Pro days ramped up this week around the country.
These on-campus workouts take on an even greater significance this year in the absence of the traditional NFL Scouting Combine, where the top draft prospects usually would gather to showcase their talents on and off the field. What happens in the coming days and weeks will surely shake up draft boards in NFL front offices, but for now, here is a look at where things stand according to draft experts.
The Giants hold the No. 11 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, which begins April 29 in Cleveland.
Pick: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
Analysis: "If they don't wade into the free-agent waters, Waddle is the best option at No. 11. He is the top deep threat in this class and is electric with the ball in his hands."
Pick: Gregory Rousseau, EDGE, Miami
Analysis: "I know GM Dave Gettleman has let it be known that he wants to add playmakers on offense. At the end of the day, though, he's not able to pass up the big, athletic edge rusher."
Pick: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
Analysis: "There isn't a more dangerous player with the ball in his hands in the draft class, thanks to excellent top-end speed, vision and elusiveness. And I hope Nick Saban has been glued to his TV because that's four straight Alabama players off the board, including two first-round receivers for the second time in two years."
Pick: Gregory Rousseau , EDGE, Miami
Analysis: "Rousseau is an intriguing option for the Giants given his athleticism, length and sack production."
Pick: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
Analysis: "With the Giants committed to Daniel Jones, the organization needs to continue and surround him with weapons. With his natural speed and burst, Waddle is dangerous before and after the catch, showing the separation skills to stress the defense in different ways (four receptions of 75-plus yards in his career)."
Pick: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
Analysis: "Finding another weapon for Daniel Jones is essential, and Waddle has game-breaking explosiveness on all three levels of the field with an ability to back safeties off the line of scrimmage for Saquon Barkley."
Pick: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
Analysis: "Typically, GM Dave Gettleman would look to improve the front seven with this pick. But Smith's value is too high to ignore, despite his lean frame. Gettleman's first-round pick from two years ago, quarterback Daniel Jones, will appreciate the explosive, tough and reliable Smith."
Pick: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
Analysis: "Big Blue's offense looks a lot different with a healthy Saquon Barkley and Waddle on the field."
NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah updated his ranking of the top 50 prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft for the final time before the start of the draft.
Pick: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
Analysis: "Waddle is the first Alabama wide receiver off the board in part due to the deep speed that showed up in his averaging 18.9 yards per reception over his three-year career. Waddle was actually the highest-graded Alabama receiver on their loaded 2018 team. He adds a vertical weapon for QB Daniel Jones, who was quietly one of the best downfield passers in the league a year ago."
Pick: Gregory Rousseau, EDGE, Miami
Analysis: "New York needs to supply some edge pressure to draw some double teams away from that really talented defensive tackle rotation. Gregory Rousseau has been off the map since last season but the talent is evident."
Pick: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
Analysis: "Smith may not be the biggest receiver, weighing in around 170 pounds, but he has very good speed, is an extremely nuanced route-runner who creates easy separation, and is a nightmare with the ball in his hands after the catch."
Pick: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
Analysis: "The Giants have a lot of needs -- edge rusher, cornerback, offensive lineman, tight end -- but it's hard to pass up on a dynamic four-down player who can consistently stretch the field vertically."
Pick: Kwity Paye, EDGE, Michigan
Analysis: "They could easily go with Jaylen Waddle here, but Paye is also a playmaker — he just plays on the other side of the ball. Raw but incredibly talented, Paye would represent a significant upgrade at edge for the Giants."
Pick: Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern
Analysis: "Slater was a guard in high school but played both tackle spots for the Wildcats and could settle in opposite 2020 first-rounder Andrew Thomas."
Pick: Kwity Paye, EDGE, Michigan
Analysis: "The Giants struck gold last offseason with the acquisition of James Bradberry in free agency, and there was some temptation to take another corner here to fortify a strength. However, given the value proposition of elite edge players taken high in the draft relative to what they are paid as veterans at the top end, Paye is an athletic bet the Giants need to make here to secure their first elite edge defender in quite some time."
Pick: Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida
Analysis: "Dave Gettleman loves throwing everyone for a loop in the draft, and he does so again with Toney here, although the Florida product is precisely the type of playmaker Danny Dimes needs."
Pick: Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama
Analysis: "Surtain is about as NFL-ready as it gets at the position, and his 88.6 coverage grade in 2019 was the second-highest in the country. While there are numerous other needs on the roster, a corner across from James Bradberry is a big one, as well."
Pick: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
Analysis: "Waddle, like his Crimson Tide teammate Smith, is a highly skilled all-around receiver the Giants could use to run all the routes and get open everywhere outside for Daniel Jones. He could easily take over as the "X" go-to guy in New York, with Sterling Shepard sliding back into his best position as the "Y" in the slot and Darius Slayton settling into the big-play threat "Z"."
Pick: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
Analysis: "He's a versatile tight end that can play all over the formation and provide a mismatch for the offense with his size, length, and ball skills."
Pick: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon
Analysis: "First things first, the chances of Sewell actually falling this far are slim. But this mock represents what I would do and not what the NFL would do, so a generational tackle falls right in the lap of New York here at Pick 11. Sewell recorded a 95.8 PFF grade in 2019, which still stands as the highest-graded season by a Power 5 tackle since 2014. At 6-foot-6, 325-pounds, it's quite amazing watching Sewell move in space — the overall athleticism is off the charts. He earned a 95.7 grade as a run-blocker in 2019 and was also nearly perfect in pass protection, allowing just seven pressures on 491 snaps."
Pick: Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech
Analysis: "With the additions of Jabrill Peppers, Logan Ryan, and Julian Love, the Giants have a strong secondary group. It's just another outside CB away from being elite."
Pick: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
Analysis: "Mocking an athletic tight end early for the Giants will give many pause, but whether it's WR or TE, don't get caught up in the two letters in front of Pitts' name. He's an "all of the above" player that can satisfy the roles of both a wide receiver and tight end. A serviceable blocker and unique weapon in the passing game, he has the potential to quickly turn into one of the more dangerous players at the position during the early stages of his career."
Pick: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
Analysis: "Smith's production has been off the charts over the last two years. He led all Alabama wide receivers — a group that included three other first-round talents — in receiving yardage in 2019 and is coming off an even better, Heisman-winning campaign this past season."
Pick: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
Analysis: "The Giants take advantage of the opportunity to secure an explosive threat in the passing game."
Pick: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
Analysis: "As Daniel Jones enters Year 3, the Giants have to find him a go-to weapon. Pitts is much more than a tight end. He's a versatile offensive weapon who can play outside, in the slot or in-line and is a matchup nightmare."
Pick: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
Analysis: "Waddle is arguably a better receiver prospect than Henry Ruggs III was coming out of Alabama in 2020. An explosive, dynamic athlete, Waddle ranks inside the top five in yards per route run (3.64) and yards after the catch per reception (11.5) over the past two seasons."
Pick: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
Analysis: "I know picking a receiver isn't the Dave Gettleman way, but they need a playmaker to help Daniel Jones. Waddle can fly."
Pick: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
Analysis: "While the Giants' defense surprised many in 2020, Joe Judge has continued to stress the need of adding playmakers to the offensive side of the ball. A quality tight end and running game are a quarterback's best friends. They select a dynamic offensive weapon in Pitts here. He will be a matchup problem against linebackers and safeties."
Pick: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
Analysis: "An offense with Pitts, a healthy Saquon Barkley and a potential top free-agent wide receiver would be far more formidable than the unit that finished 31st in scoring last season." - Dan Duggan
Pick: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
Analysis: "The perfect picks for the Giants at No. 11 are Waddle and Pitts, but I don't think Pitts makes it this far. Waddle has a chance to."
Pick: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
Analysis: "Smith is my WR1 because his consistent route running and ability to earn separation give him the highest projected floor and ceiling in this class. The Heisman Trophy winner had the highest percentage of receptions in which he had more than 3 feet of separation at the time of the catch despite a defender being within 3 feet of him on the path of the route. This vision carries over into yards after the catch; his ability to increase his speed once he had the ball in his hands was the third-best in FBS this season."
Pick: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
Analysis: "I thought about offensive tackle Rashawn Slater and edge Azeez Ojulari here, but Parsons was too much of a value to pass up here. Give him a year or two to bank some more experience and the Penn State product could be a game-wrecking All-Pro on the second level."