2019 NFL Draft: New York Giants 7 round mock draft
By Joe Romano
Round 5 – Pick 143
Lukas Denis, S, Boston College
Right now it can be assumed the Giants will be bringing back free agent safety Landon Collins. He is one of the few draft picks the team has hit on in recent years and they cannot afford to let him go. Even with Collins back in the mix, the safety position needs to be addressed in New York. Lukas Denis is a good early Day 3 prospect to keep an eye on.
The Boston College prospect has a smaller frame and the play-style to match. He would be an intriguing partner to Collins. Denis is at his best patrolling the back-end in zones and being a ballhawk. Collins could be the in the box safety to compliment that. Denis needs to work on his tackling, and aggressiveness. However, he has the skill sets that are coveted by defensive coaches. A center fielder type of safety will find a place on an NFL field, even if it is as a sub package player. Denis could fill a role for a Giants defense that will desperately need some help in the secondary.
Round 5 – Pick 144
Chase Hansen, LB, Utah
An area that the New York Giants ignored for years was the linebacker spot. That will change with new general manager David Gettleman in the fold. He already went out and made a move for Alec Ogletree last season. Despite being massively overrated and a sieve on defense, Ogeltree is looked at to provide stability on the second level. The unit as a whole needs some help still.
Chase Hansen of Utah is the type of player they should look at. Hansen is a former safety that bulked up during his time in college. He has solid, but not elite, athleticism despite being a former defensive back. He can recognize run fills well at time but was too often passive attacking the line of scrimmage. He could fit well as a sub-package linebacker for the Giants. Ogletree and his running mate B.J. Goodson are not good enough to be every down players. At bare minimum Hansen offers this team a stud special teamer and someone that can play sparingly for a diverse defense.
Round 5 – Pick 174
Darwin Thompson, RB, Utah State
Everyone knows the Giants spent the number two overall pick on running back Saquon Barkley. Despite that high draft slot, he more than lived up to the hype. Barkley is a do-it-all back who never needs to come off the field. He is the fulcrum of the team’s offense. However, he is still a running back who will need some breaks at time, especially given his work load. That is where Darwin Thompson can come in.
Thompson was a one-year wonder at Utah State. This past season he was a dynamic playmaker who caught as well as he ran. Thompson is a big play machine, averaging seven yards per run and 15 yards per catch. Given his diminutive stature, he will get comparisons to Darren Sproles and Tarik Cohen. Thompson fits that mold, though those two are high praise. New York, if they were smart, could run sets with Thompson and Barkley together, given their acumen as pass catchers. It never hurts to add more weapons to an offense, especially one that could be lead by a rookie quarterback.