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As the writing process goes on, we’re going to be inundated with simulation projects as various outlets try to predict how the 2021 NFL Draft will unfold.
Unless there are some really remarkable guesses, they will all be wrong.
But that doesn’t mean we can ignore them altogether. Simulated drafts can be fun and serve as a useful lens through which we can analyze both potential projects as well as different team needs.
We should get used to seeing wide receivers mocking the New York Giants as the team look to rebuild an offense that has been lackluster for years now and was an albatross last season. We’ve seen Alabama receivers Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith be the most popular picks for Big Blue before.
Former NFL scout and current NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah released his first mock draft of 2021 on Friday afternoon, adding to the number of dummies predicting Waddle will be a future giant.
11) New York Giants
Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
School: Alabama | Year: JuniorThe Giants are all with Daniel Jones and now they have to give him weapons on the outside.
Raptor thoughts
Short and nice here from Jeremy, and I’ll be just as brief. The Giants need – absolutely need – to repair their offense. They fielded the second-worst offense in the NFL last year, recording just 299 yards and 17.5 points per game. It’s bad every year, but it’s embarrassing in a year the rest of the NFL has seen a historic offensive explosion.
This past year five the teams average over 30 points per game, and two others average over 29.3 per game. For reference, that’s as many 30-point offenses that the NFL saw from 2016 to 2019 combined.
Plus, it’s no coincidence that the four teams that still play are four of the NFL’s top five offenses.
The Giants need a real number one receiver. Both to give their attack the explosive – and reliable – presence in the air that they lacked over the past two years, and to allow Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton to play their natural roles in the offensive.
Waddle is probably my first target for the Giants in the first round. He has the ability to play wide as well as from the slot machine – as well as contribute as a blocker and returner. He’s not as tall as some fans might prefer, but he’s a tough, explosive player with the potential to be a powerful offensive weapon. [preliminary Prospect Profile]
Waddle comes from an ankle injury that required surgery, but he has the ability to play the game at a different speed than normal players.
It’s been a while since we’ve seen a Giants wide receiver with that kind of ability to run away from a defense.
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