Here is a mock draft I ran to see if I could draft my all Freaks team from Giants 2021All Freaks Draft based on Bruce Feldman’s annual list of college football athletic freaks.
I was surprised to see Ja’Marr Chase available at 11. So I went with Chase. The only freak I listed from the article not picked was WR Nico Collins. I do feel Collins would be a good pick in round 3 or 4. I think he has similarities to Chase Claypool. Claypool has had a great rookie season on the Steelers. He made AFC offensive player of the week in week 5. Claypool was third in the league in the longest reception (84 yards) and tenth in receiving touchdowns with nine. Both are big receivers at 6’4″ and 215 lbs or more. Claypool is 20 lbs heavier. Both have run a forty yard dash in the 4.4 s. Claypool ran 4.42 at the combine. Collins has run a 4.45 last winter. For a “freak” pick Collins is a good choice. I have other receivers I like more but they are not “freaks”.
I wrote about the other picks in my previous post referenced at the start. Let me this tweet from Feldman of the addition of Ja’Marr Chase.
What #LSU star Ja’Marr Chase such a Freak? Before you mention his freakish strength/quickness, start with his work ethic. In HS, he was clocked at 4.66. Now he’s got himself down to a 4.40: https://t.co/9N2CStI59h pic.twitter.com/yIamBndNeL
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) July 22, 2020
This draft gets the Giants “freaks” and hog-mollies. Dave Gettleman uses the term hog-mollies for big, powerful linemen that ruled the trenches. Since 2018 when Dave Gettleman became Giant GM the Giants have been one of the top six teams that have drafted to fill the trenches. In the 2018-2020 draft the average number of trench players selected over that span has been eight players. The Giants have selected 11. They join
- MIN 14
- BAL 11
- LAR 11
- NYG 11
- WAS 11
- LVR 10
In the 2018-2020 drafts the Giants are among the top five teams that have drafted the most combine players that can bench press 24+ reps of 225 lbs. They are
- DEN 7
- JAX 7
- GNB 6
- LAR 6
- NYG 6
Over the 2018-2020 combines the Giants have three players in the top nine in bench press reps.
5. (T) Will Hernandez 37
7. Dexter Lawrence 36
8. (T) B.J. Hill 35
Saquon Barkley is tied with Nick Chubb as the running back from 2018-2019 with the highest bench press reps. They are tie for the fourth non-trench player in combine bench press reps. Matt Peart and Oshane Ximines round out the fifth and sixth Giant.
The Giants have drafted the most combine players that were 6’4″ or taller and 310+ lbs. The average for 2018-2020 is 1.78 players. The Giants have drafted five. The next closest are five teams that drafted three. It can’t be attributed solely to drafting linemen as 5 other teams drafted the same number of linemen or more. The Giants seem to go for the big ones.
The Giants like their hog mollies and strong players. They also have three players that have made Bruce Feldman’s 50 freaks in college football. Feldman describes his list as – “Spotlight the guys who generate buzz inside their programs by displaying the type of rare physical abilities that wow even those folks who are used to observing gifted athletes every day.”
The three Giants “Freaks” are
2016 Freaks
9. Saquon Barkley
10. Jabrill Peppers
2017 Freaks
1. Saquon Barkley
2. Dexter Lawrence
The Giants added a “Freak” in 2018 and two in 2019. Will they add another “freak” in 2021? Will they continue their infatuation with hog mollies? I would not mind getting a player from my mock draft.
