When a board-topper like Ja'Lynn Polk slides to pick 183, you do not overthink it, and the Giants did not. Hard to defend, and the D reflects that.
They handed away value on the phones that the picks cannot earn back. They have staked the next five years on Jayden Daniels, which is the only story that really matters here.
The interior defensive lineman spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. The Giants indulged a want in Colson while a need in interior defensive lineman stayed open.
The Milton III pick is the one the value grade keeps tripping over.
Add it up and it is a weekend the front office will hope everyone forgets, interior defensive lineman very much included.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.6
· Pick 6
· Jayden Daniels
· QB
· rank 6
They paid sticker price for Jayden Daniels in slot 6, and that is fine. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
R1.8
· Pick 8
· Rome Odunze
· WR
· rank 10
In No. 8 they get a home-run threat at receiver. Exactly the need they had to hit.
R2.15
· Pick 47
· Tyler Nubin
· S
· rank 40
Tyler Nubin at Round 2, Pick 15 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the safety. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
R2.16
· Pick 48
· Jonathon Brooks
· RB
· rank 48
A straight-up fair deal on Jonathon Brooks at the 48th pick, value and slot in agreement. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
R3.6
· Pick 70
· Olumuyiwa Fashanu
· OT
· rank 8
They barely believed it either: Olumuyiwa Fashanu still on the board at the 70th overall pick. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
R3.7
· Pick 71
· Kris Jenkins
· DL-EDGE
· rank 50
Steal is underselling it; Kris Jenkins at No. 71 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
R3.8
· Pick 72
· Edgerrin Cooper
· LB
· rank 49
They robbed the room for Edgerrin Cooper here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
R3.9
· Pick 73
· Malachi Corley
· WR
· rank 60
Malachi Corley slid further than he should have, and pick No. 73 is lovely value for the wide receiver. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
R3.10
· Pick 74
· Cade Stover
· TE
· rank 74
By-the-book stuff, Cade Stover at slot 74 squarely in line with his ranking. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
R4.6
· Pick 106
· Junior Colson
· LB
· rank 52
A want over a need in the Round 4 slot: Junior Colson adds a linebacker while interior defensive lineman keeps waiting.
R4.7
· Pick 107
· Andru Phillips
· CB
· rank 102
Good price on Andru Phillips in No. 107, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
R4.9
· Pick 109
· Elijah Jones
· CB
· rank 116
No edge and no loss on Elijah Jones in the 109th overall pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. The roster fit checks out.
R5.5
· Pick 141
· Trey Benson
· RB
· rank 87
Trey Benson in the 141st pick is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
R5.10
· Pick 146
· Kitan Oladapo
· S
· rank 154
They paid up for Kitan Oladapo at slot 146 when waiting would have done the job. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
R6.8
· Pick 183
· Ja'Lynn Polk
· WR
· rank 73
A top-tier wide receiver at a bargain, Ja'Lynn Polk in pick 183, plain and simple. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
R6.12
· Pick 187
· Joe Milton III
· QB
· rank 199
A premium they did not need to pay, Joe Milton III a notch or two before his time. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
