Mock Draft: New York Giants roster needs more than a new QB
By Hunter Haas
The Porous Giants Offensive Line Deserves Blame
But it likely wouldn’t even matter if Jones and Barkley were both 100 percent healthy. The offensive line is THAT bad. Don’t believe me? The NFL record for sacks taken by a single quarterback is 76 when David Carr was still a rising prospect in Houston.
Jones’ potential missed time due to injury is the only thing that will save him from blowing past that record. The Giants’ signal-caller is currently on pace to be sacked an astonishing 94 times. To further hammer home the point, PFF has the offensive line ranked dead last in multiple grades. Simply put, it is a disaster.
Now, we must mention the injuries that have played into this regression upfront. Franchise cornerstone Andrew Thomas suffered a hamstring injury in the team’s Week 1 trouncing of the divisional rival Dallas Cowboys. He hasn’t put on a helmet since then, and boy, can fans tell.
Perhaps even worse is Evan Neal’s subpar play. A highly-heralded prospect out of Alabama, Neal has yet to live up to his otherworldly potential. In fact, his performance in 2023 has been such an eyesore that draft analysts are circling back to the college tape to see what they missed.
I’m not quite ready to call Neal a bust; he hasn’t even been a professional for a season and a half yet. However, the mental errors and overall energy level of the Crimson Tide alum is alarming — there’s no other way to say it. But I recommend holding off on Neal’s judgment until Thomas returns.
On the flip side, the defense has played fairly well, even without getting any support from the offense. Kayvon Thibodeaux has been special, as the former top-five pick is poised to reach a dozen or more sacks on the year. Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams provide more support in the trenches with their high-end play.
At linebacker, Bobby Okereke has been a solid addition to the unit, while Cordale Flott is making his mark at cornerback. The defense is closer to being a complete deck, but it still needs reinforcements in the secondary and at the second level. Let’s hit a quick 3-round Giants mock draft and attempt to bolster some of the weaker spots on the depth chart.