Opt-outs of top players complicate Giants' draft process

Miami defensive end Gregory Rousseau wears the turnover chain during a 2019 game against Central Michigan. Credit: TNS/Michael Laughlin

The COVID-19 pandemic had an immediate effect on the NFL Draft last year, causing it to become a virtual event. This year the hoopla and festivities will be in person once again, a sign of a return to normalcy, but the virus has greatly impacted the way NFL teams have had to prepare for the selection process.

More than 100 draft-eligible players either opted out or had their 2020 college football season dramatically altered by COVID-19, including some of the top prospects. There is a chance the player taken by the Giants in the first round on Thursday night…