NY Giants 2022 7-round mock draft: Jumpstarting offensive line rebuild
With one game left to go in the season, the NY Giants sit at 4-12 with two top 10 picks in the 2022 NFL Draft
The NY Giants have plenty of holes in their roster, this is obvious, however, with the Giants owning a multitude of draft picks this year, they have the opportunity to plug these holes if they draft the right players.
As of 1/5/22, these are where the NY Giants draft picks currently sit:
First round: picks No. 5 and No. 8 (via. Chicago Bears)
Second round: pick No. 36
Third round: picks No. 67 and No. 79 (via. Miami Dolphins)
Fourth round: pick No. 110 (via. Chicago Bears)
Fifth round: pick No. 145 and No. 170 (via. Kansas City Chiefs)
Sixth round: pick No. 182
(The NY Giants do not own a 7th round pick)
With 9 total picks, the NY Giants can seemingly turn things around in one draft, IF they draft correctly.
One of the biggest problems they can solve during this year’s draft is the issue’s on the offensive line, the NY Giants currently have one of, if not the worst offensive lines in all of the NFL, and lucky for them, this draft class is full of offensive linemen who can come in and possibly become instant impact players.
With that being said, here is a full 7 round mock draft for the NY Giants based on their picks as of 1/5/22:
Round 1, pick No. 5: OL Ikem Ekwonu, NC State:
As previously mentioned, this draft class is chock-full of offensive lineman who are considered to be elite prospects, and Ikem Ekwonu is one of them.
With it being likely that top prospect Evan Neal will be picked before the NY Giants make their selection, Ikem Ekwonu is the next best prospect at tackle.
Coming in at 6’4, 320 pounds, Ekwonu has been dominant all season at NC State, gaining an overall grade of 91.6, per PFF.
Ekwonu was one of the best run-blocking offensive linemen in the country, obtaining a grade of 93.8 in that aspect, per PFF. Using his fantastic technique, strength, and athleticism, Ekwonu dominated almost every defender he faced in the run game, and with the NY Giants being in desperate need of a top tier run blocker for Saquon Barkley, Ekwonu seems like a perfect fit.
Something that could become interesting if the NY Giants decide to draft Ekwonu is if they decide to move him to guard, which for his size is his more ideal position, or keep him at tackle.
For what the NY Giants need that they should keep him at tackle, Ekwonu’s ability to get out into the open field is otherworldly, and when you combine that with his great ability as a pass blocker, it makes more sense to keep him at tackle.
In 500 pass-blocking snaps this season, Ekwonu only allowed three sacks, 10 QB hurries, and zero QB hits, proving that he has the potential to be an elite pass blocker in the NFL, this being mostly due to his elite technique and hand work.