Why the Giants should, and shouldn’t, go after these players in the draft

Why the Giants should go after a linebacker:

Isaiah Simmons is a stud. The hype of his athleticism reminds me of his potential future teammate Jabrill Peppers. Peppers was one of the best pure athletes win his draft class, and he if finally playing up to what he was supposed to be.

But Simmons played 100+ snaps at five different positions last year at Clemson. His two highest were 299 snaps at inside linebacker, and 262 snaps at slot corner. He runs a 4.39 second 40-yard dash. To put that into perspective, Michael Thomas runs a 4.59, Mike Evans runs a 4.53, Odell Beckham, Jr. runs a 4.43. Kenny Golladay runs a 4.40. He runs faster than every tight end in the NFL since Vernon Davis, who ran a 4.38 in 2006, the fastest by a tight end ever.

Simmons would be plugged in at outside linebacker. His coverage ability is great, and he can lock up tight ends better than any Giant linebacker has in a while. He can play anywhere, and could also be the best option to get to the quarterback, too.

Why the Giants shouldn’t go after a linebacker:

“Shouldn’t” is a very loose term here — it has been throughout this entire article, but it rings especially true here. No one should be advised to stay away from Simmons. But the Giants linebacker core is decent. Newcomer Blake Martinez is a nice improvement over Alec Ogletree, and Martinez is reunited with his defensive coordinator from linebackers coach in 2018.

David Mayo, whose PFF grade last year was a 72.8, re-signed for a bargain. He signed a three-year extension worth $8.4 million. To compare, Nick Kwiatkowski (72.6) signed a three-year, $21 million contract. If David Mayo can improve his coverage ability, Simmons may not be necessary.