The New York Giants want offensive linemen. A number of of them. However within the newest mock draft courtesy of ESPN’s Todd McShay — which comes after the NFL Mix and a number of other big-name trades — normal supervisor Joe Schoen ignores the place outright.
With Ikem Ekwonu and Evan Neal going off the board simply forward of them (No. 3 and No. 4), McShay has the Giants pivoting and addressing their different main want: cross rush.
With the No. 5 total decide, the Giants choose mix standout and Georgia defensive finish Travon Walker.
The Giants generated simply 34 sacks (tied for twenty second) final season, and whereas Walker didn’t pile on the QB hits at Georgia (six sacks and 29 pressures final season), he was requested to do a number of various things in a Bulldogs’ entrance seven that presents three different possible first-rounders. The 272-pound Walker had a terrific exercise in Indy, operating a 4.51-second 40 and 6.89-second three-cone drill. Few gamers I’ve ever evaluated can generate the ability he does from the bottom up, and that was on show with a 35½-inch vertical and 10-foot-3 broad soar. Teamed up with Leonard Williams and Azeez Ojulari, Walker will solely proceed to develop whereas giving the Giants a dynamic edge rusher to spark the protection.
Walker will surely present the Giants with a premiere edge rusher who will begin on Day 1. Nevertheless it leaves them empty alongside the offensive line, so naturally they handle that with their subsequent decide, proper? Fallacious.
Fairly than taking somebody like Trevor Penning — and having missed out on Charles Cross (gone at No. 7) — the Giants as a substitute add yet one more ability place participant. This time, Ohio State broad receiver Garrett Wilson.
Kenny Golladay led the Giants in receiving final season with simply 521 yards. Evan Engram led the group in catches with all of 46, and he’s headed to free company. The subsequent two on the listing had been operating backs. And Sterling Shepard and Kadarius Toney every struggled to remain wholesome. You get the purpose. With the highest three linemen within the class off the board already, new GM Joe Schoen and new coach Brian Daboll can get quarterback Daniel Jones assist in one other vogue. Wilson has elite physique management, 4.38 pace and a giant catch radius. New York can stroll away pleased on Day 1 with thrilling new gamers on protection (Travon Walker) and offense (Wilson).
Walker and Wilson are high quality picks, however it leaves the Giants’ offense in the very same place it was a 12 months in the past. And except the group can discover a number of respectable O-Line starters within the center rounds, Wilson will wrestle to supply in a lot the identical approach Golladay, Toney, Shepard and others did in 2021.
