The New York Giants were busy during the first couple of days of free agency. They brought in everyone from Isaiah Likely to Jordan Stout to Tremaine Edmunds to Patrick Ricard to Greg Newsome II. It's been an impressive start to John Harbaugh's first year as Big Blue's head coach.
It hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows. Wan’Dale Robinson and Cor’Dale Flott left for balder pastures, reuniting with Brian Daboll in Tennessee. The roster already had holes before they left, and now that they’re gone, the draft presents the next best chance to patch them.
With free agency starting to cool its jets, it’s time to turn the attention to the draft to finish the job.
Giants 7-round mock draft after a busy start to free agency
We have a trade to announce:
The New York Giants are moving back in the first round after striking a deal with the Washington Commanders. Big Blue sends the No. 5 pick to their NFC East rivals and receives the No. 7 overall pick along with pick No. 71 in return.
The G-Men slide back two spots, add a much-needed third-rounder, while the Commies trade up to grab otherworldly running back prospect Jeremiyah Love from Notre Dame.
Round 1 | Pick 7: Caleb Downs - SAF, Ohio State
Caleb Downs might be the best football player in the entire draft class. Not a bad guy to pick up at No. 7 following a trade back. Big Blue has its starting safety pairing in Jevón Holland and Tyler Nubin. They even brought in Ar’Darius Washington in free agency. None of that will cloud Harby’s judgement if Downs is sitting there when New York is on the clock.
The Ohio State superstar is the younger brother of Colts wide receiver Josh Downs, so he’s already familiar with what it takes to stick in the league. The two-time All-American would give Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson a versatile chess piece who could become the foundational anchor of their secondary for the foreseeable future.
PSA: I have moved off Sonny Styles here, even though he's still a super interesting option.
Round 2 | Pick 37: Christen Miller - DL, Georgia
A lot of money was spent improving the roster, but the hole next to Dexter Lawrence is impossible to ignore. That's where Georgia's Christen Miller comes in. The 6-foot-4, 310-pounder is an elite run-defender. He's an athletic marvel who could instantly start next to Dex and help him bring some of his sexy back.
Being from Defensive Tackle University also helps.
Round 3 | Pick 71: Davison Igbinosun - CB, Ohio State
With Big Blue adding Newsome and Washington... and Downs, it might feel like overkill to take another defensive back -- and a third defensive player with their first three picks. Bah humbug. Davison Igbinosun screams Harbaugh pick.
He’s 6-foot-2, plays physical at the line, and just so happens to be a Jersey kid. He’d be the perfect corner to let marinate behind Paulson Adebo and Newsome before eventually handing him the keys.
Round 4 | Pick 105: Bryce Lance - WR, North Dakota State
I’m willing to bet a few of you said “finally” when a wide receiver came off the board here to kick off Day 3. I don’t blame you. But NDSU’s Bryce Lance is worth the wait. His older brother is already in the league -- quarterback Trey Lance. Ever heard of him?
Younger Lance lit up the NFL Combine with some impressive numbers and brings awesome size to the position at 6-foot-3 and 209 pounds. That makes him a perfect boundary complement to Malik Nabers and gives franchise quarterback Jaxson Dart another weapon to work with. Win-win.
Round 5 | Pick 145: Beau Stephens - OL, Iowa
What in the world is going on with the interior offensive line? Right now it’s Jon Runyan, Jake Kubas, and Marcus Mbow. Not. Good. Enough. But if the Giants aren’t going to spend money to upgrade the spot, I'll do it myself on draft night with Beau Stephens.
Stephens is a low-ceiling, high-floor guard who excels in pass protection and would instantly become one of the more intriguing training camp names to watch. He checks just about every box you want in a lineman: size (6-foot-5, 315 pounds), versatility (can play right or left), a mauler mentality, and discipline (penalized once over the last two seasons). This has steal-of-the-draft energy written all over it.
Round 6 | Pick 186: Bryce Boettcher - LB, Oregon
Harby loves himself some linebackers (Ray Lewis, C.J. Mosley, Roquan Smith). It’s why they signed Tremaine Edmunds and brought back Micah McFadden. Behind them, though, it’s Darius Muasau and Swayze Bozeman, two guys who are probably better off living on special teams. That’s where Oregon linebacker Bryce Boettcher comes in.
Boettcher isn’t the biggest (6-foot-1, 232 pounds), but he plays with a high motor and has the athleticism to stick as a three-down linebacker. He’s a tackling machine and an elite special teams player, which could easily push Harbaugh to make the call here since we all know how much he values that phase of the game.
Round 6 | Pick 192: Jaeden Roberts - OL, Alabama
Let’s make like a party foul and double-dip with another interior offensive lineman. Roberts is a weight room nightmare. The 6-foot-5, 330-pounder hasn’t seen a weight plate he didn’t like -- reportedly squatting 805 pounds and benching 525. A few pounds shy of my personal bests, but let’s not compare (kidding).
He’s not the most technically sound guard, but there’s enough there for offensive line coach Mike Bloomgren to believe he could mold him into something. Aside from being massive, he’s a dominant gap blocker with Paul Bunyan-level strength.
Round 6 | Pick 193: Tacario Davis - CB, Washington
I’m clearly obsessed with DBs. I’m working on it. With the 193rd pick of the draft, though, this is where you start hunting for value, and Washington’s Tacario Davis has plenty of it. At 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, he’s a big-bodied corner who isn’t afraid to step up and make plays in the run game.
He’s a press-man specialist, which just so happens to be exactly what Wilson wants to run, so maybe there’s a little chemistry waiting to happen there. In 2023, he led the Pac-12 with 15 passes defensed, showing he can track the ball and attack it in the air.