Giants with the seventh pick. Nothing against Farley, but a drafting a corner with this extremely high and valuable pick has to get every Giant fan’s goat.

“With what seems like an early miss on 2019 first-round pick cornerback DeAndre Baker and with Sam Beal opting out of next season, the team is left very thin on the perimeter of the defense,” reasons Reid. “The team’s biggest needs are linebacker, edge rusher, and cornerback. They elect to take the highest-ranked player on the board at a position of need in the former Hokie corner.”

The Giants should not need a cornerback this desperately so soon after loading up on corners the past two drafts and then signing James Bradberry to a three-year, $43 million free agent contract.

But the Giants have run into some inexplicably bad luck thus far with Baker and Beal. The jury is still out on Grant Haley and Corey Ballentine and there is hope that rookie Darnay Holmes can come in and produce at a high level. The Giants would also be fortunate if veteran Montre Hartage or one of their other rookies (Chris Williamson, Christian Angulo, Jarran Williams) amount to something.

According to Reid, Farley is the best player available on the board and this is a case where need intersects with talent.

“Farley is a highly impressive corner whose early returns have been very promising even though he doesn’t have much experience at the position (he started playing it in 2018). The prospect that set the standard with being the first to opt out of the season, based on what he’s shown on film, he has all of the necessary makeup in order to become a first-round pick,” he wrote.

That is not a description of a No. 7 overall pick plus not a pick the Giants, who need to hit on every draft pick at this point can afford to make. They have to stick to taking players that come with more guaranteed success. They can’t afford to gamble.

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