The NFL Draft may have wrapped up a couple of days ago, but people aren't done talking about the spectacular performance from NY Giants head man Joe Schoen. Across the board, experts have had nothing but good things to say about what was able to get done in East Rutherford.
Obviously, fans are fired up about the first three selections and rightfully so. Majors positions of need were addresses once the G-Men took cornerback Deonte Banks, center John Michael Schmitz and wideout Jalin Hyatt, in that order. NFL experts were left blown away with Schoen, offering up plenty of praise for the second-year GM. He's four analysts in particular who offered up their thoughts, with one questionable one.
4. Mel Kiper Jr. gave the NY Giants an A- for their NFL Draft work
It was also a big weekend for ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., as he was celebrating his 40-year anniversary covering the NFL Draft for the Worldwide Leader in Sports. When it comes to draft coverage, Kiper is a true icon in the game. So, when he shows your general manager some serious love, then you've got to get excited about it.
"I mentioned this Friday night, but the Giants landed three of my top 45 prospects in the first two days of the draft. That’s impressive stuff from general manager Joe Schoen. Cornerback Deonte Banks (24) was consistently impressive when I watched his 2022 tape, and he stuck to receivers in man coverage. He is both experienced (he started eight games as a freshman) and toolsy (42-inch vertical leap at the combine). We can slot him in as a starter on the other side of Adoree’ Jackson."Mel Kiper Jr.
That's quite the statement there from Kiper, who was impressed with the G-Men. He handed out Big Blue a grade of A-, which fans will surely take. Schoen was worried someone would leap him to try and get Banks before him, which is why he traded up to the No. 24 overall pick. It was the right decision in our eyes and Kiper agrees. Next up, the team over at PFF admired Schoen's work.
3. Pro Football Focus gave the Giants an A+ grade for their NFL Draft
In addition to the Banks' selection turning plenty of heads, the same can be said for what happened in the second round. Center had to be a focus for Schoen, and as soon as Joe Tippmann was off the board to the Jets, fans focused their attention on JMS. The fact that he was there for the taking was awesome, with Schoen wasting no time in bringing him home. It's a move PFF was a big fan of.
"If the Giants had made this pick (Schmitz) in the first round, nobody would have really batted an eye. He led all centers with a 92.3 PFF grade in 2022 and had graded well both on zone and gap plays. He’s a big guy but can really move and was a four-year starter at Minnesota. Simply put, he is one of the best run blockers at the position to enter the draft in recent years. "Pro Football Focus
The Giants indeed got a stud in Schmitz, who was the top center in the draft class. What's so great about the first three picks made by Schoen is that Banks, JMS and Hyatt had all been mocked to the G-Men in the first round by experts. Landing JMS in the second and Hyatt in the third is unreal. Next up, what in the world is USA Today talking about?
2. USA Today giving the Giants a C- grade is laughable
Not everyone was over the moon with the Giants once the NFL Draft came to a close. In particular, USA Today's Nate Davis didn't think the Giants made the right call in going after Hyatt in the third round. Davis would have preferred for Schoen to go after a big-bodied wideout for Daniel Jones instead of the Tennessee speedster.
"Athletic first-round CB Deonte Banks and C John Michael Schmitz are upgrades at their respective positions. But as nice a player as Jalin Hyatt (Round 3) is, puzzling that GM Joe Schoen opted for another Smurf-ish receiver rather than finding QB Daniel Jones a rebounder."USA Today's Nate Davis
We understand that the Giants have many smaller WRs on the roster as it is, but Schoen wasn't going to reach for a taller wideout to fill that need. He wanted to go with the best WR available to him in the third round. He traded up to make that happen. Hyatt has unreal potential and blazing speed. Sorry, Mr. Davis, but we're going to choose to trust Schoen in this case over you.
1. NFL.com gave the NY Giants an A- for their NFL Draft
Last but not least, Chad Rueter at NFL.com thought Schoen and Co. nailed it. While the Banks, JMS and Hyatt picks were great, we can't forget about the other selections: running back Eric Gray in the fifth round, cornerback Tre Hawkins in the sixth round, plus defensive tackle Jordon Riley and Gervarrius Owens in the seventh round.
"Gray is a tough runner with receiving ability who will step up to spell Saquon Barkley and Matt Breida. Hawkins joins Banks as another needed athlete at cornerback, and Owens' ability to cover ground and tackle were worthy of a top-150 pick at safety. "Chad Reuter
With Gray and Hawkins in particular, we think they could prove to be late-round steals for the G-Men. Gray isn't the biggest back at 5-9, 205 pounds, but he rushed for 1,366 yards and 11 scores last season. As for Hawkins, he checks in at 6-3, 195 pounds. That's fantastic size for a young cornerback. Don't sleep on Riley and Owens either. All in all, the draft was a smashing success for Schoen.
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