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Senior Bowl practices are this week, which means one thing, NFL Draft season is officially upon us. In return, the mock drafts have begun to flood in. With fans and NFL personnel turning their intentions towards the potential influx of talent they could be adding to their rosters next season, the mock draft has become a near right of passage to help fans better gauge how front offices and scouts truly feel about a prospect. Although mostly, it’s just for fun.
One of the more prevalent draft minds in all of football, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, kicked off his draft season with his Mock Draft 1.0 on Tuesday, and there is quite frankly a ton of head-turning selections in this mock, but arguably none more than who he has come off the board to the New York Giants in the first round.
Daniel Jeremiah: Giants Select OT Mekhi Becton 4th Overall
If you’ve circulated NFL mock drafts over recent weeks, then you know there’s been three prevalent names constantly attached to the New York Giants. Alabama’s Jedrick Wills Jr., Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons, and Andrew Thomas of Georgia all seem like ideal fits for Big Blue, as they would fill a need while adding an influx of talent to the roster.
Yet, in Daniel Jeremiah’s Mock Draft 1.0, despite all three of the names listed above still being on the board, Jeremiah made a selection straight out of left field, giving the Giants University of Louisville offensive Tackle Meki Becton with the fourth overall selection.
Here’s what Jeremiah had to say about his reasoning behind this choice, some of which is fairly reasonable.
Dave Gettleman loves big, physical football players, and they don’t get any bigger than Becton (listed at 6-foot-7, 369 pounds). He is a mauler in the run game, and he’s shockingly nimble in pass protection.
Experts’ Opinion on Louisville’s Mekhi Becton Differ Greatly
Jeremiah makes some solid points in his idea behind the selection. Gettleman’s infatuation with what he describes as “hog mollies” is well documented. However, the fact that Jeremiah opted for this specific hog mollie is the head-scratching part.
Becton is a 6’7”, nearly 370 pound mammoth of a man. He’s been lauded for his top-tier strength and his exceptional movement ability for a player of his size. Still, he’s been viewed as more of a second-round prospect by many. One who could sneak his way in to the latter part of the first round if a run on tackles ensues.
For instance, Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller released a mock draft of his own just a few days ago. In Miller’s mock, he had Jedrick Wills Jr. pegged to the Giants at fourth overall, a very common selection in the mock draft world. Yet, Miller didn’t even have Becton coming off the board in the first round. In fact, in Miller’s most up-to-date Big Board, Becton is seeded as the ninth-best offensive tackle on his big board and his 99th-overall best player in the draft.
The difference in the current evaluation of Becton from these two draft experts is certainly concerning. Offensive tackle is most definitely a need for Big Blue, but one that the Giants may be best served filling with a free agent or another prospect rather than the one Jeremiah opted for.
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