Long Island News Post Published on April, 27th 2020
The 2020 NFL Draft has concluded with a quiet year for prospects from Long Island Schools. Although not many Long Island Prospects originally entered the draft, it is still disappointing that none were selected.
Although no long island players were selected in this year's draft, that doesn't mean the local New York Football teams didn't get better. Both teams selected players that double down their investment in Young Quarterbacks. We have summarized each team's draft below.
The New York Giants played it safe with their fourth overall selection on offensive tackle Andrew Thomas from Georgia. The Giants desperately need offensive line help and it will also prolong the career of previous picks RB Saqoun Barkley and QB Daniel Jones.
Although this pick was a safe and sure move, many people are questioning if it was the best option for the team. Freak athlete linebacker Isiah Simmons was still on the board, a prospect that many Giants fans would have loved to have on the team.
Thomas was the #4 overall graded tackle by ESPN.
In the following rounds, the Giants secured many other assets that will help support the team including more linemen. They were able to snag standout safety Xavier McKinney from Alabama in the second round, a player who many experts had considered to be taken in the first round.
You may have heard of the giants third-round selection Matt Peart, who is another offensive tackle who played at UConn. He is a local New York City Native who grew up in the Bronx and is the closest player to Long Island that was selected to a local team. There were a handful of other players from New York City boroughs in this year's draft as well.
New Coach Joe Judge seems to have selected a cast of players fit to form a successful program going forward.
Here is a summary of the Giants 2020 NFL Draft Selections:
- Round 1 OT Andrew Thomas, Georgia
- Round 2 S Xavier McKinney, Alabama
- Round 3 OT Matt Peart, UConn
- Round 4 CB Darnay Holmes, UCLA
- Round 5 G Shane Lemieux, Oregon
- Round 6 LB Cam Brown, Penn State
- Round 7 LB Carter Coughlin, Minnesota
- Round 7 LB T.J. Brunson, South Carolina
- Round 7 CB Chris Williamson, Minnesota
- Round 7 LB Tae Crowder, Georgia
New York Jets 2020 Draft Summary
The New York Jets also selected an offensive tackle with the first-round pick at 11 by drafting Mekhi Becton from Louisville. This pick makes sense, as the Jets are in a similar position as the Giants. In addition to just improving their offensive line, they have a young QB in Sam Darnold and superstar RB in Le'veon Bell that they need to protect.
The fans of the team seem satisfied with the choice as it helps solidify the offense overall. Some fans wanted the Jets to select a wide receiver with their first-round choice after losing Robbey Anderson to the Panthers in free agency.
Becton was the #2 graded offensive tackle in the draft by ESPN.
The Jets then proceeded to select WR Denzel Mims from Baylor, who will surely be a weapon for young quarterback Sam Darnold going forward. From there, the Jets bounced around selecting players on both sides of the ball.
Third-round pick S Ashtyn Davis will be a fantastic compliment to All-Star Safety Jamal Adams and will surely improve the Jets secondary. Questionable picks of the following rounds drew criticism from experts as the Jets selected both another RB and QB, positions in which they already have plenty of talent in Leveon Bell and Sam Darnold.
Unfortunately, none of the Jets selections were from the Long Island or New York City area.
You can find a full summary of the NY Jets 2020 draft below:
- Round 1 OT Mekhi Becton, Louisville
- Round 2 WR Denzel Mims, Baylor
- Round 3 S Ashtyn Davis, Cal
- Round 3 EDGE Jabari Zuniga, Florida
- Round 4 RB La'Mical Perine, Florida
- Round 4 QB James Morgan, FIU
- Round 4 OT Cameron Clark, Charlotte
- Round 5 CB Bryce Hall, Virginia
- Round 6 P Braden Mann, Texas A & M
Long Island Players in NFL 2020 Draft
Unfortunately, previously reported prospect LIU Receiver Jake Bofshever was not selected in this year's NFL draft. Although disappointing, it is unclear whether or not the receiver officially declared for the draft after doing some pre-draft interviews.
It's not surprising that no players from Long Island were taken, as Long Island is not known for producing football players compared to southern states like Alabama, Georgia, and Texas. Instead, Long Island has a reputation to produce lacrosse players and is regarded as one of the top places to play the sport in the world.
Notable Long Island NFL Players of The Past
Because NFL players from Long Island are few and far between, it makes them stand out that much more when playing at the next level. Notable Long Island players of the past include New York Jets D'Brickashaw Ferguson (2006-2015) who grew up in Freeport, Long Island.
Many Long Islanders may recognize the voice of Boomer Esiason from the radio show “Boomer and Gio”. Before getting into radio and television, Boomer Esiason was the quarterback for Bengals Jets and Cardinals over his lengthy NFL career. Did you know that Boomer grew up in Islip?
Another former player and a big name in current NFL media, Brian Baldinger ,
grew up on Long Island as well. He was born in Pennsylvania before growing up and graduating High School within Massapequa
School District
Baldinger was an offensive lineman for the Cowboys, Colts, and Eagles throughout his career. He currently works for NFL Network, where he is known for his “Baldy Breakdowns' ', where he breaks down NFL film from each week in incredible detail for the average fan.
It is only a matter of time before another player will get to represent Long Island on the biggest sports stage in America. Until then, we welcome the 2020 NFL Draft Class with open arms as they will be what helps out local teams succeed for years to come.
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Long Island News Post Published April 27th, 2020
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