Daniel Jeremiah mock draft: Tristan Wirfs to Giants after NFL Scouting Combine

The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine is in the books, and it’s kind-of amazing how it can seem interminable and be over in the blink of an eye at the same time.

But with the Combine over and done with, and free agency still on the horizon, it’s time for a new round of mock drafts from the national outlets.

First up is Daniel Jeremiah, former NFL scout and current lead draft analyst for the NFL Network, who released his newest mock draft Monday afternoon.. And as we might have expected, Jeremiah’s prediction for the New York Giants has changed after getting a first-hand view of the 30+ hours of on-field workouts, not to mention conversations with teams behind the scenes.

4) New York Giants
Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa

Lots of good options here, but protecting QB Daniel Jones is the priority.

Raptor’s Thoughts: If you listened to Jeremiah at all over the four days of the broadcast, you saw this pick coming. Not only did he state this exact quote several times, but he was obviously blown away by Wirfs’ athleticism in the measurable events and his work in the positional drills.

Jeremiah seems to have moved Wirfs above Mekhi Becton following the former’s workout. Personally, I believe there is an argument to be made for any of the Big Four — Andrew Thomas, Mekhi Becton, Jedrick Wills Jr., or Tristan Wirfs — to be the first tackle off the board. That being said, Wirfs certainly did put on a show, even for those of us who were expecting one from him.

From a pure roster perspective, Wirfs makes sense as he is a plug-and-play right tackle, who got great coaching at the position at Iowa. And frankly, anyone who says that right tackle isn’t just as important as left tackle needs to wake up and really watch how defense is played in the NFL. There are great rushers on both sides, and defenses will find and attack an offense’s weakness. Back in 2012, Pro Football Focus found that pressure from the right side was having a bigger impact on offenses than pressure on the left (17.3 percent pressure on the offensive right resulted in a sack, as opposed to 15.5 percent on the left). Obviously teams putting inferior tackles on the right would contribute to the difference in sack rates. But it seems like a safe conclusion that there isn’t a significant bias toward either side and teams should invest in both the left and right tackle positions equally.

Jeremiah is right that the Giants need to continue to build their offensive line. Whether that comes in free agency, the first round of the draft, or on Day 2 remains to be seen. But Wirfs certainly made a statement with his performance on the field Friday night.