Top 3 players the NY Giants must draft on Day 3 of 2022 NFL Draft
By Toby Grundy
NY Giants Day 3 Target: 2. Zyon McCollum, CB, Sam Houston state
The Giants’ took a developmental cornerback in round three, drafting Cordale Flott out of LSU. That certainly doesn’t mean the position has now been filled and adding a highly talented, highly-productive prospect in McCollum could make for a camp battle to see which player would take more reps come September.
He is one of, if not the most athletic cornerbacks in the entire draft. At the 2022 NFL Combine, he finished in the top three prospects at the position for the 40-yard dash, broad jump, and vertical jump.
To pair with his incredible athletic profile, he has some of the most impressive ball production out of any secondary piece in the draft. In his collegiate career, he had 15 interceptions and 6 forced fumbles. He makes an appearance in coverage as well as helping out in the run game, recording 50 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 5 breakups this past season at Sam Houston State.
A look at his NFL.com draft profile by Lance Zeirlien should give a reason for optimism that he could exceed at the NFL level with the right coaching:
"Ball-hawking FCS cornerback with outstanding combination of size and athletic traits for the next level. McCollum is big and plays with good physicality in coverage but his footwork to match the release and phase the route tend to stand out. He is instinctive and has great ball skills at the catch-point but there is room for improvement playing downfield throws."
Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll have already shown throughout this draft they are willing to select developmental pieces, clearly having faith in their coaching staff to get the best out of these players. It would certainly not be a surprise to see them take a chance on the physically gifted McCollum on Day 3.