The 2022 NFL Draft is officially in the books and the excitement is starting to build for Week 1
The 2022 NFL Draft was one of the most unpredictable and wild ones ever. AJ Brown and Hollywood Brown, two highly-regarded wide receivers, were both traded for first-round picks on Day 1, and only one quarterback got selected in the first two rounds. The most controversial selection, Travon Walker, got taken first overall despite only have 9.5 sacks throughout his college career.
On the Giants side however, Joe Schoen hit a grand slam. In the first round, New York selected Kayvon Thibodeaux and Evan Neal, two prospects who were both in consideration to be the first overall pick.
Schoen and the front office took a creative approach to the draft, taking the best players available with their two first-round selections and then focused on players who best fit the Giants’ scheme and long term vision in rounds 2-7.
If you read between the lines, the new Giants’ regime revealed some key philosophies about roster building and how committed they are to certain members of the roster.
Here are the top 5 takeaways from the New York Giants’ 2022 NFL Draft
5. The 2022 QB is Official
If the 2022 NFL Draft told us anything, it’s that the Giants are fully committed to giving Daniel Jones the keys to the franchise again in 2022. After signing Tyrod Taylor in the offseason, Schoen has repetitively told the media that Jones is their quarterback and that there is no quarterback controversy, and his actions have backed that up.
Schoen did not select a quarterback in the 2022 draft or sign an undrafted quarterback to the roster. As the quarterbacks were dropping in the draft, the Giants had multiple opportunities to take one, including four chances to draft Malik Willis, who was widely considered as the No. 1 quarterback talent in this draft class.
The Giants are determined to use the last year of Jones’ rookie contract to determine whether or not he’s the future leader of the franchise. Schoen and Co. beefed up the offensive line and gave him another dynamic weapon in Wan’Dale Robinson. Jones now, arguably, has everything he needs to prove whether or not he’s the QB of the future.
4. The O-Line is Being Revamped Before Our Eyes
After decades of having inept offensive lines that got progressively worse every season, the Giants’ regime added 10 new offensive linemen this offseason, completing the overhaul of the group. After signing Mark Glowinski and Jon Felicano to anchor the interior, Schoen followed that up by selecting offensive tackle Evan Neal in the first round as well as two North Carolina guards, Josh Ezeudu and Marcus McKethan, later in the draft.
Neal, is the gem of the group. The 6-foot-6, 337-pound freak athlete out of Alabama (with a full six pack of abs!) will form one of the best tackle duos in the league with Andrew Thomas. Neal brings tremendous versatility, something long craved by the Giants, having played one season at left guard, one season at right tackle, and one season at left tackle.
The front office added four new quality starters to the offensive line this offseason, sending a clear message that subpar play in the trenches will no longer be tolerated.
3. Return of the Classic Giants’ Pass Rush?!
Along with the offensive line, the defensive line, specifically the edge rusher positions, have been a big weakness of the Giants for as long as fans can remember.
The front office quickly decided to solve their pass rushing woes, selecting Kayvon Thibodeaux out of Oregon, the most well-rounded pass rusher in the 2022 class. The selection of Thibodeaux has quickly turned the Giants pass rushing group from subpar to scary.
In Wink Martindale’s base 3-4 defense, the Giants can now put Dexter Lawrence, Justin Ellis, and Leonard Williams on the defensive line, with Azeez Ojulari and Kayvon Thibodeaux as the outside linebackers. Combining Thibodeaux, who had 22 sacks in his college career, with Ojulari, who quietly had eight sacks as a rookie last year, gives the Giants their bast pass rushing duo since Jason Pierre-Paul and Justin Tuck.
Martindale loves to blitz and pressure, and with the elite talents of Thibodeaux and Ojulari, the Giants can finally put fear into opposing quarterbacks.
2. Joe Schoen is the Real Deal
All of the pre-draft lead-up to the draft focused on how the Giants loved Charles Cross, the offensive tackle out of Mississippi State, and how they had significant concerns about Thibodeaux’s character, and would not consider drafting him. ESPN draft guru Todd McShay said he was even told that Thibodeaux had an “all-time bad interview with the Giants.”
Todd McShay said he was told Kayvon Thibodeaux had an all-time bad interview with the Giants before the draft.
— WBG84 (@WBG84) April 29, 2022
Talk about a smoke-screen. It's certainly a dawn of a new era with GM Joe Schoen. They played sources like a fiddle. How it should be done. #TogetherBlue #NFLDraft
What’s clear is that Schoen knows how to put up smokescreens to ensure nobody really knows what the Giants front office is thinking. That’s certainly a refreshing sight, as the Giants have struggled mightily drafting the last decade, which has greatly contributed to their struggles.
The Giants’ bitter rival, the Dallas Cowboys, revealed a picture of their draft board to the public, and it showed that they rated Thibodeaux and Neal as their top two players, so it was definitely a sweet sight that both of Dallas’ top draft prospects went right to New York.
Schoen’s behind-the-scenes moves helped him secure the top two players in the 2022 NFL Draft, and that’s awesome for the Giants and their fans.
1. James Bradberry is as Good as Gone
The 2022 NFL Draft was the lone remaining opportunity for the Giants to trade All-Pro cornerback James Bradberry. The Giants are currently in a horrible cap space situation thanks to the terrible maneuvering of ex-general manager Dave Gettleman, and by removing Bradberry from the roster, the Giants will save $10.1 million, which will be necessary money to help sign their 11-man 2022 draft class.
Bradberry currently has a cap hit of $21.8 million next year, and that was clearly too large for an opposing team to trade any players or draft compensation for. While Bradberry is not an ideal fit for Martindale’s defense, which leaves cornerbacks on islands (something Bradberry struggled mightily at a season ago), it’s certainly a tough pill to swallow to get no return for a corner who was the anchor of the Giants defense and one of the best in the game just two seasons ago.
NY Giants rival will ‘aggressively’ try to sign James Bradberry
Per a report, the Philadelphia Eagles and Howie Roseman will 'aggressively' pursue NY Giants cornerback James Bradberry if he becomes a free agent