The New York Giants had a couple of Georgia players in their sights during the NFL Draft in April. Neither landed in the Big Apple.
Tight end Brock Bowers and corner back Kamari Lassiter were at one point in the Giants’ plans in the first and second rounds of the draft. The insight into the Giants’ draft strategy was revealed during the recent airing of HBO’s Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants.
The Giants had the No. 6 overall pick and took LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers. The Giants unsuccessfully tried to move up to No. 3, the New England Patriots pick, to select one of the top quarterbacks. After that failed, they were locked in on Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and Nabers. However, the Giants began making contingency plans to move down should both Harrison Jr. and Nabers be gone before their pick at No. 6. One scenario was to trade with the Bears and move down to No. 9. In that case, the Giants had their sights set on Bowers or Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze.
After the Chicago Bears opened the draft by taking USC quarterback Caleb Williams at No. 1, the Washington Commanders to LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels. The Patriots took North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, the Arizona Cardinals took Harrison and the Los Angeles Chargers took Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt.
That left Nabers for the Giants.
Odunze went at No. 9 to the Bears and Bowers went at No. 13 to the Las Vegas Raiders.
In one scene hours before the start of the draft, Giants head coach Brian Daboll relates a conversation he had that morning with former Alabama head coach Nick Saban. Daboll asked Saban what skill players presented the most problems. Saban named two players – Bowers and Nabers.
“Both those guys are (expletive) problems,” Daboll related the conversation.
After failing to get a quarterback, the Giants planned to focus on Daniel Jones at the position and get him playmakers. With Nabers in the fold, the team’s second-biggest need was defensive back.
On Day 2 of the draft, the Giants’ second-round pick was No. 47, the 15th pick of the round. They had two cornerbacks on their wish list – Alabama’s Kool-Aid McKinstry and Lassiter.
Unfortunately for the Giants, McKinstry went at No. 41 to the New Orleans Saints. Lassiter went with the very next pick at No. 42 to the Houston Texans. The Giants turned to safety and selected Minnesota’s Tyler Nubin with No. 47. Georgia safety Javon Bullard went 11 picks later at No. 58 to the Green Bay Packers.
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