NFL Mock Draft 2020: Way-too-early look at projected first round
The Giants finally nabbed their eventual Eli Manning replacement, though the selection was met with much scorn. New York capped off a tumultuous offseason that saw them let defensive captain Landon Collins walk and trades that sent Odell Beckham and Oliver Vernon packing by making a baffling first round selection.
The Giants passed on Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins to instead select Duke’s Daniel Jones in what might go down as one of the worst first round picks in the history of the NFL Draft. Regardless of your feelings about Jones, the only way to give him a fair shake will be to bulk up his offensive line and keep him upright.
It was surprising after they picked up Jones that they didn’t bolster their offensive line with some of their later picks. It’s a near certainty that the Giants will be one of the worst teams in the NFL again in 2019, so they should be in a good position to grab a top offensive tackle in the 2020 class.
It was a down year for offensive linemen, but if some top underclassmen declare next year the class should be loaded with talent. Stanford’s Walker Little might ultimately be the top tackle in the class. He has excellent size and physical tools at 6-foot-7 and 313 pounds. He’s a mauler in the run game and has protected K.J. Costello’s blind side effectively.
Little was an All PAC-12 first team member as a sophomore, and will be a preseason All-American across the variety of outlets. Another strong season in Palo Alto should lead to him foregoing his senior season and entering the draft.