The 2022 NFL Draft, which begins this Thursday in Las Vegas, could be the most important day in NY Giants history since February 5, 2012, when the Giants shocked the Patriots with a 21-17 win in Super Bowl XLVI, to win their second championship in four years.
The last decade has been filled with turmoil in East Rutherford and the pressure is on first-year general manager, Joe Schoen, to come away from this year’s draft with multiple impact players for the future.
There are many ways in which the front office can choose to attack the draft as the Giants need help at the offensive line, linebacker, defensive end, secondary, and even punter positions. With so many needs across the board, Schoen can afford to be patient in some spots, and draft the best player available on the Giants board in round one.
In the first round, there is elite, blue-chip talent, at all of the weakest spots on the current Giants’ roster. Evan Neal, Ikem Ekonwu, or Charles Cross, could all pair with Andrew Thomas and give the Giants two formidable tackles.
Derek Stingley Jr. or Sauce Gardner could give the Giants a lockdown corner, which is of immense importance in Wink Martindale’s defense where corners are left on islands. At defensive end, Aidan Hutchinson, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Travon Walker would instantly upgrade the Giants pass rusher group, giving the Giants a star in that position for the first time since Jason Pierre-Paul was traded.
If Schoen gets an offer good enough to trade down, he could target Nakobe Dean or Devin Lloyd to play linebacker, forming a formidable duo on the inside with Blake Martinez. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly how the top four will shake out in the draft, which will obviously affect who is available for the Giants to draft at 5 and 7.
Here’s how I see the first four picks in the 2022 NFL draft shaking out.
1-Jacksonville, Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan
2-Detriot, Travon Walker, DE, Georgia
3-Houston, Ikem Ekonwu, OT, North Carolina State
4-NY Jets, Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon
I am highly confident Aidan Hutchinson and Travon Walker will be the first two picks in the draft. Jacksonville would love the leadership and innate abilities Hutchinson would bring as he is the safest pick in the draft.
Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions would fall in love with Walker’s freaky athleticism and his potential. Houston is pretty hard to pin down, as Sauce Gardner and pass rushers have also been linked, but they are trying to evaluate how good Davis Mills is, and you can’t do that properly without protection, so they may opt for Ekonwu, regarded by most as the best offensive lineman in the draft.
The Jets will then look to add to their pass rush for second-year head coach Robert Saleh and try to fortify a defense that was one of the worst in the league last year and take Kayvon Thibodeaux. I think the Giants would be pretty happy if the top four shook out like this. The Giants are left with great options at cornerback and in the secondary.
Neal and Cross would be available at offensive tackle and Gardner and Stingley Jr. would be available at cornerback. Offensive tackle is the most pressing need on the Giants and with Carolina, picking at number 6, between the Giants’ two picks, likely selecting an offensive tackle, the Giants will likely decide to pick an offensive tackle at 5, as both corners will still be available at 7.
With the fifth pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the NY Giants select…