New York Giants 7-Round Mock Draft: Big Blue finally addresses offensive line

New York Giants Mock Draft: Round 4 (No. 112) – Center Luke Fortner

One of the key attributes a locker room needs to truly push the envelope in a season is leadership. The kind of leadership that can rally the troops when needed and hold those around them accountable when things get rough. Now that the Giants are in the middle round of this mock draft, they draft a proven leader in center Luke Fortner out of Kentucky.

Fortner brings a lot to the table as he’s 6-6 and 300 lbs with many key attributes that the Giants look for in their players. He was a team captain at Kentucky and was also a leader that lead by example. He has a few things to work on in order to thrive at the next level as a starting center but has the foundation and intelligence to get there over time.

The Giants can easily develop Fortner to be another anchor on their offensive line and continue building upon his natural abilities. He’s decent in pass protection and in a rotational role at center, could be used as quality depth his first few years in the league.

Fortner has a lot of experience in calling plays, picking up pre-snap blitzes, and adjusting well during a football game. With the kind of coaching the Giants can provide him, it might take a year or two but he could very well be on his way to being the long-term answer at the most important position of their offensive line.

New York Giants Mock Draft: Round 5 (No. 147) – Running Back Tyler Badie

Unfortunately for the Giants, they’ve been hit with injuries and a lack of consistency when it comes to their running back situation. There is no telling if running back Saquon Barkley will test free agency next year or if he’s in the long-term plans of the franchise but the positional group needs another name in the mix.

With these later rounds in this year’s draft, it’s all about seeing if Schoen can find those hidden gems. If it’s anything to learn, it’s probably not expected that the Giants are going to spend too high of a draft pick on a running back but here in Round 5, they’ll find great value by drafting Tyler Badie out of Missouri.

At 5-7 and 199lbs, Badie is a dual-threat running back that thrives at getting a chunk of playing time to do what he does best. It’s all about the production he’d bring for the Giants and if used either in 3rd down situations or on screen plays, it could bring a better dimension to this part of their offense.

In his four years at Missouri, Badie put on quite the show in multiple offensive roles on the Tigers’ offense. As a running back, he totaled 2,740 rushing yards, 513 attempts, and 23 touchdowns. As a receiving option, he totaled 1,149 receiving yards, 126 receptions, and 11 touchdowns. With his experience as a punt returner as well, he’s going to be a dynamic player on the Giants that can be subbed in and be a difference-maker.