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The Cowboys are desperate for help at corner and CB Patrick Surtain couldn’t arrive sooner. He’ll join former Alabama CB Trevon Diggs in the Dallas secondary as the duo hopes to revitalize the Cowboys defense. While Surtain only came down with four interceptions in college, he has all the traits of a prototypical number one CB. He’ll certainly have his hands full going up against Kenny Golladay, the splash signing from our next team, the New York Giants.
Most experts think that the Giants will go defense at #11 after signing Golladay and John Ross to bolster their receiving corps this offseason. While the Giants would love to get OL help here, Rashawn Slater and Penei Sewell being off the board complicates things. Getting a defensive playmaker like Parsons or a dominant rusher like Paye could help a defense that lacks a dominant individual talent in the front 7. As usual, let’s run down the previous 10 picks.
- Jacksonville Jaguars - Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
- New York Jets - Zach Wilson, QB, BYU
- San Francisco 49ers - Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
- Atlanta Falcons - Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
- Cincinnati Bengals - Penei Sewell, OL, Oregon
- Miami Dolphins - Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU
- Detroit Lions - DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
- Carolina Panthers - Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern
- Denver Broncos - Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
- Dallas Cowboys - Patrick Surtain, CB, Alabama
The Giants have a few options on defense at pick 11:
Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
One of the highest-profile opt-outs from the 2020 season, Parsons could well be the first defensive player off the board. He was a wrecking ball in his only season as a starter in 2019, with over 100 tackles, 14 TFLs, 5 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles. Penn State’s Pro Day measurements (which come on a notoriously fast track) had him timed at an unbelievable 4.36 in the 40 — and that was at 6-foot-3 and 246 pounds. Even if that speed is exaggerated, Parsons’ movement abilities will make him a dangerous weapon at the second level. Perhaps the only questions NFL teams may have about Parsons center around his character, with some concerns stemming from a fight with a teammate in 2018.
Kwity Paye, EDGE, Michigan
Think Rashan Gary 2.0. Paye is almost as impressive an athlete as Gary was coming out in 2019, though Paye is a bit smaller at 6-foot-2-½ and 261 pounds to Gary’s 6-foot-4, 277-pound frame. Still, the two players share similarities in that they both had production that did not quite live up to their pro projections, with Paye’s 2020 limited to four games by injury and the COVID pandemic. Still, Paye averaged one TFL per game over his last two seasons and posted 8.5 sacks in his last 16 games, and it’s not hard to imagine a team falling in love with his tools the way the Packers did with Gary.
Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
Another son of a former NFL player, Jaycee’s dad, Joe Horn, was a 4-time Pro Bowl receiver for the Saints. Jaycee is another big (6-foot-1, 205), physical corner who faced a murderer’s row of receivers during his three years in the SEC. Horn can be a bit aggressive with his hands, but he posted the best RAS of any corner in this year’s class (9.99, though he skipped agility drills). Expect him to be off the board early as his instincts and athleticism will have teams excited about him.
With the 11th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the New York Giants select…
Poll
Who will the Giants select with the 11th pick?
This poll is closed
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50%
Micah Parsons
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29%
Kwity Paye
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19%
Jaycee Horn
The Giants have their choice of three game-changing athletes with this pick. But as we’ve seen before, we never really know what Dave Gettleman has up his sleeve. Make sure you vote here and on Twitter @acmepackingco. At 4 PM EST, we go back to back NFC East teams as the Eagles are on the clock at pick 12 after trading down from the 6th pick. Could they still target a QB? Or will they focus on evaluating Jalen Hurts this season? Check back here later to find out.