Fact or Fiction: Giants ‘Hard Knocks’ Edition

The draft is more complicated than free agency.

John Schmeelk: Fact – It is always tougher to evaluate players coming out in the draft simply because there are more variables. We have seen free agents perform in pro systems, which should make it easier to predict how they will play on your team. The salary cap management does make it more complicated since all draft pick salaries are slotted, but the teams have salary cap experts that can manage that part of the process. Properly evaluating a draft prospect, however, requires you to not just evaluate a player, but a person. How mature is that person? Can they handle being a professional? How will they react to becoming a millionaire? How smart are they? That’s before we even start evaluating their skills as a football player. There’s a reason overall hit rates in the draft are not high. It is a very difficult thing to do.

Matt Citak: Fact – When it comes to free agency, front offices are contemplating signing players that already have at least some sort of proven track record in the NFL. While we do see every year some guys “bust” after signing big contracts, the miss rate on those types of signings is lower than the miss rate on draft picks, even ones as high as in the first round. There are so many factors that go into drafting a player that go well beyond a guy’s production on the field. There is a reason why the pre-draft process consists of numerous events such as the Shrine Bowl, the Senior Bowl, the NFL Combine and pro days, on top of the normal scouting that goes on during the college football season.

The most underrated move of the Giants’ offseason was re-signing Isaiah Simmons.

John Schmeelk: Fiction – I think the veteran additions of David Long and Tre Herndon could end up being very important in providing a backstop in a secondary that is full of very young players. Both have started games outside and inside in the NFL and should give some level of reliable veteran presence in a group that otherwise has a lot of inexperience.

Matt Citak: Fact – The Giants acquired Simmons in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals on August 25, right before the end of training camp. This didn’t give him much time to learn the playbook and get to know his teammates before Week 1. Despite this, the 25-year-old still had a solid first season with the Giants, especially in coverage. Now heading into Year 2 with the team, Simmons already knows his teammates well and also had the entire offseason to learn Shane Bowen’s defense. Speaking of Bowen, the defensive coordinator seemed to have some interesting ideas on how to use Simmons this year, as we saw in the first episode of “Hard Knocks.” There’s a reason why Simmons was selected with the eighth overall pick in 2020. If Bowen can unlock the versatile defender’s potential, the sky is the limit for both Simmons and the Giants defense.