CBS Sports releases new three-round mock draft
With free agency underway, mock drafts are likely to change over the next week or so.
However prior to the official start of free agency, CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson released an updated three-round mock draft.
Wilson predicted the Giants bolster their front seven with their two top picks (Nos. 5 and 7 overall) before spending their next three picks on the offensive side of the ball, including two linemen.
Here are Wilson’s latest predictions for the Giants in his three-round mock draft.
Pick for No. 5: Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon
Analysis: “The talk that Thibodeaux doesn’t love football is just that. He proved it during his Oregon career, plus, as one team put it to us: “Maybe we’re overthinking this one.” Bottom line: Thibodeaux has game-changing talents and should be among the first players drafted. The Giants would love OL help here but fixing the DL isn’t a bad backup plan.”
Thibodeaux put together three consecutive strong seasons for the Ducks, which began with an eye-opening freshman campaign in 2019. In 13 games that year, Thibodeaux registered nine sacks and 14 tackles for loss while earning a 77.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. This performance led to him being named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year.
He followed that up with three sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss in seven games in 2020, good for a 78.9 overall grade, and was named First-Team All-Pac-12 and the recipient of the Morris Trophy as the conference’s best defensive lineman. Playing in 10 games as a junior this past season, Thibodeaux had seven sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles. He received an 83.9 overall grade from PFF, including an elite 91.5 pass rush grade, and was once again named First-Team All-Pac-12 along with Unanimous All-American.
For his player comparison, PFF described Thibodeaux as a “rawer Myles Garrett,” while Lance Zierlein compared him to Brian Orakpo.
Pick for No. 7: Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah
Analysis: “The Giants still need OL help but Lloyd is a special talent. We were impressed by him during the ’21 season and nothing changed at the combine. He’s the prototypical off-ball linebacker in today’s NFL (pay no attention to his 4.7-something 40 times — he plays immeasurably faster), and it’s like he was built in a lab. This may seem high but, well, it’s not.”
Lloyd enjoyed three consecutive strong seasons at Utah. After earning a 69.5 during his sophomore campaign in which he registered 6.5 sacks, Lloyd followed that up with an 82.2 in five games during the 2020 season where he totaled two sacks and 10 tackles for loss. He saved his best for his final collegiate season though, receiving an elite 90.2 overall grade. Lloyd got strong marks in all areas of his game, including 88.4 pass rush, 82.0 run defense and 81.8 coverage grade.
The do-it-all linebacker was named First-Team All-Pac-12 in 2020 and 2021. He also earned Consensus All-American honors this past season, along with being selected as the Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year as the top defensive player in the Pac-12.
For his player comparison, PFF described Lloyd as having “shades of Fred Warner,” while Lance Zierlein compared him to Willie Gay.
Pick for No. 36: Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa
Penning is fresh off his strongest season at Northern Iowa in which he started all 12 games at tackle and allowed just one sack, four hits and six hurries on 435 pass block snaps. Penning earned an overall PFF grade of 97.3 in 2021, including an incredibly elite 99.9 run block and 87.0 pass block grade, and was named First-Team All-MVFC. Between 2019 and 2020, Penning surrendered five total sacks on 662 pass block snaps spanning 19 games.
For his player comparison, PFF described Penning as having “shades of Anthony Castonzo,” while Lance Zierlein compared him to Jon Runyan Sr. (size/demeanor) / Riley Reiff (play style).
Pick for No. 67: Chris Paul, OL, Tulsa
Paul played in 10 games in 2021, allowing two sacks, one hit and 12 hurries on 331 pass block snaps. In 20 games between the 2019 and 2020 seasons, Paul surrendered a total of four sacks, eight hits and five hurries. He earned an 83.9 overall PFF grade in 10 games during the 2020 campaign. Paul has experience at left guard, right guard and right tackle while at Tulsa.
Pick for No. 81: Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State
Ruckert has caught a total of 54 passes for 615 yards and 12 touchdowns in 26 games at Ohio State. In five games during the 2020 season, Ruckert caught 13 passes for 151 yards and a career-high five touchdowns, earning a 72.0 overall grade from PFF. He also received a 68.3 run block grade in 2021.
For his player comparison, PFF described Ruckert as having “shades of Blake Bell.”
