New York Giants: Six First Round Targets in the 2022 NFL Draft
By Hunter Haas
The New York Giants have a chance to accelerate their rebuild by nailing their two selections within the first seven picks of the 2022 NFL Draft. Who should they target?
Former general manager Dave Gettleman left behind a bit of a mess for the new regime to clean up. One positive that new general manager Joe Schoen can take from the Gettleman era is the No.7 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Due to an uncharacteristic trade down last year, the Giants acquired a first-round selection from the Chicago Bears in 2022. That pick landed in the top seven, two spots behind the Giants’ own first-round pick.
Schoen has been meticulous this offseason, making moves that can help this year but also won’t impact the flexibility of the roster going forward. The team seems committed to giving quarterback Daniel Jones a fair chance under the tutelage of new head coach, Brian Daboll. Daboll has received a large amount of credit for the trajectory of Josh Allen’s career. It is unfair to assume that Daboll can do the same with Daniel Jones, but it is not a stretch to say that the Giants’ offense could be one of the most improved in the league.
This is not to say that a Super Bowl run is in the near future, but the roster is not as barren as many believe it to be. If Saquon Barkley can stay on the field, that alone will take a lot of pressure off of the fourth-year quarterback. Last offseason, Gettleman signed Kenny Golladay to a four-year commitment worth a total of $72 million. Golladay did not live up to that price tag in his first year with the Big Blue, but he has shown multiple times in his career that he has the talent capable of eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark.
The defensive line has some quality players all across the unit. Leonard Williams (27), Dexter Lawrence (24), and Azeez Ojulari (21) are impact players that still have even more room to grow. Leonard Williams has a combined 18 sacks in his two full seasons in New York, and as a rookie Ojulari was able to track down the quarterback eight times. Safety Xavier McKinney is another youngster on the defensive side of the ball, supporting the belief that there is more talent on the roster than given credit for.
Outside of McKinney, the secondary has changed a lot already and has the potential to change even more. After two seasons, the New York Giants moved on from Logan Ryan earlier in the offseason. Jabrill Peppers signed with the New England Patriots recently, and James Bradberry has been in trade talks since the season ended. The expectation is that Bradberry will be moved at some point, with the likes of Kansas City and Indianapolis pursing the veteran cornerback.
Linebacker is in a very similar state. Tae Crowder, Blake Martinez, and Quincy Roche doesn’t sound terrible on paper but Roche is still very much a work-in-progress and Martinez missed nearly all of 2021 due to injury. Crowder was a revelation at the position, but it is crucial that the team brings in more talent and depth in order to create healthy competition, as well as to protect from injury. Tight end’s Evan Engram and Kyle Rudolph are no longer with the team, but they did sign journeyman Ricky Seals-Jones to a one-year deal. Still, expect the position to be addressed in the draft this year.
Finally, the elephant in the room: the offensive line. Outside of Andrew Thomas, nobody is safe with a new front office in town. Nick Gates and Matt Peart showed flashes of starting caliber play, but flashes only. Schoen didn’t waste time adding to the unit, signing veteran guards Mark Glowinski and Jon Feliciano. Glowinski started for a few seasons at right guard in Indianapolis, and is an upgrade from what the team had in 2021. Feliciano came over from Buffalo, and is expected to challenge for the starting center spot. The team desperately needs a bookend tackle and at least one more starting caliber player on the interior.
New York Giants: First Round Targets in the 2022 NFL Draft
Luckily, the New York Giants have plenty of draft capital to address their needs with. In this article, I pick out the six most likely options for the Giants with their first two picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. At No.5 and No.7 overall, they are guaranteed to be in a position to add two elite talents to the roster. Without further ado, let’s get this started.