The 2022 NFL Draft could have major implications for the NY Giants‘ future. With that being said, there are several prospects in each round the Giants must scout heavily, as they could potentially be the key to turning the franchise around.
While the second round of this year’s draft class is not nearly as flashy and exciting as the first round, per usual, there are still plenty of potential stars who could be selected by the Giants in the second round. Whether they decided to go offensive line, defensive line, linebackers, etc. The Giants have several positions of need they could potentially fill in the second round.
Here are some players the Giants could potentially draft in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
NY Giants Round 2 Target: OG Zion Johnson, Boston College
While I believe that there is a very good chance that Zion Johnson ends up going in the first round to teams like the Bengals, Buccaneers, Cowboys, etc. If Johnson manages to fall to the second round, the Giants must not hesitate to draft him.
Zion Johnson is a prospect that I have been very high on since I began my draft evaluations, as I believe he has the potential to be the best guard in the entire draft. Coming in at 6’3, 316 pounds, Zion Johnson had a monster season at Boston College, tallying a pass-blocking grade of 81.6, alongside a run-blocking grade of 84.4 per, PFF. In addition to these grades, Zion Johnson also only allowed 1 sack, 3 QB hurries, and 2 QB hits in 364 pass-blocking snaps.
There is a lot to like about Zion Johnson. Whether it be his remarkable combination of speed and power, his great hand technique and footwork, or even his ability to manage different defensive stunts, something previous Giants guard Will Hernandez could never do. There are plenty of reasons for the Giants to draft Johnson.
That being said, I still believe there is a good chance that Zion Johnson is selected in the first round. As he is too good of a talent to slip to the 2nd round. However, if Johnson manages to fall to the second round, the Giants should not hesitate to draft him. As I believe he has the potential to be a star offensive lineman right out of the gate.