Giants 2022 NFL Draft report card: Grading Big Blue's picks

No one ever said that rebuilding the Giants would be easy or fast. Too much damage had been done to the organization over the last four seasons and in many ways, new GM Joe Schoen is starting from scratch.

So it may take some time to really know what the rookie GM did in his first draft running the Giants’ war room. But here’s an early look at the Giants’ Class 2022 with grades for every selection, and an overall grade for the class at the end:

Oregon DE Kayvon Thibodeaux (First round, 5^th overall)

As recently as two months ago, this 6-4, 254-pound edge rusher was expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. NFL scouts thought he was that good. So what happened? It began around the NFL scouting combine with reports that anonymous scouts were questioning his “fire.” Others followed wondering about his passion and love for the game, and about whether his outside interests would prove to be a distraction, especially in such a big market. The Giants had those concerns too, but they did extensive work on him, including a dinner with him and Schoen out in Eugene, Ore., and several in-depth meetings with others on the Giants staff. They decided he was a good kid with a big personality who can really play. They view him as a part of a dynamic duo coming off the edge with linebacker Azeez Ojulari. Would they have taken a cornerback if Cincinnati’s Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner had fallen to them? Yes. But a long, fast edge rusher can be a big piece of Don “Wink” Martindale’s defense too – especially one as fast, smart and dangerous as Thibodeaux. Whatever concerns other teams had about him, the Giants were glad they did.

GRADE: A-

Alabama OT Evan Neal (First round, 7^th overall)

The most obvious and predictable part of this NFL Draft was that the Giants were going to come out of Day 1 with their starting right tackle. Maybe it was a surprise that they took him at 7 instead of 5, but they still got the one they wanted – a massive, 6-7, 337-pounder who is the final piece of their 2022 offensive line. It was a glaring hole that obviously needed to be filled after they signed stop-gap veterans to play center and both guard positions. And their plan all along was to fill it in Round 1, and they hoped it would be with Neal. He is now one of their two bookend tackles, along with the improving Andrew Thomas. His obvious size is matched by his athleticism and strength and there are no worries about him handling the best edge rushers in the NFL. After nearly a decade of failures to rebuild the offensive line, and heading into a critical year for the Giants’ young franchise quarterback, rebuilding the line was a priority for Schoen. They weren’t going to let an elite tackle pass them by. 

GRADE: A

Kentucky WR Wan’Dale Robinson (Second round, 43^rd overall)

Taking a receiver this high when the Giants have so many other needs isn’t necessarily crazy, though it is a bit strange considering they already have Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard, Kadarius Toney and Darius Slayton. Also a bit strange is which receiver they chose – a 5-8, 178-pound slot receiver that more than a few scouts figured would still be available on Day 3. The Giants, though, see him as a perfect fit in Brian Daboll’s offense, which obviously hasn’t been unveiled yet. They think he’s a dangerous, elusive receiver who can do a variety of things, from playing out of the slot to gadget plays to kickoff and punt returns. In some ways he could fill the role that Cole Beasley did up in Buffalo for Daboll. Of course, he also has some similarities to Toney in his game, but the Giants like those skills enough they don’t seem to care. It did help that Schoen traded down twice to make this pick, getting an extra fifth-round pick from the Jets and then an extra fourth-round pick from the Falcons. Had he stayed put at 36 or even 38 he might have taken a cornerback, which is a much bigger need. But the corners he wanted were all gone by the time the draft got here. So they reached a bit for Robinson. Whether it was a good reach will depend on how Daboll uses him this year. 

GRADE: C+

North Carolina OT Joshua Ezeudu (Third round, 67^th overall)

The Giants offensive line has been such a mess for so long they really don’t have any young players in their developmental pipeline, and finding those was obviously a priority in this draft for Schoen. So even though it might not seem like good value to take player who probably won’t play much this year so high, the Giants felt it was a necessity. They believe this 6-4, 308-pounder could be a future starter at guard, probably next season once the stop-gap veterans they signed are gone. They like his size and strength and particularly like his flexibility. He’s hasn’t just played left and right and guard and tackle, he occasionally played guard and tackle in the same game. Will he be able to push either Mark Glowinski or Max Garcia for a starting job? Probably not right away. But maybe he’ll be ready if someone gets hurt later in the season. More importantly for the Giants, they expect he’ll be ready in 2023.

GRADE: B

LSU CB Cor’Dale Flott (Third round, 81^st overall)

The entire NFL knew that at some point in this draft the Giants were going to have to take a cornerback. Most believed they would do it in the first two rounds. They waited a little longer, though, and whether they regret that or not probably depends on whether they’re able to trade (or cut) veteran James Bradberry or whether there really are “contingency plans” to keep him on the team. The Giants like what they got in this 6-foot, 175-pounder, but it’s the 175 pounds part that worries some scouts. He’s a little lean to take an NFL pounding, which means he probably needs to bulk up a bit before he can just step in and become a starter. The Giants sounded like they planned to use him at nickelback at first, which should give him some time to ease into the NFL and get bigger along the way. That’s fine, especially if Bradberry is still on the roster. If he’s not, the Giants might end up wishing they had jumped on a more NFL-ready cornerback earlier in the draft. 

GRADE: B

San Diego State TE Daniel Bellinger (Fourth round, 112^th overall)

The Giants somehow didn’t see tight end as an urgent need – at least not as urgent as many outside their organization. They seemed content to go into this season with Ricky Seals-Jones and a mid-round addition in this draft. This 6-5, 253-pounder wasn’t much of a receiving tight end in college, but he was a decent blocker, according to scouts. He’s a good athlete and has good hands, so there’s potential for him to become more of a weapon. But he’ll need some time to learn how to get open against NFL defenses. He’d be a good developmental player and probably more of a blocking tight end at first. 

GRADE: C+

Iowa S Dane Belton (Fourth round, 114^th overall)

The Giants only have two safeties on their roster, so you’d think they would’ve felt a greater urgency to add another. But their patience paid off when they got this 6-1, 205-pounder in the fourth round. He played a hybrid linebacker/safety spot for the Hawkeyes because he can both cover well and hit hard. He ran a 4.43 in the 40, but maybe more importantly he showed a nose for the football last season with five interceptions and seven pass breakups in 14 games. He can be very disruptive and could have an immediate role with the Giants in three-safety sets. 

GRADE: A-

Indiana LB Micah McFadden (Fifth round, 146^th overall)

He was a three-year starter at middle linebacker for the Hoosiers and the 6-1, 240-pounder was productive. He also can run and rush the passer, with 6 ½ sacks last season and 12 ½ over the past two years. He actually may be more of an outside linebacker in the pros, though he’s a little small to be a true edge player. The Giants likely view him as a player who can be a special teams contributor now and someone who could develop to eventually replace veteran Blake Martinez, whose contract expires at the end of the season. He’s a two-time team captain, so the Giants like his character too. 

GRADE: B

Arizona State DT D.J. Davidson (Fifth round, 147^th overall)

The Giants are pretty thin along the defensive line, but this 6-3, 327-pounder has a chance to immediately come in and help with that. He was a three-year starter for the Sun Devils and developed into a very good run-stopper. He offers almost nothing in terms of a pass rush, but he’s big, strong and hard to move and can absorb blockers to help others along the line get through. Basically, he’s a big guy who can do the dirty work inside, which will theoretically clear the way for the pass rushers to get through.

GRADE: B

North Carolina G Marcus McKethan (Fifth round, 173^th overall)

Once again, there is no arguing any time the Giants take an offensive lineman considering how starved they have been for good, young talent at this position. And it’s hard to taking someone with this kind of size, too. McKethan is a huge man – 6-6, 340 – with terrific strength and could be an excellent, road-grading guard in the future. Scouts say he’s not quick and his pass protection needs some work, but he’s got time to learn behind all the veteran guards the Giants signed this offseason. Their hope is that he’s competing for a job by next season. But at this point, the more linemen in that mix, the better.

GRADE: B-

Cincinnati LB Darrian Beavers (Sixth round, 182^th overall)

If there’s one thing we’ve learned in this draft about Martindale, it’s that he likes linebackers who play aggressive and fast. In the 6-4, 237-pound Beavers he got a big one. He had 4 ½ sacks last season and 11 ½ tackles for loss. He likely figures in more as a special teamer as a backup, but if he improves his technique he could turn into more. Once again, he’s a scheme fit and a future pick. He fits what Martindale wants to do. 

GRADE: B-

OVERALL CLASS OF 2022

Schoen’s first draft with the Giants got off to a heck of a start, which isn’t surprising considering he was holding two picks in the Top 7. He did exactly what he was supposed to do with those picks. He got two players who should have an immediate impact.

As for the rest of his draft, it was a lot of wait and see.

Almost every other player he drafted for the Giants seemed to be more about the future, which generally isn’t a bad strategy when staring at a team that might take several years to rebuild. What was odd about it, though, is there were immediate holes to fill – players that could come in and play now. For the most part, though, Schoen either passed up or delayed those needs for players with potential that he preferred.

It does make sense. The Brian Daboll offense and the Don “Wink” Martindale defense are going to be a lot different than what the Giants played before, which means they’re going to need different kinds of player. A great example of that is their second-round pick, 5-8 receiver Wan’Dale Robinson. The tiny slot receiver seemed like a reach, but Daboll saw a player that fit exactly what he wants to do. It’s hard to argue until we all see how he’s used.

The same is true for their defensive players. They got a speedy, hard-hitting safety (Dane Belton), an aggressive middle linebacker (Micah McFadden) and a block-eating defensive tackle (D.J. Davidson). It’s likely none of them will start this year. Maybe they won’t have a huge impact. But they’re scheme fits who could be good players in time.

And that’s what Schoen’s first class needs: Time. Getting a star edge rusher (Kayvon Thibodeaux) and right tackle (Evan Neal) in Round 1 was easy and it made him very popular. The rest of the draft wasn’t very exciting, but maybe it’ll all pay off by next year.

GRADE: B-