It’s fun to joke that it’s always Draft Season.
But this time of year draft prep is usually getting familiar with some of the top prospects before the college football season starts. Even then, the first game is still a month and a half away. In 2018 we had something of a unique case when the NFL’s supplemental draft had several intriguing prospects. The New York Giants ultimately put in the winning bid on cornerback Sam Beal out of Western Michigan.
But intriguing college prospects becoming available in July is not the norm. Usually when players declare for the supplemental draft, they have significant warts. But for the second year in a row, we have multiple intriguing prospects in the supplemental draft in West Virginia wide receiver Marcus Simms and Washington State safety Jalen Thompson
Simms excelled on vertical routes and with the ball in his hands for WVU, could the Giants look to add that explosiveness to their offense?
Measurables
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 188 pounds
40-yard Dash: 4.45sec (unofficial)
Pros
- Wastes little motion releasing off the line of scrimmage.
- Generally sharp cuts.
- Shows good long speed.
- Reliable hands.
- Shows a knack for separating and winning on deep routes.
- Slippery and creative runner with the ball in his hands.
- Capable kick and punt returner
Cons
- Only average size.
- Willing blocker, but needs to improve technique.
- Ran a limited route tree in WVU’s offense.
- Played in a wide-open offense and a conference lacking many good defenses.
Numbers Of Note
(2017 and 2018 seasons)
Catches: 79
Yards: 1,362 (17.2 yards per catch)
Touchdowns: 7
Kick Returns: 41 returns, 992 yards (24.2 per return)
Punt Returns: 23 returns, 157 yards (6.8 per return)
Prospect Video
What They’re Saying
Simms will have an inside shot to make an NFL roster as a rookie because he has a clear trait that not many receivers in the world can do: consistently win down the field. Additionally, he’ll be upgraded because of his ability on special teams.
Since I know that you’re going to ask for his player comparison, Simms reminds me of Kenny Stills coming out of Oklahoma. He’s worth the price of a Supplemental Draft pick.
- Brad Kelly (The Draft Network)
Why Should The Giants Be Interested
Put simply, the Giants’ offense needs a deep threat.
They could use Evan Engram and Saquon Barkley to attack defenses down the field, but the Giants showed little willingness to do so in 2018. Instead the Giants seem to be using the same strategy for wide receiver that they are for defensive back: Throw a veritable horde of players at the position and see who sticks.
Cody Latimer seems like the most likely candidate to get the first crack at the third receiver job, but he has yet to distinguish himself. Likewise, Corey Coleman has blazing speed, but has never lived up to his first round pedigree as a receiver — though his ability as a kick returner will likely secure a roster spot. Darius Slayton is a height, weight, speed freak, but is also a rookie and hails from an offense that is closer to high school than the NFL.
The Giants have options for a deep threat, but its also possible that for one reason or another, none of them will pan out. So if the Giants have decided to go for a volume approach, putting in a bid on a player who is proven to be able to win on deep routes and create big plays with the ball in his hand isn’t a bad move.
One way or another, they need to find a way to force defenses into playing light boxes, or make them pay for sacking the tackle box. Putting in a bid on Simms could give them one more option to help make life easier for Saquon Barkley.