New York Giants First Round NFL Draft Targets: Offensive Line Prospects To Bolster Giants Rebuild

The Giants have kickstarted a new era of football with the hiring of new head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen this offseason. In this year’s draft, the Giants hold picks #5 and #7, giving them plenty of flexibility to address critical needs at the top of the class. In this article, I’ll break down the top options for the Giants in the draft, emphasizing team needs and the draft tendencies of the new regime.

Giants’ Offseason Round-Up

The Giants have had a relatively quiet offseason so far without any significant roster moves, and it’s apparent that Daboll and Schoen plan to keep things simple for now as they assess where this roster is. The signings of Mark Glowinski and Jon Feliciano provide a solid baseline in the interior of the offensive line, while Ricky Seals-Jones will replace Evan Engram at tight end. Tyrod Taylor helps provide a baseline as a backup quarterback.

New York Giants Remaining Team Needs

The most prominent need for the Giants entering this draft is at right tackle, as Matt Peart isn’t the long-term answer across from Andrew Thomas. After a rough first season, Thomas took a significant step forward last year, and now the Giants need to bolster their offensive line with a high-level right tackle to pair with him.

The Giants also have several needs on defense that will likely be addressed in the draft. New defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale’s scheme is heavily reliant on cornerbacks, and the Giants are in an excellent spot to pick up a top player at that position. James Bradberry could still be traded before the start of the season for financial reasons.

This draft class has tons of edge talent, and the Giants could look in that direction with either of their top-ten picks. Perhaps more likely is a selection at that position early in the second round. Still, they could look to add another pass-rusher opposite Azeez Ojulari with one of their premium selections.

Wide receiver could be addressed but likely with a Day 2 or even Day 3 pick, not with one of their top-ten selections. Even with Blake Martinez returning from injury, the linebacker room is pretty barren. The interior of the offensive line is likely a need, despite the free agency additions. The Giants could also look to draft a quarterback to compete with Daniel Jones, depending on how their brass feels about the class and how the board falls in the middle rounds.

Joe Schoen Draft History and Tendencies

Joe Schoen has been an executive in the NFL since 2001, and in that span, he’s worked with the Panthers and Dolphins in scouting before becoming the assistant general manager of the Bills in 2017. Schoen helped oversee some highly productive draft classes with the Bills, including All-Pro players Tre’Davious White and Josh Allen as first-round picks in back-to-back years. General manager Brandon Beane gets the final credit for the team’s selections, but Schoen was a significant part of their success.

Schoen has been working with Beane dating back to their time with the Panthers, and there’s no doubt that the two share similar philosophical ideas. Beane and Schoen were able to find high-level talent and value in virtually every round, which the Giants have struggled to do for a very long time.

One interesting piece of the Bills’ draft strategy to keep in mind would be their emphasis on the defensive line. From 2017 to 2021 (when Schoen was there), the Bills selected two defensive ends with their first and second-round picks in 2021, a defensive end in the second round in 2020, and a defensive tackle in the first round in 2019.

Buffalo also hasn’t used a first-round pick on an offensive lineman in almost twenty years as their O-line has consistently been built on the back of Day 2 picks. With the Giants heavily linked to offensive linemen at the top of this draft class, that doesn’t appear likely to be their strategy this year.

Trade Possibilities

One staple of my recent mock drafts has been a potential trade down for the Giants from their #5 overall pick. Having two selections inside the top ten allows them to acquire additional value for that draft pick while remaining in place to select one of the few blue-chip prospects in the draft.

A handful of teams could target a trade-up depending on how the board falls. The Saints now have two first-round picks in this year’s class, and they have made a habit of trading up in the first round in recent years, so they could look to move up for a quarterback or offensive tackle. The Falcons, Commanders, and Vikings also profile as potential trade-up teams depending on their draft-day priorities.

New York Giants First-Round Draft Targets

OT Evan Neal, Alabama: Evan Neal has been the player most commonly linked with the Giants, and I’ve had him landing in New York with the fifth overall pick in several of my mock drafts. Neal has experience playing right tackle, making him a good fit for New York, and his high-level pass protection would provide a massive boost as Daboll attempts to find out if Daniel Jones can be the team’s long-term starting quarterback.

OT Ikem Ekwonu, NC State: Often considered one of the top players overall in this class, Ekwonu doesn’t have the same level of refinement as Neal in pass protection, but his road-grading physicality and competitive nature will make him a fan favorite at tackle. Neal is a cleaner fit with his experience at right tackle, but Ekwonu arguably has the higher upside if he can clean up his technique and continue to unlock his elite physical tools.

OT Charles Cross, Mississippi State: The final offensive tackle that the Giants could consider in the first round would be Charles Cross. It’s not impossible that Neal and Ekwonu could be off the board by the time the Giants pick at #5, and they would still want to take an offensive tackle with one of their premium picks. Cross is arguably the cleanest pass-protection evaluation in this class with his agility and footwork in mirroring, and the former five-star prospect isn’t far off from the top tackles in this class.

CB Ahmad Gardner, Cincinnati: As I mentioned in the team needs section, Martindale’s defense is highly dependent on cornerbacks to hold up in coverage as he dials up blitzes. Ahmad Gardner is an elite cornerback prospect with ideal press man tools and the type of demeanor you love to see in your alpha corner. “Sauce” is a leader in the locker room who would make the eventual departure of James Bradberry much easier to stomach.

CB Derek Stingley Jr., LSU: Between medical concerns and a lack of productivity over the last two seasons, there are some lingering question marks with Derek Stingley. However, if he can regain his tremendous freshman year form, he’s arguably the highest-upside prospect in this class. Stingley may not be the same physical press corner, but he’s one of the best athletes in this entire draft class.

DE Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon: If the Giants work to appeal to Martindale’s defensive preferences, cornerback will be prioritized over a defensive end, but Schoen has drafted several defensive linemen with premium picks in Buffalo. If Thibodeaux falls to #5 or even #7, it may be hard to pass up the opportunity to draft one of the highest upside players in the class. He has all of the athletic tools you look for in a pass-rusher and could wind up the best player in this draft.

DE Travon Walker, Georgia: Travon Walker could be another target for the Giants. He could also be a very strong fit as a defensive end in Martindale’s aggressive 3-4 defense. At 6’5”, 272 lbs, Walker ran a wild 4.51-second 40-yard dash and tested as one of the best athletes in this draft. His Relative Athletic Score was the best at the defensive end this decade other than Myles Garrett, and those athletic tools make him a likely top-five selection.