NFL free agency has mostly run its course with a few key destinations still in question, but the NFL Draft is now the next major event to look forward to. Though NFL general managers reportedly want the draft pushed back for numerous reasons, the league is still planning on having it begin on April 23 without the public setting that we’re all used to.
Here is a glance at Giants NFL beetting options for the draft.
Giants NFL Draft odds – What will Big Blue do?
Dave Gettleman is understandably under a lot of pressure to have a good draft. He has already been criticized some for the Giants free agency moves, notably signing Blake Martinez, Dion Lewis and failing to sign Leonard Williams – who they traded two picks for last season – to a long-term deal.
Martinez lacks versatility as a linebacker, Lewis can be seen as an odd fit to back up Saquon Barkley and Williams required a hefty price and is now in a one-year deal from the franchise tag.
Gettleman’s rocky start now leads to an incredibly important draft that has New York picking fourth overall with plenty of needs. Since the Giants filled a need at defensive back in free agency with the signing of James Bradberry, all signs point to them going linebacker or offensive line at fourth overall. Both are huge needs.
The Giants have an extremely poor group at linebacker, and despite the Martinez signing, fans must hope Gettleman will still be treating it as a need. Daniel Jones is New York’s quarterback of the future for now, and the Giants have to do a better job of protecting him than they did in his rookie year.
Giants NFL Draft odds – Picking No. 4 overall
FanDuel Sportsbook has the following six players as the favorites for the Giants selection at fourth overall:
Tristan Wirfs: +175
Mekhi Becton: +210
Jedrick Wills Jr.: +240
Isaiah Simmons: +450
Jeff Okudah: +450
Chase Young: +750
FanDuel’s odds sit firmly in line with the belief the Giants need to strengthen their offensive line to protect Jones in the future. Wirfs, Becton and Wills Jr. are all offensive tackles that would fill that hole for New York.
With Joe Burrow, Chase Young and Jeff Okudah slotted in by many to be the first three picks of the draft, the Giants should get their choice for which offensive tackle they want.
Wirfs seems to have turned into the most popular choice for the first tackle off the board after his eye-opening performance at the combine. It’s no surprise to see another top offensive lineman from Iowa, and with Wirfs, the Giants would be getting a top athlete at tackle – though he is a bit rawer than a couple of other tackles in the draft like Andrew Thomas. Ideally, he’s a left tackle for the Giants, thought he could really end up just about anywhere on the offensive line. Since his production was a bit more inconsistent than some of the other top tackles and much of his upside is based on the athleticism he showed in testing, there would be plenty of risk from Gettleman by taking Wirfs.
Giants NFL Draft odds – Gettleman the gambler
Becton and Wills Jr. follow Wirfs in odds as another couple of offensive tackles. But the most interesting player behind Wirfs is Isaiah Simmons. Benjamin Solak with The Draft Network made an interesting comparison when mocking Simmons to the Giants in his latest mock draft. If Gettleman was willing to take Barkley high in the draft due to insane athleticism and upside despite him playing a position low in draft value, why would he not take Simmons fourth overall?
What Simmons does defensively isn’t typically valued this high in the draft, but he’s an incredible athlete and can play roles of both a linebacker and safety. If Gettleman continues to use the strategy of taking who he believes is the best overall player, Simmons has a lot of value at +450.
