While most people are paying attention to first-round prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft, it is always important to focus on some of the lesser-known players who will be selected in the later rounds as well.
These players can be incredibly important to a team’s success regardless of if they are depth pieces or even stars. Teams like the Kansas City Chiefs have drafted incredible players in recent seasons past the first round such as Creed Humphrey, L’Jarius Sneed and Trey Smith, who have all played massive roles in their recent Super Bowl run.
Joe Schoen has the potential to make some massive upgrades through the draft this season, especially in the later rounds. These nine players are guys both fans, and the Giants should be monitoring ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft:
9. Cincinnati LB LB Ivan Pace Jr.
For better or for worse, there may not be a more interesting linebacker prospect in this year’s draft class than Ivan Pace Jr. While Pace was easily one of the best players at the position in all of college football last season, his size brings some big red flags.
Pace is a 5-10, 231-pound linebacker who showcased a plethora of skills during his time at Cincinnati. In 13 games last season, Pace racked up 126 combined tackles, 55 pressures and 12 sacks. Pace is an absolute monster in the run game, using his elite speed and awareness to push through open holes to make tackles. Alongside this, Pace is also incredibly solid in coverage, allowing 12 receptions on 14 targets for just 114 yards and two touchdowns.
Pace plays with a heart that we haven’t really seen out of other linebackers in this year’s draft class, so there’s no doubt that he wants to be a fantastic player and he very well could be. Honestly, if it wasn’t for his size we could very well be talking about Pace as if he was a first-round prospect.
It will be interesting to see how his lack of length will translate to the NFL, as that will determine how great he is. He has every other tool needed: the speed, strength, IQ, and awareness, he just needs to keep it up and hope his size doesn’t hinder his NFL performance too much.
8. Washington OL Jaxson Kirkland
If the Giants don’t opt to take an offensive lineman in the first three rounds of the draft, Jaxson Kirkland could be a great player to take in the fourth or fifth round. Not only is he an incredibly versatile player, but he has the tools to potentially be a Day 1 starter.
Kirkland has large amounts of experience at both guard positions, and left tackle as well. While he may translate currently as a guard due to a lack of length, he certainly can be plugged in at tackle if a team needs him there. What makes Kirkland such a tantalizing prospect is his combination of massive size, strength, and technique.
He certainly has areas of his game that are in need of work, such as his hand placement. However, Kirkland has a pretty high ceiling and would absolutely be worth taking in the mid-to-late rounds of the draft. In 491 pass-blocking snaps, Kirkland allowed just seven QB hurries and two QB hits, showcasing some rather impressive footwork for his 6-7, 340-pound frame.
In addition to this, Kirkland has shown flashes of potential in the run game. It may take time for Kirkland to develop as a run blocker, but it seems as if he could be NFL ready as a pass protector right out of the gate, which is something the Giants need for their interior offensive line.
7. Alabama S Jordan Battle
With Julian Love set to hit free agency this offseason, the NY Giants may be put into a position where they need to let him walk. If this is the case, they may want to bring in a new safety to man the position. While Dane Belton would likely start Day 1 regardless of who is picked, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to add depth at the position.
If this becomes the case, the Giants may want to take a look at the 6-1, 209 pound safety out of Alabama, Jordan Battle. New York has had success drafting Alabama safeties in the past, so they could very well continue the tradition with Battle.
Out of all the safeties available in this year’s draft, Battle has one of the highest floors, playing at an extremely consistent level throughout his college career. While he has plenty of work to do in terms of playing against the run, his ability in coverage is where he shines.
Battle’s stats may not be the most eye popping, allowing 17 receptions on 22 targets for 133 yards and one touchdown. However, watching his film shows how technically sound he is in zone coverage. If selected by the Giants, Battle and Xaiver McKinney could make for an incredible ‘Bama safety duo, adding even more excitement to an already fun to watch defense.
6. SMU WR Rashee Rice
Rashee Rice may not have the hype of some other top wide receiver prospects from this year’s draft class, but he certainly has the potential to be a great player in the NFL. At the very least, Rice tracks out to be an impact player early on due to his size and intangibles.
In 12 games last season, Rice caught 96 passes for 1,344 yards and 10 touchdowns, using his incredible size and body control to dominate whoever he went up against. Rice may not produce incredible highlight plays, but his consistency is what could make him so valuable to a team like the Giants.
Rice’s 6-1, 204-pound frame can have a ton of use in both deep, and intermediate routes. However, he must become more physical and consistent with his route running if he wants to reach his star potential. Regardless, though, Rice has a high enough floor to where he will be a contributor, especially to a team like the Giants. This is the kind of receiver Schoen would love if they opt to not draft a receiver in the first couple of rounds.
The Giants don’t really have a big-body receiver currently on the roster outside of Isaiah Hodgins, so if they can bring in a player with Rice’s size and length, him and Hodgins could make for a deadly duo on the outside, while still having Wan’Dale Robinson in the slot.
5. Cincinatti WR Tyler Scott
Tyler Scott is an incredibly interesting WR prospect, as he is one of the most athletically gifted receivers in the entire draft, but he is in need of some serious polishing as a route runner if he wants to be an elite threat. At the very least, Scott projects to be a speed threat with some major potential as a returner.
In 11 games at Cincinnati last season, Scott caught 55 passes for 904 yards and nine touchdowns. Using his incredible athletic ability in the open field to make life a nightmare for opposing defenses, he was fun to watch. Being a former high school running back, Scott has an ability to create space in the open field that we don’t always see in a receiver. Adding a threat like this to the Giants offense could cause for a massive improvement heading into next season.
Scott likely improved his draft stock recently at the NFL Combine, where he displayed just how much of an athletic prodigy he is, running a 4.44 40-yard dash, showcasing a ridiculous 39.5 vertical jump, and having the fourth best broad jump out of the entire receiver class. He’ll be a player to watch, no doubt.
4. Oregon LB Noah Sewell
While Noah Sewell isn’t the most impressive linebacker from an all-around threat standpoint, he could provide some serious value while playing under Wink Martindale. Sewell has a lot to work on as a linebacker, but his downhill speed and incredible strength could make him a serious threat in blitz scenarios, which we all know Martindale loves.
In 12 games last season, Sewell racked up 56 combined tackles,18 pressures, and two sacks. While his pass-rushing numbers may not be uber impressive, he was not utilized as a blitzer very often, only playing 94 pass-rushing snaps last season. However, watching him play shows that he certainly has the tools to be successful in that area.
Where Sewell begins to struggle however, is with his quickness to make reads against the run, as he has moments where he is far too patient to hit a hole and make a play. This is something we have seen with some former NY Giants linebackers, however, Sewell at least has some upside unlike them.
Not only is Sewell just 20 years old, meaning he has an incredible amount of time to improve, but he has all the physical tools to be great, he just needs to iron out his instincts against the run and in coverage. This is why he likely will not be picked until the fourth or maybe fifth round. Regardless, a player that fits this well into the Giants scheme could pay dividends if selected that late.
3. Michigan C Olusegun Oluwatimi
The Giants are likely going to be in the market for a center this offseason, and if they wish to save money in free agency by opting to draft someone to man the position, Olusegun Oluwatimi might just be their guy.
While he has some issues with pass protection he must iron out, his abilities and potential in the run game make him such a tantalizing prospect. Oluwatimi isn’t necessarily a bad-pass blocker, but his footwork is in need of some tweaking and his small frame makes it easy for him to get pushed back at times.
However, with how consistent his hand placement is, all Oluwatimi needs to do is add some muscle and stop letting his feet become stagnant for him to reach his full potential. Is this necessarily easy? No, it will take time, but taking the chance on someone who already checks out to be a great run blocker could be worth the while for the Giants. We all saw how much the interior offensive line struggled to block in the run at times last season, so adding a guy like Oluwatimi could pay dividends.
It may take time for Oluwatimi to develop as a pass protector, but New York could get some serious value out of selecting him in the fourth or fifth round. This is the kind of player they might not want to pass up on because if he reaches his full potential, Oluwatimi is going to be a very good NFL player.
2. NC State OG Chandler Zavala
If the Giants opt to look for an offensive guard in the middle rounds of this year’s draft, Chandler Zavala out of North Carolina State should be towards the top of their board. Much like he was coming out of high school, Zavala is often overlooked and could be a sneaky pick by the Giants in the fourth or fifth round if they opt to look for a guard.
Coming in at 6-5, 325 pounds, Zavala uses his massive size to dominate opponents off the line of scrimmage. While he isn’t a perfect prospect, as no one projected to go this far is, Zavala seems like he could be a high floor pass blocker coming out of college.
During his time at NC State, Zavala showcased some rather nice footwork and overall technique at the interior offensive line. In 422 pass blocking snaps, Zavala allowed just three QB hurries and one QB hit. He is definitely one of the more technically sound pass protectors out of all the available guards in this draft.
While he could use some work on his ability in run blocking snaps, a good coach will help him iron this out as he develops. The interior offensive line of the Giants was a disaster last season from a pass protection standpoint, so bringing in a high floor pass protector at offensive guard could make things much easier heading into next campaign.
1. Syracuse RB Sean Tucker
With Matt Breida set to hit free agency and Gary Brightwell not showing a ton during his first two seasons in the league, the Giants could look to add a running back through the draft to add some depth at the position. Sean Tucker may not be the most dynamic running back in the draft, but his ability as a battering ram back could serve as a major boost to this Giants upgrade.
New York has been without a genuine power back since the days of Brandon Jacobs, so bringing in a guy like Tucker could make for an incredibly fun backfield. While his size may limit his ability to be a true power back, he certainly has the speed and strength to make defenders bounce off of him in the open field. Really the only thing holding him back from being a true three-down back is the fact that he doesn’t have much experience as a pass catcher.
In 12 games last season, Tucker ran the ball 204 times for 1,062 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging around 5.2 yards per carry. Alongside this, Tucker racked up 31 rushes of 10+ yards while catching 37 passes for 262 yards.
Tucker will likely be available to the Giants in the fourth or fifth round, meaning that they could get some serious value out of wherever they take him. Who knows, maybe Tucker and Barkley could revive the old thunder and lightning ways of the Giants offense back when Tiki Barber and Ron Dayne were running the show.