2016 NFL Draft: Four-round New York Giants mock draft

Hey, another mock draft! Whooooo-who! Anyway, yours truly had a little time Wednesday morning so I fiddled around with the "Fanspeak" mock draft simulator. I haven't posted the results of any of these simulated mocks in recent weeks, so I thought I would toss this one out there for discussion.

Truth is, this mock didn't turn out anywhere near my expectations past Round 1. Beyond the second round, I'm not even sure I'm happy with it. I was hoping for some combination of a corner, safety, or a bigger outside wide receiver, but I used the CBS Sports draft board and the values weren't there when it was my turn to pick.

Thing is, this mock turns out to be an example of how you can have a plan when you begin something like this, but how you have to adjust on the fly based on what happens around you.

Round 1 (No. 10) -- Ronnie Stanley, OT, Notre Dame

You knew I would do this, right? Stanley is the consensus No. 1 offensive tackle in the draft behind Laremy Tunsil of Ole Miss, and whether he plays left or right tackle he should complete the offensive line. He would give the Giants four young linemen (five if Bobby Hart wins the right guard job). In this mock, Stanley is also the highest remaining non-quarterback on the board.

In this simulation, cornerback Vernon Hargreaves (No. 6, Baltimore Ravens), defensive end Shaq Lawson (No. 9, Tampa Bay Buccaneers), and running back Ezekiel Elliott (No. 8, Philadelphia Eagles) are all off the board.

There is only one other player -- Georgia linebacker Leonard Floyd -- that I gave serious consideration to here. Some don't believe Floyd, No. 24 on this big board and No. 20  on the Big Blue View Consensus Big Board, is a top 10 pick. Charlie Campbell of Walter Football told Pat Traina and I during Tuesday's Big Blue Chat podcast that there are teams picking ahead of the Giants who are considering Floyd, so he may not even last to 10. In all honesty, the closer we get to the draft the more I start to believe the Giants will have a difficult time passing on Floyd if he remains on the board.

Others passed on: WR Laquon Treadwell, OLB Darron Lee

Round 2 (No. 40) -- Kevin Dodd, DE, Clemson

In all honesty, I consider Day 2 a "sweet spot" to select a wide receiver, and there were several here to choose from. Had I gone in that direction, I would likely have taken Michael Thomas of Ohio State. I could not, however, pass on Dodd. That is partially a nod to our Big Board, which has Dodd ranked No. 11. It is also, however, a nod to the reality that even with what the Giants have done this offseason there is plenty of room for another pass-rushing defensive end as well as the fact that Dodd has the height, weight, arm length, and athleticism the Giants covet at the position.

Others passed on: WR Corey Coleman, DE Jonathan Bullard, WR Michael Thomas, OT Jason Spriggs, OT Germain Ifedi, CB Kendall Fuller, S Vonn Bell

Round 3 (No. 71) -- Pharoh Cooper, WR, South Carolina

Truth is, I would have preferred a bigger wide receiver in this spot, a guy who clearly an outside receiver. The 5-foot-11, 203-pound Cooper isn't that. He is, however, a player compared to Randall Cobb of the Green Bay Packers. First, we know how good Cobb turned out to be and second we know what team Ben McAdoo used to work for. Those things make me believe Cooper is a guy the Giants would be interested in if the draft were to fall this way.

Others passed on: S Jeremy Cash, WR Sterling Shepard, OLB Su'a Cravens, RB Kenneth Dixon

Round 4 (No. 109) -- Nick Vannett, TE, Ohio State

In no way, shape, or form did I ever expect to end up with three offensive players in my four picks. I also did not anticipate selecting a tight end. Again, though, there simply wasn't a defensive player on the board at this point who I considered a value. Will Tye impressed as a pass-catcher last season, but the Giants could still use a versatile tight end who can catch, block, play inline, in the slot, or as an H-Back. Vannett offers that potential. As much as I really wanted defense here, he was the best value on the board in my opinion.

Others passed on: RB Alex Colins, RB, Jonathan Williams, OLB Kyler Fackrell, WR Leonte Carroo