NY Giants mock draft: 5 first-round targets for New York in 2022

The NY Giants appear to be closer to the beginning of a rebuild than the end of one, and could be armed with two top-15 picks in the first-round of the 2022 NFL Draft 

The 2022 NFL Draft could prove pivotal to the NY Giants’ future.

Whether Dave Gettleman returns as general manager, or is fired by John Mara this offseason and replaced, the NY Giants could be armed with a pair of selections in the top-15 picks of the 2022 NFL Draft to continue building around quarterback Daniel Jones.

Thanks to the Giants trade during the 2021 NFL Draft with the Chicago Bears, which netted a fifth-round pick and 2022 first-round pick in exchange for the No. 11 overall choice, New York has the chance to possibly add two blue-chip prospects next spring.

Here’s a look at five potential first-round targets for the NY Giants in the 2022 NFL Draft:

Tyler Linderbaum – C, Iowa

NY Giants center Nick Gates faces a very uncertain future, following a gruesome leg injury suffered against the Washington Football Team, earlier this eason.

Regardless of whether Gates is able to return — and return to form — interior offensive line remains a top priority for the NY Giants, which should push players such as Iowa’s Tyler Linderbaum up the organization’s big board.

Linderbaum, 6-foot-3 and 290 pounds, is in the midst of a dominant 2021 campaign, garnering an 89.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus through the first five games of the Hawkeyes’ season.

If the NY Giants are aiming to add an anchor along a revamped offensive line, Linderbaum would certainly fit that bill.