Giants 3-round 2022 NFL Mock Draft 3.0: Big Blue still has desperate needs

With no salary cap space to really spend in free agency, the Giants didn’t do much to change their future outlook over the last couple of weeks. They found some stop-gap players at offensive line and tight end. But none of them figure to be around very long.

So their draft needs are still the same, and those needs are still just as urgent. The draft, of course, is always where they figured to do most of their offseason work. So which players are they eyeing now, with the draft five weeks away? With the usual help from an array of NFL scouts, executives and other sources, here’s a look at how the first three rounds might go…

First round (5^th overall) – North Carolina State OT Ikem Ekwonu

The Giants have now signed four offensive linemen since the free-agent signing period began and not one of them figures to be their starting right tackle next season. So it remains as impossible as ever to imagine the Giants not taking a tackle with one of their two first-round picks, or to imagine them not dancing to the podium if the 6-4, 310-pound Ekwonu or Alabama’s Evan Neal are still there. This isn’t a need – it’s a desperate need. And they can’t take a chance on someone in the later rounds when they have a chance to grab an elite player here. Setting themselves up with two tackles, including the returning Andrew Thomas, changes their outlook for the future, especially since interior linemen are easier to develop and find. Ekwonu, who could easily be a Top 4 pick, is a no-brainer here. Same goes for Neal.

First round (7^th overall) – Cincinnati CB Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner

This is a tough call because in this version of my mock draft, Oregon edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux was still available. But the more I hear all the doubts about Thibodeaux’s “fire” and passion for the game, the more I think people around the NFL truly believe it. There really are a lot of people that believe he’s going to do a freefall in this draft, whether he deserves it or not. Also, I continue to be convinced that the Giants are going to have to move on from cornerback James Bradberry whether they want to or not. And if – when – they do, they can’t leave themselves with Adoree’ Jackson and a bunch of guys drafted in the middle rounds by someone else at cornerback. The 6-3, 190-pound Gardner has elite talent and could be the shutdown corner the Giants, without Bradberry, need.

Second round (36^th overall) – Colorado State TE Trey McBride

The Giants made a nice, bargain-bin signing when they added Ricky Seals-Jones, but he is not a dangerous receiver, nor is he an answer to their long-term problem at this position. After dumping Evan Engram, Kyle Rudolph and Kaden Smith they need bodies, and quarterback Daniel Jones needs more than one tight end who can catch. The 6-4, 246-pound McBride can definitely do that. In fact, he was a tremendous receiver for the Rams. He is also emerging as the best tight end in this class.

Third round (67^th overall) – Georgia DT DeVonte Wyatt

This isn’t GM Joe Schoen’s history, but in his four seasons in Buffalo the Bills took five defensive linemen in the first three rounds. Granted, it was a different defense, but he knows the importance of a defensive line and can’t like what he sees up front for the Giants long-term. Leonard Williams will be around a few more years (probably), but it remains to be seen if they’ll pick up Dexter Lawrence’s 2023 option and Austin Johnson just signed with the Chargers. So there’s a hole there to fill both for now and in the future. The 6-4, 304-pound Wyatt could be a nice, disruptive force next to Lawrence, who has never become the pass rusher the Giants once hoped. He’s strong against the run too. With him, Lawrence and Williams, the Giants would have a formidable, 3-4 front, at least for this year.

Third round (81^st overall) – Georgia RB James Cook

Dalvin Cook’s little brother is suddenly a very trendy choice for the Giants, who do seem to be high on his potential. And they are also in the market for a running back for the future. The fact that they’re open to trading Saquon Barkley is a pretty clear indication that he doesn’t figure into their future plans. The 5-11, 199-pound Cook isn’t Barkley, but he doesn’t have to be if the Giants build the offensive line right in front of him. He’s got 4.42 speed, breakaway ability and the hands to be a good receiver out of the backfield. He’d be a change-of-pace to Barkley (and Matt Breida) for one season, then he could be poised to take on a larger role. Scouts aren’t sure how much of a load he can handle, though. He’s not built the same as his brother, which might prevent him from being the same kind of feature back.