NFL Draft 2020: Grading every pick for New York Giants

Grading each pick of what was a very productive first draft of the Joe Judge era for the New York Giants. Which pick graded the highest?

The first draft with the duo of head coach Joe Judge and general manager Dave Gettleman is in the books for the New York Giants.

New York filled several pressing needs on their roster, adding three offensive linemen, four linebackers and three defensive backs.

The Giants have earned high marks from most draft experts and when looking at all 10 of their picks, it makes sense as to why.

Here’s a grade for each of New York’s 10 newest players.

Round 1, Andrew Thomas: A

Georgia‘s Andrew Thomas was rated by many as the top offensive tackle in this year’s draft. New York wisely made him the first offensive lineman off the board to fill their need for a starting right tackle. The Jacobs Blocking Trophy winner has a high ceiling and should be a starter for a long-time in the Meadowlands.

Round 2, Xavier McKinney: A+

In perhaps the steal of the draft, the Giants landed the draft’s top-ranked safety Xavier McKinney in the second-round. McKinney earned first-team SEC honors in 2019 at Alabama and will likely become New York’s starting free safety in 2020. This pick should prove to be a great one for the Giants as they continue to patch up their depleted secondary.

Round 3, Matt Peart: B

The Giants continued to revamp their offensive line by taking 6’7 offensive tackle Matt Peart out of UCONN. This felt like a future move for the Giants as Nate Solder‘s contract is too large to trade or sit on the bench. While Peart has all the tools to develop into a starting left tackle, it’ll likely be some time before he sees the field and by passing up on some-win now options at wide receiver, the grade for this pick takes a slight hit.

Round 4, Darnay Holmes: A

New York found a playmaker with their fourth-round selection of UCLA corner Darnay Holmes. Holmes grabbed eight interceptions and defended 17 passes. He also will likely be used as a kick returner as he averaged 23.1 yards per return over his three college seasons and took a kick back to the house for a touchdown in 2018. His versatility should pay off for the Giants who look to find creative ways to win ball-games.

Round 5, Shane Lemieux: B+

The Giants took a third offensive lineman in round five with Oregon guard Shane Lemieux. Lemieux was named Second-team All-Pac-12 in both 2018 and 2019 and earned the reputation as one of the more physical linemen in the league. The only downside for the Giants is he plays guard where they have two solidified starters. Thus, if their experiment to cross-train Lemieux at center fails it could turn out to be a regrettable pick.

Round 6, Cameron Brown: B+

New York began to address their pass-rush late in the draft, starting with Penn State‘s Cameron Brown. Brown underperformed in college, only recording 4.5 sacks in four seasons. He did, however, make 14.5 tackles for loss and force four fumbles. The upside of this pick is that Brown will continue to be coached by his college defensive line coach Sean Spencer who was hired by the Giants earlier this offseason. While a tall receiver could’ve been a wise pick here, taking a flyer of Brown is of low-risk and could have a high reward.

Round 7, Carter Coughlin: A+

In perhaps one of the best value picks of the entire draft, the Giants landed Minnesota edge rusher Carter Coughlin with their first of four seventh-round picks. In four seasons with the Gophers, Coughlin made 22.5 sacks with 40 tackles for a loss. To find a gem like Coughlin early in round-seven is huge for a Giants team looking for answers from their pass-rush.

Round 7, T.J. Brunson: A

The Giants made another value pick with their second, seventh-round selection with the addition of South Carolina middle linebacker T.J. Brunson. Brunson made 283 total tackles, including 106 with four sacks in 2018. Having been productive in the Southeastern Conference, a late selection of Brunson was a wise investment by Gettleman and company.

Round 7, Chris Williamson: B-

New York added a second Golden Gopher later in the seventh round with the selection of cornerback Chris Williamson. Williamson kicked off his college career at Florida before transferring to Minnesota for his final two college seasons. He grabbed an interception and defended three passes in 2019. Late in the draft, this pick is of good value, but having already taken a corner earlier in the draft, it could’ve been used to address other needs.

Round 7, Tae Crowder: A-

With the final pick of the 2020 Draft, the New York Giants made Georgia linebacker Tae Crowder Mr. Irrelevant. The inside linebacker made 122 total tackles for the Bulldogs, including a career-high 62 in 2019. Taking an SEC linebacker is never a bad idea, especially late in the draft. Thus, there’s not much to dislike here.