Bet On The Giants To Select This Player Fourth Overall

• With the fourth pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the New York Giants select… who? Assuming that there are no trades, the first two picks in the draft will presumably be LSU quarterback Joe Burrow to the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 1, Ohio State defensive end Chase Young to the Washington Redskins at No. 2. The Detroit Lions are essentially a wild card at No. 3 and could be a trade partner for a quarterback-hungry franchise. 

• Although Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert are talented enough to create a QB surge at the top of the draft, it seems likely that the Giants will be in a solid spot to upgrade their offense line, something they need to do in order to keep franchise signal-caller Daniel Jones upright. 

• Last season, Giants quarterbacks were sacked 43 times and got hit 119 times, both of which ranked in the bottom half of the league. Opening up running lanes for Saquon Barkley will also be a major responsibility in 2020, especially since his yards per carry decreased from 5.0 to 4.6 from his rookie year in 2018 to his second year in 2019. 

• According to MGM’s odds, the Giants are most likely going to use the pick on an offensive lineman. While Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons (+300) is in the mix, three tackles are also listed as favorites, including Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs (+250), Louisville’s Mekhi Becton (+300) and Alabama’s Jedrick Wills (+350). 

• Unlike other positions (like quarterback) that have a clear-cut frontrunner to be selected first, this year’s offensive line class is considered to be very strong, which will allow the G-Men to select whoever’s at the top of their draft board unless there’s a major shake-up in the first three picks and one gets selected before them. With that being said, New York should call Wirfs’ name with this pick.

In case you missed it originally, you now realize what an athletic freak that Wirfs is by watching the footage of his Combine performance above. At 6’5 and 322 pounds, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.85 seconds, posted a 36.5-inch vertical and a 121-inch broad jump. Those were the top recorded jumps in the combine for any offensive lineman (or any 320-plus pound player) since 2006 and his 40 time was the sixth-fastest among offensive linemen over that span. It’s important not to put too much stock into a Combine, but Wirfs’ athleticism makes him stand out since edge rushers are seemingly getting bigger, faster and stronger every year, as does the fact that he was a First Team All-American. 

NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah believes that the Giants will select Wirfs with this pick.

"Lots of good options here, but protecting QB Daniel Jones is the priority. … Wirfs is a big, powerful offensive tackle. In pass protection, he launches out of his stance and hasn't had issues versus outside speed rushers. However, he has experienced issues against inside counter moves. He over-sets and struggles to redirect back inside, allowing too many pressures in the games I studied. When he can land his punch, it's over. His hands are so strong and he has the power base to end the play right there. In the run game, he is very strong and aggressive. He creates a ton of movement, but also will overextend and fall off at times. He's on the ground too much. I love his aggressive demeanor, but he needs to play more under control. Overall, I believe he can survive at tackle, but he'd benefit from playing with neighbors on both sides. I think Wirfs has All-Pro potential at guard,” Jeremiah wrote.

"It was one of the best combines you will ever see from an offensive lineman," ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay said soon after. "[As a blocker], he's not a finisher yet -- but he's technically sound and he's really good in a zone-blocking scheme, and he's good in pass pro as well."

Whether or not Wirfs projects as a tackle or guard at the next level, his athleticism will make him a versatile asset for any team. Some may point to the fact that the Giants are paying Nate Solder $19.5 million in 2020 to play left tackle and brought in Cameron Fleming in free agency to play right tackle. Right guard Kevin Zeitler also will have a $12.5 million cap hit in 2020. That leaves third-year left guard Will Hernandez and center Spencer Pulley at the two other starting spots on the current depth chart. Since Hernandez was a second-round pick, is highly regarded within the organization and underperformed at his position last year, there’s a possibility that he could make the move to center, where he could presumably thrive due to his stature and strengths. That would leave a vacancy at left guard, where someone like Wirfs could fill a need and instantly vault this group upwards. The same cannot be necessarily said or projected for Becton or Willis, both of whom are more traditional tackles. 

Sure, if Young falls or if Dave Gettleman decides to prioritize defense and draft Simmons (if he’s available), Wirfs won’t hear his name called. However, if you’re a firm believer that New York should draft a franchise-altering offensive lineman with the fourth pick, Wirfs is the best and most logical option. 

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Note: the betting advice above reflects my personal views and does not necessarily reflect the view(s) of BetQL.