Top Targets for New York Giants in 2021 NFL Draft

If the New York Giants do not win the NFC East, they could pick in the top 10 of the 2021 NFL draft.

At the moment, the Giants are slated to have the No. 10 overall pick in April, per Tankathon.com.

From 2017-19, New York targeted the offensive skill positions with its first-round picks and built its core around Daniel Jones, Saquon Barkley and Evan Engram.

During Joe Judge's first draft as head coach, he brought in offensive tackle Andrew Thomas to bring more protection to his second-year quarterback. 

In 2021, the first-round focus should shift to the other side of the ball to give defensive coordinator Patrick Graham more talent to work with. 

Some of the best available options at the back end of the top 10 could come at cornerback and defensive end, which are two positions the Giants could improve at. 

Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech

John Bazemore/Associated Press

The most difficult aspect of 2021 draft preparation will be evaluating players who did not participate in the 2020 college football season. 

Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley is one of a few potential top-10 picks who opted to focus on NFL prep instead of playing a full year of college ball. 

Pro Football Focus' Mike Renner and Austin Gayle have Farley landing at No. 9 in their latest mock draft. 

If New York chases Farley, it could have him develop under James Bradberry, who is the only Giants player with more than one interception in 2020. 

Farley would not have to take on the top defensive assignments right away, and he could learn under an experienced corner before eventually taking over the No. 1 spot on the depth chart. 

Investing a first-round pick in a second shutdown corner could reap rewards in a division that features Dallas' one-two punch of Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb, Terry McLaurin in Washington and Jalen Reagor and Dallas Goedert in Philadelphia.

If Washington and Philadelphia make improvements to their offensive units, the Giants will need someone to step up alongside Bradberry to win divisional games, and that player could be Farley.

Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State

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Micah Parsons is listed as a linebacker, but he would serve as an upgrade to the pass rush, instead of closing the gaps in the middle.

New York had success in free agency by bringing in Blake Martinez, who leads the team with 118 tackles. 

Now that the Giants have a high-volume tackler in place, they need to add more of a pass rush since no defensive end or linebacker has more than three sacks in 2020. Defensive tackle Leonard Williams leads the franchise with 8.5 sacks. 

If the Giants find a pass-rusher who can make a similar impact to Washington's Chase Young, they will be in a much better position to compete in the coming years. 

Like Farley, Parsons did not participate in the 2020 college football season. He was one of the early opt-outs from Big Ten play. 

While he has the skills to be a middle linebacker, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller stated in his most recent 2021 mock draft that Parsons could also be an effective presence rushing off the edge. 

In his sophomore season, Parsons produced five sacks, forced four fumbles and recorded 107 tackles. 

If those numbers translate to the NFL, Parsons could make one of the biggest impacts of any member of the 2021 draft class. 

DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama

Matthew Hinton/Associated Press

There is always a chance the Giants opt for the best player available strategy.

DeVonta Smith's fantastic season with the Alabama Crimson Tide may make him a top-five pick, but he faces stiff competition in another deep wide receiver class. 

LSU's Ja'Marr Chase opted out of 2020, Justyn Ross could leave Clemson if he is cleared to play following an injury and Smith's college teammate Jaylen Waddle could intrigue teams if he is back to 100 percent by April. 

The Giants could use some help at wide receiver behind Darius Slayton, who is the only wideout with more than 500 receiving yards this season.

Sterling Shepard is 27, and Golden Tate is more of a role player at 32 than a top target moving forward for Jones. 

If all of the team's top defensive targets are taken, the Giants could make a run at one of the talented wide receivers. 

If the Giants do not take a wideout in the first round, they should look for one in the latter rounds to develop alongside Slayton. 

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Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference and ESPN.com