{"id":64548,"date":"2019-04-28T08:47:42","date_gmt":"2019-04-28T12:47:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=64548"},"modified":"2021-03-14T16:30:55","modified_gmt":"2021-03-14T20:30:55","slug":"new-york-giants-2019-nfl-draft-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2019\/04\/28\/new-york-giants-2019-nfl-draft-review\/","title":{"rendered":"New York Giants 2019 NFL Draft Review"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>For the second time under the leadership of <strong>Dave Gettleman<\/strong> and <strong>Pat Shurmur<\/strong>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/nfl-teams\/giants\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">New York Giants<\/a> entered the draft with plenty of holes to fill. Through seven rounds of surprises, there were undoubtedly hits and misses. And many of the questions that we hoped would be answered still remain open-ended. The theme of this year\u2019s draft seems to be culture. Each of these players comes from a background of overcoming adversity, be it on the field, off of it, or through the media. For a team that has actively been dosing chemotherapy to their locker room, it\u2019s vital that the culture and leadership aspects of the team are present and activated. Through the draft\u2019s seven rounds, Big Blue obtained the following players:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>First round, sixth overall: <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/02\/08\/daniel-jones-2019-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Daniel Jones<\/strong><\/a>, quarterback, Duke<\/li>\n<li>First round, 17<sup>th<\/sup> overall: <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/03\/20\/dexter-lawrence-2019-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Dexter Lawrence<\/strong><\/a>, defensive tackle, Clemson<\/li>\n<li>First round, 30<sup>th<\/sup> overall: <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/01\/28\/deandre-baker-2019-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Deandre Baker<\/strong><\/a>, cornerback, Georgia<\/li>\n<li>Third round, 95<sup>th<\/sup> overall: <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/03\/07\/oshane-ximines-2019-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Oshane Ximines<\/strong><\/a>, defensive end, Old Dominion<\/li>\n<li>Fourth round, 108<sup>th<\/sup> overall: <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/03\/23\/julian-love-2019-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Julian Love<\/strong><\/a>, cornerback, Notre Dame<\/li>\n<li>Fifth round, 143<sup>rd<\/sup> overall: <strong>Ryan Connelly<\/strong>, linebacker, Wisconsin<\/li>\n<li>Fifth round, 171<sup>st<\/sup> overall: <strong>Darius Slayton<\/strong>, wide receiver, Auburn<\/li>\n<li>Sixth round, 180<sup>th<\/sup> overall: <strong>Corey Ballentine<\/strong>, cornerback, Washburn<\/li>\n<li>Seventh round, 232<sup>nd<\/sup> overall: <strong>George Asafo-Adjei<\/strong>, offensive tackle, Kentucky<\/li>\n<li>Seventh round, 245<sup>th<\/sup> overall: <strong>Chris Slayton<\/strong>, defensive tackle, Syracuse<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>New York Giants NFL Draft Grade: 4\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><strong>New York Giants 2019 NFL Draft Review<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3>The Best Player: Deandre Baker<\/h3>\n<p>Not only is <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/01\/28\/deandre-baker-2019-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Deandre Baker<\/strong><\/a> one of the best corners in this draft class, but he also fills a significant hole in the Giants\u2019 roster. Prior to the draft, there were eight corners on the depth chart who might compete to play opposite <strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/J\/JenkJa03.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Janoris Jenkins<\/a><\/strong><\/strong>, but all were pretty decidedly considered backups to the role. Neither <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2018\/06\/08\/sam-beal-nfl-supplemental-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Sam Beal<\/strong><\/a> (this year\u2019s third\u00a0round supplemental pick) nor <strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/L\/LippTo00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tony Lippett<\/a><\/strong><\/strong> has the essential reliable bills of health to fill the left corner role. <strong>James Bettcher<\/strong> has successfully avoided a regretful decision by on-boarding Baker, who started for the Bulldogs beginning in his sophomore year. While he had the opportunity to declare for the draft in 2017 \u00a0(he likely would have gone in the first round then as well), he decided to stick around for his senior season and assist Georgia to the SEC Championship game.<\/p>\n<p>They may have lost, but Baker\u2019s work will long be remembered in Georgia football history. A physical player, fearless of combat, his instincts are top-notch, and he can play both zone and off-man coverage at an elite level. He\u2019ll fit into Bettcher\u2019s scheme perfectly as an edge rusher, playing one-on-one during blitzes for the Giants for years to come. He is definitely a player worth trading up for, and so that we did.<\/p>\n<h3>The Head-Scratcher: Corey Ballentine<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Corey Ballentine<\/strong> is the biggest, but not the only head-scratcher of the Giants draft. At the point in which he was picked, the squad still lacked a requisite at offensive tackle. And Ballentine was not the second, not the third, but the FOURTH corner drafted by the team this year.<\/p>\n<p>Maybe there\u2019s something we don\u2019t know about Ballentine that illuminates his necessity. His resume, at least for a Washburn player, is impressive. He was one of only three NCAA Division II players to be elected to the 2019 Senior Bowl. He is known for his work ethic and highly-valuable character. He\u2019s fast, and has track and field records from school to prove it. But at 5\u201911\u201d and 196 pounds, he\u2019s definitely small for the role and doesn\u2019t have the history of intense competition that is required of a cornerback on a struggling team that has no patience or time to develop less-experienced players.<\/p>\n<h3>The Surprise: George Asafo-Adjei<\/h3>\n<p>Born in the Bronx, it\u2019s no surprise that <strong>George Asafo-Adjei<\/strong> has long dreamed of being a New York Giant. The pick comes as a surprise (particularly to those of us who tuned into all seven rounds of drafting) because it happened so late. It\u2019s no secret that the offensive line has hardcore struggled in recent years, and with <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/M\/MannEl00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Eli Manning<\/a><\/strong> promised to be starting this year, stocking up his crew of protection was an extreme need in this draft.<\/p>\n<p>We could sit here and name better picks for the position until the cows come home, but they didn\u2019t happen. At this point in the draft, we were hoping that the Giants would somehow pick up a new general manager. Asafo-Adjei started 23 times in the 48 games he played at Kentucky, where he won his spot in the lineup as a junior. His size is the most exciting thing about him; at 6\u20195\u201d and 315 pounds, he definitely has the build to do the job. The skills? Well, that\u2019s unclear. He has been called both a tackle and a guard, so where he fits in the lineup is another mystery.<\/p>\n<p>Essentially, Asafo-Adjei (who was projected as a priority free agent) is a stunning pick. With <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/S\/SoldNa00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nate Solder<\/a><\/strong> on his last legs and the right side pretty much solidified between starters and backups, this guy looks more like a depth chart filler than a potential staple in Manning\u2019s barricade.<\/p>\n<h3>The Steal: Julian Love<\/h3>\n<p>The second of three corners drafted by the Giants this weekend, <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/03\/23\/julian-love-2019-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Julian Love<\/strong><\/a> should have gone much earlier than the fourth round. In his three years with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, he produced more effectively than any other corner drafted in the fourth round, and many from the round prior. He was instrumental in Notre Dame\u2019s ride to their second consecutive bowl.<\/p>\n<p>Love\u2019s most rousing quality is his consistency. After making the team as a true freshman, he had a stellar first year, followed by an even more fruitful sophomore season, and then a just as productive final year in 2018. That most recent season, he was named a consensus All-American.<\/p>\n<p>A strong tackler with a knack for getting his hands on the ball, he isn\u2019t afraid to get physical and will be a strong edge rusher, eventually, in the very young, very new Bettcher defense.<\/p>\n<h3>Most Likely to Turn Heads During Training Camp: Daniel Jones<\/h3>\n<p>While the <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/02\/08\/daniel-jones-2019-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Daniel Jones<\/strong><\/a> pick stupefied non-Giants fans, it was less astonishing to those of us well-versed in the Giants\u2019 schemes. Unorthodox, unorganized, and unbelievable are all words well within the office\u2019s vocabulary, and that\u2019s what this selection was. It wasn\u2019t the enlisting of Jones that was so implausible, it was where it happened. Jones easily could have been selected with the prescribed 17<sup>th<\/sup> overall pick, or even possibly with the pick that we traded the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/nfl-teams\/seahawks\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Seattle Seahawks<\/a> for and acquired Baker with. The sheer amount that this draft rating would have changed if a player like <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/02\/06\/josh-allen-2019-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><strong>Josh Allen<\/strong><\/strong><\/a> had been chosen instead proves it is more than risky. Many analysts would have rather had <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/02\/04\/dwayne-haskins-2019-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Dwayne Haskins<\/strong><\/a>, even those of us who <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/04\/17\/shushing-speculations-giants-russell-wilson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">beat those rumors out of the realm of logic<\/a>. But here we are.<\/p>\n<p>Jones will turn heads at training camp. It\u2019s just unclear which way. A solid quarterback leading a basketball school\u2019s team in an elite and challenging conference, it\u2019s not that Jones doesn\u2019t have \u201cthe stuff;\u201d he just hasn\u2019t given us a reason to believe he\u2019s the next Manning (that is, beyond the fact that he looks quite like the brothers, and was trained under the same coach).<\/p>\n<p>Jones is a sturdy tree at 6\u20195\u201d and 220 pounds. He has well-tuned pocket mechanics and is more mobile than Eli. He has leadership qualities and was named the MVP of both bowl games in which he played. In fact, he bears a strange resemblance to <strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/T\/TrubMi00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mitchell Trubisky<\/a><\/strong><\/strong> in his build, combine results for the trials in which both participated, and in the fact that both were said to have been drafted shockingly early. For all we know, Jones could have the \u201cit\u201d factor that Trubisky has. Regardless, there\u2019s definitely something about the quarterback that the Giants know, and their public does not.<\/p>\n<p>And then, there\u2019s the assumed kind of head-turn: the one that puts him behind the G-Men\u2019s broken o-line and is a reaction to watching him deteriorate just like Manning did for the first half of last season. He\u2019s proven scary, with risky throws into double-coverage. He also comes with some trepidation regarding his condition after breaking his collarbone last year. If Jones is indeed the next legacy quarterback of the Giants, they\u2019ll need to turn the paper chain that\u2019s currently blocking away opposing defenses into the Great Wall of East Rutherford, or he\u2019ll be to blame for the losses he leads and receive the <strong>Davis Webb<\/strong> treatment.<\/p>\n<h3>The Rest:<\/h3>\n<p>Defensive tackle was not on the list. It is not, and was not a probing requirement for the Giants\u2019 offseason. With corner in such high need, the selection of <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/03\/20\/dexter-lawrence-2019-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Dexter Lawrence<\/strong><\/a> was pretty uncalled for. Despite his strengths (literally, he had the best bench press trial in the combine of all the defensive linemen who participated), he\u2019s still slated to be behind <strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/T\/TomlDa00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dalvin Tomlinson<\/a><\/strong><\/strong> on the depth chart at nose tackle. Still, it\u2019s hard to be too mad at the pick. His size and stability are of NFL caliber, and he recorded one of the most impressive college campaigns of this class, winning two national championships in his three years at Clemson.<\/p>\n<p>Even less necessary was <strong>Chris Slayton<\/strong>, who was the final Giants selection of the weekend. Syracuse\u2019s senior defensive captain is known for his strength and ability to generate <em>some<\/em> pressure, but he had a pretty inconsistent collegiate career. After redshirting as a freshman, he appeared in all remaining 49 games, providing plenty of tape to make an informed decision on the player\u2019s viability. Still, it\u2019s unlikely he\u2019ll go further than the Giants\u2019 practice squad.<\/p>\n<p>Another Slayton was drafted earlier in the final day. <strong>Darius Slayton<\/strong> was used by the Auburn Tigers pretty exclusively as a deep receiver. He has proven himself able to overcome adversity, namely in a play against LSU in which his facemask was grabbed not a yard away from the sideline and he was still able to make a catch on a deep pass. His speed will prove valuable on the Giants wide receiver crew, which currently boasts less-hasty <strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/S\/ShepSt00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sterling Shepard<\/a><\/strong><\/strong> and <strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/T\/TateGo00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Golden Tate<\/a><\/strong><\/strong> as its starters. Slayton would have undoubtedly been swept up earlier if he\u2019d played within a collegiate system that didn\u2019t hold him back.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/03\/07\/oshane-ximines-2019-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Oshane Ximines<\/strong><\/a> is poised to surprise us, though his career at Old Dominion left words of the defensive end sparse prior to his drafting. The third-round pick brought significant terror to quarterbacks in all four years of college. He\u2019s small, but mighty. He\u2019s rigid, but explosive. A Queens native, Ximines could not be more thrilled with his assignment, and the Giants will be ready to bring out the best in him.<\/p>\n<p>Wisconsin linebacker <strong>Ryan Connelly<\/strong> began his college career as a walk-on, and played each of his 52 games with a vicious rigor, as if the opportunity could be revoked at any time. The cousin of hockey winger <strong>Anders Lee<\/strong>, Connelly is recognized for his awareness of both quarterbacks and targets, and his ability to make quick reads. He may not be the most athletic of the available linebackers in the fifth round, and he is coming off a season-ending surgery. Still, he\u2019s got versatility, and has served well on special teams, which is useful to the Giants.<\/p>\n<p>Main photo:<br \/>\n<a id=\"uwrA8DWaRG91Vc1EEUXSOQ\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1145245758\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'uwrA8DWaRG91Vc1EEUXSOQ',sig:'H-MiVmVe1Gh7xCdroWWspPcVe48NEaDm1q0PszVlNSM=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1145245758',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For the second time under the leadership of Dave Gettleman and Pat Shurmur, the New York Giants entered the 2019 draft with plenty of holes to fill.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2420,"featured_media":64581,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20,1647],"tags":[4688,4700,4885,7416],"class_list":["post-64548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-giants","category-nfl-draft","tag-daniel-jones","tag-deandre-baker","tag-julian-love","tag-new-york-giants-draft"],"modified_by":"David Latham, Managing Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64548","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2420"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64548"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64548\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64581"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64548"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64548"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=64548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}