NY Giants 7-round 2022 NFL mock draft: tackles, and edge help on the way

Round 5, pick No. 169: Ellis Books, LB, Penn State

The NY Giants are starting to see some of the young linebackers they’ve drafted in recent years develop into starting caliber players, but continuing to add talent at the position should be a priority.

Brooks is a thumper, with a nose for the football, who has developed into a playmaker in the heart of the Nittany Lions‘ defense, and might just prove an ideal complement alongside a healthy Blake Martinez.

Standing 6-foot-1 and 241 pounds, Brookes produced 100 total tackles this season, along with one sack and one pass breakup.

Brooks’ reliability in coverage, physicality, and leadership as a three-year starter in Penn State’s defense has given him plenty of big-game experience that could help smooth the transition from the Big Ten to the NFC East.