4. New York Giants – Original Pick: Andrew Thomas
It was no secret that coming into the draft the Giants were going to look to draft an offensive lineman. The question was whether they’d select Andrew Thomas, Tristan Wirfs, Mekhi Becton or Jedrick Wills. Thomas’ outstanding college career and impressive measurables led to him being the selection for NYG.
Andrew Thomas’ rookie year was very tough to evaluate. He struggled a lot but he also showed flashes of excellence. Thomas, the former Georgia Bulldog, was responsible for three penalties and 10 sacks allowed in 2020, according to Pro Football Focus. The most important part of Thomas’ rookie season was the improvement, he got much better and much more consistent towards the end of the season, which is why PFF has named him a 2021 breakout candidate.
New Pick: Tristan Wirfs
While Thomas still has a chance to be a great offensive tackle in the NFL, the Giants would not pass on Tristan Wirfs if given the chance to do it over again. Wirfs protected Tom Brady all year and as a result, became a Super Bowl champion in his rookie season.
According to Pro Football Focus, Tristan Wirfs allowed 3 penalties and only 1 sack on the entire season. When looking back on the offensive line class that came out of this draft, Wirfs clearly had the best rookie season and in my opinion, also has the highest ceiling out of all of them.
5. Miami Dolphins – Original Pick: Tua Tagovailoa
Coming into the draft, the question surrounding the Dolphins was whether they’d be taking Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert. They ended up going with Tua, a pick that I agreed with and advocated for at the time. Tua was a special talent at Alabama, he had the ability to move out of the pocket, make throws on the run, and just let it fly. Herbert on the other hand played in a worse conference in the PAC-12, didn’t show me the same confidence that Tua had and quite frankly just didnt excite me as much as Tua did.
Let me be the first to say, man oh man was I wrong. In the QB’s rookie years, it was the complete opposite. Herbert was the one who came in with the confidence to sling it around and make plays, while Tua made short throws and simply wasn’t aggressive enough. To be fair to Tua, he was coming off an injury and it’s still extremely early in his career. He has the ability to be great but he needs to find and channel the confidence he had when he was at Alabama.
New Pick: Justin Jefferson
Justin Jefferson’s rookie season was nothing short of spectacular. He dominated opposing cornerbacks from the jump and transitioned to the NFL with ease. Jefferson would give the Dolphins a wideout to line up across from Devante Parker and would have given Ryan Fitzpatrick the keys to the offense. It also would’ve better positioned them to make a run at Deshaun Watson or Russell Wilson this offseason.
Jefferson has all the tools to become a top-5 wideout in the NFL and I’d honestly be surprised if he never gets to that point. He’s a truly special talent and he just has a knack for finding both the football and the endzone. JJ will have a special career as a Viking.