The New York Giants reached a not so stunning conclusion at the end of the 2022 season. GM Dave Gettleman “retired” and head coach Joe Judge was fired. Enter new head coach Brian Daboll, fresh off of guiding Bills QB Josh Allen into elite territory. He now is tasked with trying to do the same with Daniel Jones.
The Giants currently have nine draft picks. This includes two in the top seven and six in the first 110.
With free agency starting on Monday, this whole exercise could look quite pointless in a few days.
I used the Mock Draft simulator from NFL Mock Draft Database. For this simulation, I used the consensus big board accumulated by NFL MDD, with the realistic draft mode setting.
Let’s see how it plays out.
NEW YORK GIANTS: 7-ROUND MOCK DRAFT
1-5: Travon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
After blowing up the combine, the top 5 buzz was Walker has increased exponentially. He ran a sub 4.6 forty and had both elite explosion and agility tests as well. Walker has tremendous pass rushing ability with plenty of room to grow. The Giants would be getting an ascending player.
1-7: Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State
Charles Cross has likely seen more pass blocking sets than any of the other top offensive tackle prospects in this class. And he did it facing elite SEC pass rushers. Pairing Cross with Andrew Thomas will give the G-Men a pair of bookends they can depend on for a long time to come.
2-36: Lewis Cine, S, Georgia
Lewis Cine is another Georgia Bulldog that tested at an elite level in Indy. The 2nd best safety in this class (on my board) ran a 4.37 forty with an 11-foot broad jump. Cine has elite closing speed and nice ball skills. He finished 2021 with 9 PBUs and one pick.
3-67: Dylan Parham, G, Memphis
Parham is a versatile offensive lineman. He has elite speed for the position and can anchor on the bigger defensive tackles. Parham played tackle at Memphis but projects inside to guard. He also played center during the Senior Bowl and held his own there. The Giants can upgrade with Parham.
3-81: Akayleb Evans, CB, Missouri
Evans has tremendous length and size (6’2″; 32″ arms). The Tulsa transfer was rarely challenged during Missouri’s 2021 campaign. Evans was impressive during Senior Bowl 1-on-1 drills; locking down receivers who were shiftier. He could be a future starter for the New York Giants.
THE REST OF THE DRAFT
4-110: Otito Ogbonnia, DL, UCLA
5-146: Pierre Strong, RB, South Dakota State
5-172: Aaron Hansford, LB, Texas A&M
6-180: Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor