4-round mock draft simulation: New York Giants select Montez Sweat No. 6

Over the pat year or so The Draft Network has become an absolute go-to site for information about NFL Draft prospects. Now that TDN ha launched its own mock draft tool the site will become even more addicting.

As we swing into the Pro Day portion of the draft process, let’s use TDN’s mock draft tool to come up with a four-round mock for your New York Giants.

Let me preface by saying a couple of things. First, I will try to do this mock the way I think the Giants will approach the real draft, so these will be picks I think the Giants would actually make. Second, the depth of my knowledge of draft prospects still pales in comparison to that of BBV contributors Chris Pflum and Dan Pizzuta, as well as quarterback guru Mark Schofield.

With that in mind, let’s have at it. I will be using The Draft Network’s Predictive Big Board.

Round 1 (No. 6) — Montez Sweat, EDGE, Mississippi State

Left on the board: QB Kyler Murray, QB Dwayne Haskins, LB Devin White, DE Rashan Gary, EDGE Brian Burns, DL Ed Oliver, OT Jonah Williams

Both Jon Ledyard and Kyle Crabbs of The Draft Network project Sweat as a better fit as a 4-3 defensive end. Despite the Giants theoretically being a base 3-4 defense I was told after the Senior Bowl that the Giants “love” Sweat. That isn’t going to change after he blew up the Combine.

I left both Murray and Haskins on the board, and I know that will have people screaming at me. Remember, though, I said I was going to try and do what I thought the Giants would do. First, it’s ridiculous that Murray was still on the board at No. 6. That’s not happening in real life. Second, I’m just not convinced yet that the Giants believe Haskins is their guy.

Also, I didn’t go for offensive tackle Jonah Williams for the simple reason that I believe the Giants are going to sign a starting-caliber offensive tackle in free agency.

Round 2 (No. 37) — Daniel Jones, QB, Duke

Left on the board: Drew Lock, QB, Missouri; Dalton Risner, OT, Kansas State; Jeffrey Simmons, DL, Mississippi State; Dexter Lawrence, DL, Clemson; Greg Little, OT, Ole Miss, Deionte Thompson, S, Alabama

GM Dave Gettleman has said that he believes that to get a franchise quarterback you probably have to get him in Round 1. I believe, though, the way this draft class sets up the Giants could look to throw a proverbial QB dart against the wall here in Round 2. In the real draft, if both Lock and Jones are sitting there late in Round 1, Gettleman might be tempted to try and get back into the round to grab one of them.

I took Jones here simply because there has been more Jones to the Giants buzz than Lock to the Giants buzz. That’s not a scouting report or personal preference, just a reaction to the draft rumor mill.

In the real draft, I also wonder if Jarrett Stidham of Auburn will get consideration from the Giants here if Lock and Jones are off the board.

Round 3 — Forfeited

Giants chose cornerback Sam Beal in the NFL Supplemental Draft.

Round 4 (No. 108) — Dennis Daley, OT, South Carolina

At this point, the TDN board was filled with running backs and wide receivers. That was perfect, since it allowed me to look just a little bit deeper and find a nice hog mollie to add to the Giants’ collection.

Round 4 (No. 132) — DaMarkus Lodge, WR, Mississippi

I passed on a couple of other receivers and Miami cornerback Michael Jackson here. We have often discussed the Giants’ need for an additional wide receiver. I’m grabbing one here in the 6-foot-1, 199-pound Lodge.

TDN’s Jon Ledyard says:

DaMarkus Lodge is the least heralded of the three Ole Miss wide receivers, but if you told me in a few years he’d be the best of the group, I wouldn’t be surprised. Lodge is the most polished and pro-ready of the trio, from his bevy of releases against press coverage to his body control along the boundary and his blocking on the perimeter. The peak plays from Lodge are incredible, due to both his exceptional ball skills and blazing speed, but he has to become a more consistent finisher in the air and cut down on the drops. There will also be a learning curve for him as a route runner thanks to Ole Miss’ system, but Lodge has all the traits and refined technique to reach a tremendous peak in the NFL.

Overall thoughts

I did not do the final three rounds. In this scenario, I would think those final rounds would lean heavily toward defensive players. In fact, I entered the fourth round fully expecting to nab at least one defensive player. The value just didn’t work out that way, at least in my view.

TDN’s mock draft tool

I really like this mock tool. It is very smooth and easy to use. You don’t even have to click a button to start a new round, the tool simply rolls to your next selection. Also, the mock draft tool gives you clickable pop-up scouting reports to help you both learn about players and make your decisions. The only thing I didn’t like was the inability to make trades. I’ve reached out to the folks at TDN to find out whether or not signing up for an account gives you that flexibility.

Mock draft tracker

Let’s finish this off with an update of our mock draft tracker. There are 32 mocks currently listed, with 22 (68.8 percent) giving the Giants Haskins at No. 6. The SB Nation flagship mock draft tracker has roughly the same result, with 64 percent choosing Haskins.