Which players should Giants fans be watching on Rivalry Saturday?
Good morning New York Giants fans! Happy Saturday and welcome to Rivalry Week!
It’s actually College Football Saturday this time, and we have some potentially great games on the slate for today. As I mentioned yesterday, these rivalry games also tend to make for great scouting tape, so this is a must-watch weekend from a draft perspective as well.
Okay, enough introduction, let’s get to the football.
James Pearce Jr. (EDGE, Tennessee)
vs. Vanderbilt (ABC, noon)
Pearce was in contention to be the first pick in the draft when the season started. He has a prototypical blend of length and athleticism to be a premier pass rusher in the NFL. Pearce has an explosive first step as well as the bend to win with speed around the edge. He has the potential to be disruptive at the next level and his athleticism makes him a threat to make a game-changing play at any time.
Unfortunately, Pearce’s draft stock has taken a bit of a hit this year, as he hasn’t taken the expected step forward. He’s had a reasonably productive year to date, with 7.5 sacks and a forced fumble. That said, he still needs to hone the finer points of his game and continue to grow as a technician. Likewise, Pearce is a bit lean at 243 pounds and can struggle to win when offensive tackles are ready for his speed.
He’ll still be a first round draft pick, and even so he has the potential to be a steal if a team can unlock his potential.
Emeka Egbuka (WR, Ohio State)
vs. Michigan (Fox, noon)
We’ve talked about quite a few Ohio State prospects this year. After all, they’re one of the most talented teams in the country and are stocked with future NFL players at just about every position. But even so, we’ve only just mentioned wide receiver Emeka Egbuka. The Giants have invested pretty heavily in receiver over the last three years, yet they could do so again in 2024.
Egbuka has played in the shadow of players like Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxson Smith-Njigba, and Marvin Harrison Jr. over his four years at OSU. He might not be a “WR 1” at the next level, but he has the ability to be a good and versatile WR 2 for a number of teams. Egbuka has been a slot receiver for OSU, but he has the size (6-foot-1, 205 pounds) to line up on the outside as well. He’s a smooth route runner with good ball skills and soft hands, and is a legitimately dangerous weapon with the ball in his hands.
There’s some question as to whether or not Egbuka offers upside as a vertical threat, though he reportedly has a 40-yard dash in the 4.3’s. This receiver class doesn’t offer the hype of the 2024 class, but players like Egbuka have the potential to be gems if they slip to the second day of the draft.
T.J. Sanders (DL, South Carolina)
vs. Clemson (ESPN, noon)
The Giants could use reinforcements along their defensive line. As great as Dexter Lawrence is, he can’t do everything himself and the big guy needs rest. Adding a player who can fill multiple roles as well as take advantage of the attention paid to Lawrence should be a priority for the Giants.
Sanders is a relatively lean defensive tackle at 6-foot-4, 290 pounds, which allows him to line up at 3, 4i, or 5 technique in any 1-gap scheme. The Giants feature a multiple front, and Sanders could give them added versatility along the line of scrimmage. He also has the first step to attack into the backfield when faced with 1-on-1 matchups, as well as the short-area quickness to execute stunts and twists.
Shane Bowen’s defense is predicated on pressure with a four-man pass rush. And while the Giants have spent most of the year leading the NFL in sacks, their pressure rate isn’t particularly impressive. Adding another player who can win quickly and either capitalize when quarterbacks attempt to climb the pocket, or prevent them from stepping up to escape edge pressure, would go a long way toward helping the secondary.
Darian Porter (CB, Iowa State)
vs. Kansas State (Fox, 7:30 p.m.)
Speaking of help for the secondary, Iowa State’s Darian Porter is flying under the radar but could rocket up draft boards over the course of the draft process.
Porter is a converted wide receiver who has elite length for the position at 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, as well as legitimate “track” speed. As a high school athlete, he set a state record in the 400-meter and claimed state championships in the 200 and 400-meter events. His background as a receiver shows up when playing in off and zone coverage, and he understands how to use his length in man coverage.
He needs to improve his play strength, and his height can work against him when matched up on smaller, quicker receivers. Porter obviously still needs development as a cornerback, as he only transitioned from wide receiver in 2022 and has less than three years at the position. He has a receiver’s ball skills and understanding of route concepts, but needs greater discipline and technical development as a cornerback.
That could hold him down draft boards a bit, but teams could certainly be willing to work with him if he turns a 4.3-second 40 at 6-foot-4.
Tez Johnson (WR, Oregon)
vs. Washington (NBC, 7:30 p.m.)
We haven’t really talked about Tez Johnson yet this year. He’s an undersized (5-foot-10, 170-pounds) but explosive playmaker who’s upside has been compared to Tank Dell. But while the Giants could use all the playmakers they can get, I don’t want them to draft Johnson.
It has nothing to do with the player and no, it’s not because of his size. Size isn’t a skill set. But rather, it’s due to sentiment and I think the only team that should be drafting Tez Johnson is the Denver Broncos. That’s because of the connection between Bo Nix and Johnson, and the role that the quarterback has already played in Johnson’s life.
Bo and Tez met when Patrick Nix (Bo’s father) became the football coach at Pinson Valley High in Alabama. Bo met Tez when he (Nix) organized a throwing session after arriving at the school. Tez came from a very troubled home life, and the Nix family invited him in to give him some security and structer. Eventually they formally adopted Johnson, and now Tez and Bo are brothers in every way that actually matters.
On the field, Tez is an electric athlete and a solid route runner with good ball skills. It isn’t an accident that he easily leads Oregon in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. There are a lot of teams who could use a weapon like Tez Johnson, but it would only be fitting for him to be reunited with his brother in Denver.
Quarterback tracker
- Cade Klubnik — vs. South Carolina (ESPN, noon)
- Cam Ward — vs. Syracuse (ESPN, 3:30 p.m.)
- Jalen Milroe — vs. Auburn (ABC, 3:30 p.m.)
- Drew Allar — vs. Maryland (Big Ten Network, 3:30 p.m.)
- Kurtis Rourke — vs. Purdue (FS1, 7:00 p.m.)
- Garrett Neussmeier — vs. Oklahoma (ESPN, 7:00 p.m.)
- Quinn Ewers — vs. Texas A&M (ABC, 7:30 p.m.)
- Dillon Gabriel — vs. Washington (NBC, 7:30 p.m.)
Games to watch
- (12) Clemson vs. (15) South Carolina — ESPN, noon
- (2) Ohio State vs. Michigan — Fox, noon
- (13) Alabama vs. Auburn — ABC, 3:30 p.m.
- Syracuse vs. (6) Miami — ESPN, 3:30 p.m.
- (20) Texas A&M vs. (3) Texas — ABC, 7:30 p.m.
