NY Giants 7-Round Mock Draft: Big Blue goes with Zay Flowers at No. 25
By Zak Musso
NY Giants Round 5 Pick: Stetson Bennett, QB, Georgia
This may seem a little early to pick a quarterback, but make no mistake about it, the Giants are drafting a quarterback later this month. Daniel Jones’ new contract will have large cap hits, and the Giants will want his backup to be on a cheap contract - keep in mind Tyrod Taylor will be a free agent after next season.
Bennett is an ideal backup for the future. Bennett is deceptively athletic and showed that off at the Combine, running a 4.67 40-yard dash. The former Georgia quarterback knows how to get it down when it matters most, evident by his two National Championship rings.
In matchups against the top quarterback in the 2023 draft, Bennett beat Anthony Richardson, CJ Stroud, Hendon Hooker, Will Levis, and Bryce Young, the consensus top five quarterbacks in the draft. Simply put, he is a winning ball player who knows how to overcome adversity.
NY Giants Round 5 Pick: Jarrett Paterson, G, Notre Dame
With the second of the Giants two fifth-round picks, let's get some more interior linemen. Patterson is a versatile interior lineman, having played both center and guard during his time at Notre Dame.
While at Notre Dame, Patterson was a team captain. NFL Draft Analyst Lance Zuerlein noted that some of Patterson’s strengths include “No wasted motion in ripping hands into the block, connects to block and is hard to disengage from, and sifts through the second level, keying on blitzes.”
He would be a solid addition to the interior lineman room and could compete with youngsters Josh Ezeudu and Marcus McKethan for playing time.