Giants, Jets, NFL Draft

Giants Add Great Guys to Patrick Graham's Defense in the 2nd and 3rd Round

Night Two! Both rounds two and three have concluded for the New York Giants. 

After trading down in round two, from 42 to 50 with Miami, Big Blue landed Georgia LB Azeez Ojulari. Then in round 3, New York traded up with Denver to select UCF Cornerback, Aaron Robinson. Let's decipher these picks and what they mean for Patrick Graham's defense in 2021.

Azeez Ojulari, LB, Georgia

Most consider Ojulari the best pass rusher in this draft. Ojulari weighs in at 6-foot-3 and 240 lbs, and he had 8.5 sacks this past season. He has an insanely broad chest, and with that has the ability to stop offensive linemen effectively. There is a knee issue that some teams were concerned about, which was the main reason he dropped out of the first round.

Ojulari works the 3-4 defense on the outside, which fits very well with Patrick Graham's style. Ojulari has an incredible twitch with his upper body, and with that his ability to shed blocks is outstanding. He can change direction very easily and can adapt well as a play develops.

It's important to note that Ojulari was the first freshman in the Kirby Smart era to be named team captain in his freshman year. He shows great football character, plus coached and teammates have nothing but great things to say about his humble personality.

Ojulari still does need to mature as an NFL football player. He has a limited number of moves when he rushes, and that is something most elite pass rushers possess. He is also slightly undersized, but we don't know family genes, so there is a good chance he will gain weight.

Overall this pick is a solid choice for New York. He's aggressive on the field which is very fitting for this particular coaching staff, and he has great character off the field and can become an immediate leader for this defense.

Aaron Robinson, CB, UCF

This pick makes New York's cornerback room stacked as Robinson joins James Bradberry and Adoree Jackson.

From 2019 to 2020 Robinson showed great improvement with his tackling ability, and this shows his want to adapt and learn. He has great agility and his feet are insanely fast.

As a CB they need to have great field awareness, especially the routes receivers are running, and he has that. Post-catch Robinson usually positions himself in a favorable spot towards the football.

He would probably be best covering slot receivers. When covering home run hitters, he can lose track of the receiver, meaning he will overrun him. When this happens, the receiver can run a comeback and catch Robinson off guard.

Robinson needs to be developed, but he is a really nice prospect. Patrick Graham will have fun developing this kid for sure.

Sadie Frank