Todd McShay mock draft gives Florida TE Kyle Pitts to the Giants

The the draft process is in full swing with the last football of the 2020 season played. The big outlets are releasing a new round of mock drafts in the wake of Super Bowl LV and the 2021 NFL draft order being set.

ESPN draft expert Todd McShay released his new mock draft on Wednesday morning, and it has a familiar name for the New York Giants.

11. New York Giants

Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida

With the top three wide receivers and top two cornerbacks off the board, filling those needs would mean significant reaches for the Giants here. Offensive line could be in play, as could the edge rush. But if Pitts is still there at No. 11, it'd be really hard for New York to do anything but add the 6-6 speedy and versatile matchup nightmare. Giants tight end Evan Engram has missed 14 games over four years and will be a free agent after next season. In the meantime, the Giants could enjoy a fantastic duo at tight end -- Pitts is versatile enough to play with Engram and be moved around the formation -- and provide quarterback Daniel Jones with a playmaker.

Raptor's Thoughts

My feelings on Kyle Pitts in general, and Pitts to the Giants should be fairly well known by now, and the usual caveat applies.

That is, if the Giants can bring themselves to not view Pitts as a tight end, or even as a hybrid tight end, and rather as a receiving weapon first and foremost, this could be a home run pick. However, the Giants have historically had a hard time making use of hybrid tight ends and keep employing them as traditional tight ends who are blockers and safety outlets first and receiving weapons third.

If the Giants can use Pitts the way he should be used, he can be a dynamic weapon and a legitimate difference maker for the offense. If they default to him lining up in-line and playing a traditional TE role, they should look elsewhere.

It’s also worth noting that in this mock draft the top three receivers (Ja’Marr Chase, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle) went at sixth, seventh, and eighth overall. It also has Patrick Surtain II and Caleb Farley go over the next two picks.

So with that in mind, if the Giants aren’t going to take full advantage of Pitts’ skillset, they should look at Penn State LB Micah Parsons (yes, there are character concerns, but I can’t speak to that and it’s a matter for the Giants’ investigators), or South Carolina CB Jaycee Horn.

But in a vacuum, Kyle Pitts could be a fantastic pick for the Giants.

Elsewhere in the NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles - Ja’Marr Chase (WR, LSU)
Dallas Cowboys - Caleb Farley (CB, Virginia Tech)
Washington Football Team - Mac Jones (QB, Alabama) - Trade to 14th overall

Note: This is the second mock draft in a row that has Mac Jones going to Washington. That’s probably a clue as to what these draft experts are hearing behind the scenes.