Instant reaction: Cesar Ruiz to New York Giants at No. 36 as BBV community mock draft concludes

The results are in for the New York Giants at No. 36 in the now-concluded Big Blue View Community Mock Draft. Our voters have selected Michigan center Cesar Ruiz for the Giants in Round 2, with 62 percent (1,732) of the 2,797 voters tabbing Ruiz.

Boise State offensive tackle Ezra Cleveland was selected 885 times (32 percent).

Our voters selected Isaiah Simmons with the fourth overall pick, giving the Giants a hybrid defender and a potential starting center with their two picks.

This might not be a surprise, but I don’t like it.

In all honesty, my dislike is still more about the selection of Simmons at No. 4 than Ruiz at 36. I figured Ruiz would be the pick, mocked him to the Giants with this pick on a number of occasions and in the right circumstance could easily support his selection at No. 36.

You know where I’m going with this. The problem with this draft is that for me the bare minimum responsibility for the Giants in this draft is to come away with someone they KNOW can be a starting right tackle in the 2020 season, if not a player who could eventually swing to the left side.

I get the excitement about Simmons. I get that center is a need, too, and that Ruiz is the top center on most draft boards. Both players happen to be good value at the spots where the Giants draft, and both would help the Giants get better. Ruiz, though, can’t block edge rushers.

The problem for me is that the Giants drafted Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley in the first rounds of the last two drafts, and this draft does nothing to address the offensive tackle spot that was — and still appears to be — the biggest issue on offense.

With all of the quality, starting-caliber offensive tackles available in this draft it really is a dereliction of duty in my view if the Giants don’t come away with one. If the Giants have to wait until the 99th pick (near the end of Round 3) or later, the best they are going to end up with is a developmental tackle who should not be counted on to make a significant 2020 contribution.

Maybe they could get lucky. Maybe Nick Gates or Cameron Fleming can do the job at right tackle and a mid-round tackle like Prince Tega Wanogho, Matt Peart, or Saahdiq Charles can be drafted and developed into a 2021 starter. Maybe Ruiz will be a terrific player and will anchor the line for a decade. Maybe Simmons will be an All-Pro.

Maybe. Then again, maybe edge rushers will spend the next couple of years wrecking the careers of Jones and Barkley because the Giants haven’t fixed that problem.

That’s a gamble I would rather not take.

The picks

No. 1 (Cincinnati Bengals) — Joe Burrow, QB, LSU

No. 2 (Washington Redskins) — Chase Young, EDGE, Ohio State

No. 3 (Detroit Lions) — Jeffrey Okudah, CB, Ohio State

No. 4 (New York Giants) — Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson

No. 5 (Miami Dolphins) — Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

No. 6 (LA Chargers) — Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon

No. 7 (Carolina Panthers) — Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn

No. 8 (Arizona Cardinals) — Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa

No. 9 (Jacksonville Jaguars) — Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama

No. 10 (Cleveland Browns) — Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville

No. 11 (New York Jets) — Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama

No. 12 (Las Vegas Raiders) — CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma

No. 13 (San Francisco 49ers) — Henry Ruggs, WR, Alabama

No. 14 (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) — Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia

No. 15 (Denver Broncos) — Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina

No. 16 (Atlanta Falcons) — K’Lavon Chaisson, EDGE, LSU

No. 17 (Dallas Cowboys) — C.J. Henderson, CB, Florida

No. 18 (Miami Dolphins) — Josh Jones, OT, Houston

No. 19 (Las Vegas Raiders) — Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma

No. 20 (Jacksonville Jaguars) — Jordan Love QB, Utah State

No. 21 (Philadelphia Eagles) — Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU

No. 22 (Minnesota Vikings) — Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU

No. 23 (New England Patriots) — Zack Baun, LB, Wisconsin

No. 24 (New Orleans Saints) — Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU

No. 25 (Minnesota Vikings) — Yetur Gross-Matos, EDGE, Penn State

No. 26 (Miami Dolphins) — Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama

No. 27 (Seattle Seahawks) — A.J. Epenesa, EDGE, Iowa

No. 28 (Baltimore Ravens) — Patrick Queen, LB, LSU

No. 29 (Tennessee Titans) — Austin Jackson, OT, USC

No. 30 (Green Bay Packers) — Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor

No. 31 (San Francisco 49ers) — A.J. Terrell, CB, Clemson

No. 32 (Kansas City Chiefs) — D’Andre Swift, RB, Georgia

Round 2

No. 33 (Cincinnati Bengals) — Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama

No. 34 (Indianapolis Colts) — Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State

No. 35 (Detroit Lions) — Ross Blacklock, DT, TCU

No. 36 (New York Giants) — Cesar Ruiz, C, Michigan