The 2023 NFL Draft is almost here and fans are as excited as ever to see how things pan out for not just the NY Giants, but the league as a whole. Things may not be as crazy for New York as last season considering they are finally no longer in the top 10, but it's always exciting to think about the potential for an incoming rookie class.
This draft could go a lot of ways for the Giants, and while it may be difficult to say exactly what their plans are, there are a few things that are easy to predict.
While we may never know what tricks Joe Schoen has up his sleeves, we have our own predictions for what the Giants could potentially do in this year's draft. Some may be more realistic than others, however, here are our five bold predictions for what the Giants could do in the 2023 NFL Draft.
5. The NY Giants select a QB at some point
While this certainly won't happen anywhere close to the first three rounds of the draft, we're fairly confident that the NY Giants will select a quarterback at some point. Not only is the team currently without a QB3 on the roster, but drafting a QB to eventually become Daniel Jones's backup could have its own benefits.
Not only could a rookie QB potentially have some pretty high potential, but the money New York could save by selecting a rookie in this year's draft, then letting Tyrod Taylor walk in free agency next offseason, could have its own benefits.
A rookie or even second-year QB may not have as high of a ceiling as Taylor, but considering that his contract is set to expire after this season, letting him walk in favor of a rookie that will cost significantly less may simply be the better decision financially. It's something Schoen must be thinking about.
Whether it be Stetson Bennett, Malik Cunningham, or Dorian Thompson-Robinson, the Giants would likely benefit both financially and on the field by taking a shot on any three of these guys, let alone some of the other interesting QB prospects in this year's draft class.
4. Joe Schoen opts to select an offensive lineman in the first round
There are so many positions the NY Giants could look to upgrade in the first round of this year's draft. However, one that is becoming underrated as a possibility is an interior offensive lineman, and with the talent that could be available at No. 25 overall compared to others makes it more likely than you'd think that Schoen goes to the trenches for the first round.
While the Giants have plenty of solid options for the interior offensive line, there are seemingly no guarantees of who could start aside from Mark Glowinski. This could potentially open the door for Schoen to take a sure-shot player to help patch up the o-line.
To make things even better, there are some pretty darn good interior offensive line options in the first round, most notably with O'Cyrus Torrence and John Michael Schmitz. Adding either of these players to the Giants' already decent offensive line would drastically improve the quality of life for the offense.
Adding a corner, linebacker, or receiver would be nice. However, adding a certified stud in the trenches would go a long way in the career of both Daniel Jones and potentially Saquon Barkley as well.
3. The Giants select two or more receivers in the draft
It's pretty clear at this point that the Giants are going to select at least one receiver within the first three rounds of this year's draft. However, we think there's a pretty good chance that New York takes not one, but two, or even three wideouts throughout the draft.
The odds of this happening could increase even more depending on who New York opts to draft. If the Giants opt to select a smaller receiver like Zay Flowers or Tyler Scott, we could see a bigger guy like Rashee Rice or Bryce Ford-Wheaton be selected later in the draft and visa-versa.
Adding versatility to this receiving core that is lacking in dynamic play could help turn this offense from middle of the pack to elite in just one offseason. This year's draft class is incredibly deep with receiver prospects who could become stars and the Giants very well could do no wrong with who they select.
Who knows when Schoen plans on taking a receiver or the kind of build they are looking for. However, with how injury-prone certain members of the Giants' receiving core is, it makes a lot of sense to select more than one at any point in the draft.
2. New York will look for a potential long-term Saquon Barkley replacement
With Saquon Barkley opting not to sign his franchise tender, this could be a sign that he is not happy about his previous contract negotiations and could seek out a new employer following the 2023 season. If this nightmare becomes reality, the Giants must be ready to find his potential replacement.
The Giants may have solid backfield depth, but they don't have someone who could step up and be the starting running back of a successful team. Despite this, the 2023 NFL Draft is chock-full of talent at the running back position, meaning New York could find their guy in the mid-to-late rounds if they are lucky.
There are just so many incredibly talented running backs who could be available in rounds 3-7 who the Giants may want to draft. Guys like DeWayne McBride, Tyjae Spears, Sean Tucker, and Roschon Johnson are all great players who have incredible upside to potentially be an RB1 someday.
Hopefully, the Giants manage to solve this issue with Barkley and work out a team-friendly deal with the 26-year-old stud, as his importance to this team can not be overstated. Losing a core piece like this would undoubtedly hurt the Giants for a long time.
1. The NY Giants will make a trade in the first round
With the trade market seemingly heating up like it usually does before the draft, the odds of the NY Giants potentially trading their first-round pick may be higher than you'd think. The best part about this is that there are so many things the Giants can do with this pick, whether they trade up to guarantee one of the top four receivers, or even trade this pick for a star.
New York is currently sitting at the 25th overall pick in the first round, but the top four receivers in Jordan Addison, Quentin Johnson, Zay Flowers, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba very well could be gone by the time the Giants get to pick. This could potentially open the door for a trade-up depending on how aggressive Schoen wants to be about selecting one of these four studs.
Alongside this, the option for the Giants to trade their pick for a star is also on the table. While it may be a long shot, Stefon Diggs has made some questionable tweets that could relate to him potentially wanting out of Buffalo. If this becomes a reality, it wouldn't be surprising to see Schoen attempt to reunite with an old friend.
This all revolves around just how aggressive Schoen and the front office want to be in this draft. While they will more likely than not just select the best player available regardless of position, the option to trade the pick is still a tantalizing one that could reap some awesome benefits.
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