Skip to main content
New York Giants Website
Advertising

Giants News | New York Giants – Giants.com

ForF_100x30

Presented by

Fact or Fiction: Forecasting Giants' 2021 TD leader

FACT-OR-FICTION

In this series, the Giants.com crew is presented with four statements, and they must decide whether they are fact or fiction.

Kenny Golladay will lead the Giants in offensive touchdowns in 2021.

John Schmeelk: Fiction – Let's go with Saquon Barkley. The Giants showed last year they want to run the ball in the red zone and that likely will continue this season. Combine that with a couple of long Barkley runs from outside the 20 and he will hit at leastr 10 rushing touchdowns (with another few in the passing game). Figure Golladay will finish with eight or nine touchdowns. Kyle Rudolph's red zone ability will poach some of the passing scores.

Dan Salomone: Fact - These, as they say, are high-class questions. Saquon Barkley has the proven ability to score both through the air and on the ground, but Golladay plays to Daniel Jones' strengths with the deep ball. It will be a fun race.

Lance Medow: Fiction - Last season, Wayne Gallman scored the most offensive touchdowns with six and Saquon Barkley and Darius Slayton finished tied for first with eight apiece in 2019. With new additions to the receiving corps, comes more competition for targets and touchdowns. It should come down to Barkley and Kenny Golladay, who had a career-high 11 touchdowns for the Lions in 2019 (when he played in all 16 games). Although Golladay is a big red zone target at 6-4, Barkley is also a threat to score multiple ways as he proved in 2018 when he found the end zone 15 times (11 rushing, 4 receiving) in 16 contests.

The team's most underrated signing to this point is DE Ifeadi Odenigbo.

John Schmeelk: Fiction – Let's go high-risk, high-reward here and select John Ross. If Ross can stay healthy, he can provide an explosive-speed factor no one else on the roster can. He can get over the top, utilize that speed to create space on deep-outs and comebacks, and create big plays with yards after the catch. If he hits, his skills provide the biggest upside.

Dan Salomone: Fiction – Nate Solder coming back can't be overlooked. This is a young offensive line – and general manager Dave Gettleman is more than comfortable with that – but every position group still needs a mix of veterans. Solder, a two-time Super Bowl champion and 100-game starter, gives the Giants options in what is a game of attrition.

Lance Medow: Fact - With Lorenzo Carter and Oshane Ximines returning from injury, it's very easy to overlook the addition of Ifeadi Odenigbo. But Odenigbo is a player, who has shown more than a few flashes during the past two seasons with the Vikings. He can be a disruptive player, recording a combined 10.5 sacks, and displayed athleticism when he scored on a fumble return against the Chargers in 2019. During that season, Odenigbo played behind Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen; but then had to come back and make up for the losses of Hunter (missed the 2020 season due to injury) and Yannick Ngakoue (traded to the Ravens following Week 6). When you surround Odenigbo with additional talent and utilize him as a rotational player, he's proven he can reward you with plenty of production.

Pro days have shaken up the Top 10 of the draft.

John Schmeelk: Fiction - The biggest shake-up to the Top 10 is Caleb Farley's back injury, although you wouldn't necessarily consider that "pro-day related." Otherwise, the first group of pro day players have met expectations. No one should take a big slide down the board, or be a steep riser. Quarterbacks, wide receivers, Kyle Pitts, offensive linemen and one cornerback should make up the Top 10.

Dan Salomone: Fiction – Especially this year, it's all about the game film. And that hasn't changed in the last month. As long as all the medicals check out, there shouldn't be many changes during the pro day circuit in regard to the top-tier prospects.

Lance Medow: Fiction - The game film is always the most important factor in drafting a player and there is no legitimate substitution, especially a pro day. The latter is simply a complementary piece and that doesn't change - even in a year when there was no scouting combine. You can argue that pro day holds some additional weight for players who opted out of the 2020 season to make sure they haven't lost a step and are still in good shape. Otherwise, let's not treat pro day results as if they're the end-all be-all.

Purdue WR Rondale Moore has helped his draft stock the most through the early pro days.

John Schmeelk: Fiction – You've got to go with Jaycee Horn. With Farley's injury, Horn has a better chance of being the first cornerback off the board. He might have a better chance to overtake Patrick Surtain on some draft boards than some analysts think. Horn received a 10.0 RAS score, which makes him the highest-rated cornerback from a size/performance perspective of any player ever tested at the position.

Dan Salomone: Fiction – After electing to forego last season, Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons had to remind people why he is considered an elite prospect. He did just that at the Nittany Lions' pro day by posting a 40-yard dash time of 4.39 seconds. Furthermore, the 2019 consensus All-American did so with Giants coach Joe Judge in attendance, among others.

Lance Medow: Fact - First, don't overlook my response to the previous statement. With that being said, if we had to narrow it down to one player who could have boosted his stock, it would be Purdue wide receiver Rondale Moore. Given speed is such an attractive trait when it comes to the NFL, running a 40-yard dash in 4.29 seconds certainly doesn't hurt - that would rank as one of the top 10 marks in combine history. On top of that, his 42.5-inch vertical jump would also find a spot high in the record books. Moore played in only seven games over the last two seasons due to injuries and, initially, opting out of the 2020 season. When you take into consideration his standout 2018 campaign followed by limited action, it's not a stretch to think his pro day performance has helped his draft stock.

View some of the best photos from the 2021 Pro Days going on across the country.

NYG_PSL_2021_LINKEDIN_BANNER

2021 Season Tickets on sale now

Related Content

Advertising