The New York Giants own the number two pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and so far almost all of the attention has been paid to that pick. Will it be a quarterback? Saquon Barkley? Will it be a trade? However, the Giants are in a great position to add solid depth in the later rounds as well. They currently own six picks, all in the first five rounds including two in the third round, the second and fifth picks in the third.
GM Dave Gettleman will have a lot of good options to choose from. This draft is fairly deep and there is a lot of talent that could fall into the Giants’ laps, especially in the third round. One name that might be called is Penn State wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton.
The wide receiver position isn’t exactly a huge position of need for the Giants but there is certainly a lack of depth at the position. Odell Beckham, Jr. is coming off an injury that cost him all but the first three games. Sterling Shepard was also banged up last season but showed progress in his second year. Evan Engram was a pleasant surprise at tight end and should be the third option in the passing game. After that, however, there is a lot of question marks and unproven commodities.
The Giants met with Hamilton several times prior to the Draft and every report has been positive about him. He is a solid individual in the locker room, a leader, and would fit perfectly into the type of player the Giants are looking for after last season’s turmoil in the locker room.
Hamilton would be an intriguing option in the slot or outside. He might be better suited for the slot as he has shown a fantastic ability to catch the ball in traffic. He will jump and fight for the ball, which seems like something that needs to be a prerequisite with the Giants these days. He isn’t a great prospect per se but he is a well-rounded one in a draft that lacks a lot of elite talent at WR. There is a chance that someone could take him in the third, or maybe even earlier as things can get crazy once the draft starts.
Hamilton stands in at 6’1” and 203 lbs and had a solid 4.52 40-yard dash during Penn State’s Pro Day. The 40-yard dash time isn’t eye-popping but it isn’t exactly awful either. One of the knocks on Hamilton was that he lacked elite speed and it seems like he always ran the speed during games. However, he can elude tackles once he has the ball and is not an easy tackle. He will fight for that extra yard. He has a drive and hunger inside of him that can’t be measured at a Combine or Pro Day. Call me crazy but he could be one of the better receivers in the game if he keeps that drive.
There is no doubt the Giants need depth at the position. Whether or not they address it in the draft is another matter. However, word is the Giants love Hamilton and there is enough talent and certainly football instinct there to warrant spending a pick on him. He would complement the Giants’ passing game and he could surprise people and emerge as a true star at the position.