The Giants
earned rave reviews for their recently completed draft. The acclaim was as much for the haul of 2022 picks they acquired by trading back in the first round (Bears’ 2022 first- and fourth-round picks) and second round (Dolphins’ 2022 third-round pick). But the Giants also added a six-member class that includes players who will be expected to contribute immediately.
As the Giants prepare for their rookie minicamp, which begins on Friday, here’s a deeper look at their six picks via
Dane Brugler’s draft guide, Bob McGinn’s scouting series and my conversation with an executive from another team. Additionally, I included my projection for each rookie’s role this season.
WR Kadarius Toney
First round • No. 20 overall
Height: 6-0 • Weight: 193
College: Florida • Age: 22
Brugler’s scouting report (No. 4 WR, No. 28 overall): A one-year starter at Florida, Toney lined up across the formation in head coach Dan Mullen’s offense, seeing snaps in the backfield, slot and outside. A former high school quarterback, he was listed as an “athlete” on the Gators roster and battled injuries and transition issues his first three seasons before leading Florida in receptions and receiving yards as a senior. A loose, elastic athlete, Toney routinely makes the first man miss with special start/stop twitch, frustrating would-be tacklers and creating explosive plays. Though he is an improved route runner, he remains a work in progress with his steps and tempo, and his freelancing will backfire at times. Overall, Toney is still more of a gadget player than a polished receiver (and his off-field and durability will be debated in war rooms), but he boasts the one-step burst, body balance and underrated toughness to be a big-play ignitor. He projects as a versatile NFL weapon on offense and special teams.
Scouts’ takes (No. 5 WR): Pros: “That dude’s explosive. He’s got 10-yard acceleration like (Tyreek) Hill.” … “He’s a matchup nightmare for a defense as a slot. He’s got excellent ball skills and feel for the position. He’s strong and competitive with the ball in his hands. In the right system that takes huge advantage of the slot wide receiver, he offers a lot.” Cons: “On green-yellow-red, he’s a yellow (on character concerns).” … “If I’m looking at him through the eyes of a quarterback, I think he’s kind of hard to read. He does so much shake and bake that you don’t know if he’s going left, right or sitting down. Not to take away from his creativity, but to play within a scheme, you’ve got to stay within your own area with your route. This guy is a little all over the map.”
Executive’s take: The executive said Toney had character red flags on his team’s draft board.
“I don’t think he’s a bad kid, I just don’t think it’s necessarily clean,” the executive said. “There’s multiple reasons why it could go wrong. They could be football reasons or they could potentially be off-the-field reasons, too. I don’t know if it’s an automatic buy-in. There’s some qualities to him where he has to trust the coaching staff and if that trust gets burned at all or he feels like for whatever reason he can’t trust his position coach, there’s going to be issues.”
A former high school quarterback, Toney had a breakout senior season, catching 70 passes for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns after totaling just 50 catches, 606 yards and two touchdowns in his first three seasons. He is electric with the ball in his hands but is unpolished as a receiver.
“I don’t think it’s necessarily teaching him how to run routes, which there certainly is going to be a transition for him and he’s certainly more athlete and weapon than he is a refined receiver,” the executive said. “You’re going to have a plan for him on the field. It took him four years to get on the field at Florida for multiple reasons.”
Projected 2021 role: Toney will have a role on offense and as a returner immediately. His offensive role may be smaller than some expect initially as he develops into a more polished receiver, but the Giants will find ways to get him the ball.
Edge Azeez Ojulari
Second round • No. 50 overall
Height: 6-2 • Weight: 249
College: Georgia • Age: 20
Brugler’s scouting report (No. 1 Edge, No. 16 overall): A two-year starter at Georgia, Ojulari lined up as the Jack linebacker in head coach Kirby Smart’s 3-3-5 base scheme, standing up and rushing with his hand on the ground. After a promising redshirt freshman campaign, he was one of the best pass rushers in the SEC in 2020, leading the conference in sacks, tackles for loss and forced fumbles. Ojulari senses how blockers want to attack him and is very skilled at using his burst/bend to attack their outside shoulder, greasing the corner and detaching from blocks with his violent hands. While he lacks elite size for the position, that shouldn’t limit his NFL ceiling if he continues to diversify his approach and develop his counters. Overall, Ojulari is an instinctive and explosive athlete with the dip-and-rip cornering skills and scheme versatility to become an impact NFL pass rusher. He projects as a younger version of Yannick Ngakoue.
Scouts’ takes (No. 5 Edge): Pros: “He’s athletic and quick with a good get-off. He can get on an edge. He runs well.” Cons: “They played him at end and off the ball, and he gets beat up wherever he is. You love the way he plays, but he’s a little guy. His pass rush is just effort. That’s really what he’s got. I don’t have a role for him.”
Executive’s take: Ojulari was projected to be a first-round pick but concerns about his knee surfaced during the pre-draft process. He tore his ACL as a high school senior and redshirted in his first year at Georgia, but he didn’t miss any time over the past two seasons.
“There was certainly some concern there. But he was on our board,” the executive said. “It didn’t sound like he was managed at Georgia. It could eventually be more of a second contract thing.”
Projected 2021 role: Ojulari will have a major role on defense immediately. Though he may not be a starter in Week 1, he will rank in the top two among Giants edge rushers in snaps this season.
CB Aaron Robinson
Third round • No. 71 overall
Height: 6-0 • Weight: 190
College: Central Florida • Age: 23
Brugler’s scouting report (No. 11 CB, No. 61 overall): A two-year starter at UCF, Robinson played nickel back in defensive coordinator Randy Shannon’s scheme, lining up mostly versus the slot receiver while also seeing reps on the outside. After three non-descript seasons to start his college career (one at Alabama, two at UCF), he earned All-AAC honors the past two seasons with 20 passes defended in 22 games. Robinson is a quick-footed, urgent athlete with excellent turn-and-run skills to stay in phase versus route speed. He reacts quickly to find the football, but his mental process isn’t a strength to his game. Overall, Robinson needs to add more discipline and anticipation to his play style, but he boasts NFL-level athleticism and toughness with the inside/outside versatility to play various roles in an NFL secondary.
Scouts’ takes (No. 11 CB): Pros: “Best nickel defender in the draft. He’s got everything you want.” … “He is tough as hell. He’s got short-area cover quickness and twitch. You don’t really want him on the outside covering, but as a slot-hybrid type of guy, he’s a really good player.” Cons: “The thing that holds him back is the consistency of the instincts. Sometimes he gets sloppy.”
Executive’s take: “They signed the two outside corners (James Bradberry and Adoree’ Jackson) so Aaron Robinson will be an upgrade at the nickel spot for them,” the executive said.
Projected 2021 role: Robinson will win a competition with Darnay Holmes for the starting slot cornerback job.
Edge Elerson Smith
Fourth round • No. 116 overall
Height: 6-6 • Weight: 262
College: Northern Iowa • Age: 22
Brugler’s scouting report (No. 23 Edge, No. 176 overall): A one-year starter at Northern Iowa, Smith lined up at left defensive end in defensive coordinator Jeremiah Johnson’s scheme, which alternated between even and odd fronts. Underdeveloped out of high school, he steadily improved over his time in Cedar Falls with an All-American junior season, ranking top-five in the FCS in tackles for loss, sacks and forced fumbles (unfortunately, that was his only season as a starter with the 2020 fall season canceled). Smith is a long athlete (looks more like a tight end) with the lateral quicks to cross the face of blockers and the open-field speed to make plays in pursuit. He has physical hands and plays hard, but he struggles to stack and shed and can be overwhelmed by blockers. Overall, Smith is an inconsistent edge-setter and struggles to play through contact, but he is a toolsy pass-rush prospect with intriguing length, explosiveness and effort. He projects as a rotational outside pass rusher (some scouts are intrigued with him at tight end).
Scouts’ takes (No. 17 edge): Smith was McGinn’s “unsung hero” at edge rusher. “One evaluator said Smith has the ability to bend around the corner much like (Northern Iowa alum and four-time Pro Bowler) Bryce Paup … Smith is much better rushing the passer than playing the run.”
Executive’s take: The executive didn’t study Smith closely enough to offer an assessment.
Projected 2021 role: Smith’s role on defense will be minimal early in the season, but he could develop into a situational pass rusher.
RB Gary Brightwell
Sixth round • No. 196 overall
Height: 5-11 • Weight: 215
College: Arizona • Age: 23
Brugler’s scouting report (No. 27 RB, not ranked in top 300): After spending his freshman season at slot receiver, he returned to running back where he was a backup for two years before becoming the starter in 2020 and drawing NFL attention. Brightwell is an intriguing size/speed back with the one-cut burst to sharply jet away from trouble. However, his run style lacks tempo and his below-average contact balance limits tackle-breaking opportunities despite his developed frame and run toughness. Overall, Brightwell has unreliable tendencies (poor execution in pass pro; five fumbles in 2020) and lacks an established body of work, but he is an athletic slasher with receiving upside and traits that also translate to special teams.
Scouts’ take: N/A. Brightwell didn’t make McGinn’s list of the top 21 running backs.
Executive’s take: The executive didn’t like either of the Giants’ sixth-round picks, Brightwell or Rodarius Williams, as prospects.
Projected 2021 role: Brightwell will be a core special-teamer. His role on offense will be minimal unless there are injuries in the backfield.
CB Rodarius Williams
Sixth round • No. 201 overall
Height: 6-0 • Weight: 193
College: Oklahoma State • Age: 24
Brugler’s scouting report (No. 32 CB, No. 234 overall): A four-year starter at Oklahoma State, Williams was the left cornerback in defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ scheme, playing mostly man coverage. Better known by some as Greedy’s older brother (which is a motivation tool for him), he worked himself into draftable territory with his improvements as an upperclassman, allowing only 40.9% completions in 2020. Williams was asked to play extensively on an island and appeared to see things quicker with additional reps, proving himself as a catch point disruptor. He has outstanding compete skills, although he tends to rely on his aggressiveness over trusting his technique. Overall, Williams needs to tighten up his timing and finishing skills, but he is experienced and confident and projects best in a Cover-2 scheme.
Scouts’ take: N/A. McGinn reviewed the top 12 cornerbacks; Williams ranked 14th.
Executive’s take: The executive didn’t give Williams any consideration since he was a late-round prospect who turns 25 in September.
“He’s not very good,” the executive said. “I was like, ‘What are we doing? Take this guy off the board.’”
Projected 2021 role: Williams will be on the roster bubble. If he makes the team, he’ll compete for a role on special teams. His role on defense will be minimal.
The Giants have also signed three undrafted free agents: Florida center/guard Brett Heggie, Georgia Southern edge rusher Raymond Johnson III and Baylor guard/tackle Jake Burton.
• Heggie was Brugler’s 11th-ranked center: Heggie started at left guard as a redshirt freshman before injuries sidelined him. He returned to the starting lineup as a junior and started 24 games the last two years at left guard, right guard and center. Heggie has projectable size and awareness desired at the center position. He is quick to introduce his hands and work his body into position, but he doesn’t play with thunder in his punch to jolt/control defenders. He is too content to stalemate the point of attack, lacking the drive power to create consistent movement. Overall, Heggie is a tough, physical blocker with experience at center and guard, but he doesn’t have ideal power or athleticism for the NFL game.
• Johnson was Brugler’s 41st-ranked edge rusher: A three-star recruit, Johnson committed to Georgia Southern where he started as a true freshman and his tackles for loss increased each of the last four seasons (earned all-conference all four years). He set career-bests as a senior, finishing second in the Sun Belt with 14.5 tackles for loss. Lined up over the tackle in Georgia Southern’s three-man front, Johnson creates his own pass-rush lanes due to his physicality, relying on his heavy hands to swat and displace blockers. He isn’t a natural bender and will struggle when he attempts to corner. His effort stays consistent, but he isn’t the most instinctive or rangy edge defender and needs to improve his contain skills. Overall, Johnson isn’t a top-tier athlete for NFL edge work, but he is skilled at forcing his way through blocks due to his disruptive hands and contact balance.
• Burton was Brugler’s 39th-ranked guard.
