2022 NFL DRAFT DEEP DIVE: New YORK GIANTS
By Paul ainwaring
The NFL Draft is over, and we cannot head into the three-month abyss that is the offseason without looking at what all 262 selections mean for each franchise. Whilst too early to judge just how successful a draft class each team’s was, we can look at how rookies fit within schemes, where they stand on depth charts, and who we can expect to make an impact in 2022. We continue our team by team series with the New York Giants:
Draft Haul
| RND | PICK | PROSPECT | POS | SCHOOL |
| 1 | 5 | Kayvon Thibodeaux | EDGE | Oregon |
| 1 | 7 | Evan Neal | OT | Alabama |
| 2 | 43 | Wan’Dale Robinson | WR | Kentucky |
| 3 | 67 | Joshua Ezeudu | IOL | North Carolina |
| 3 | 81 | Cordale Flott | CB | LSU |
| 4 | 112 | Daniel Bellinger | TE | San Diego State |
| 4 | 114 | Dane Belton | S | Iowa |
| 5 | 146 | Micah McFadden | LB | Indiana |
| 5 | 147 | DJ Davidson | IDL | Arizona State |
| 5 | 173 | Marcus McKethan | IOL | North Carolina |
| 6 | 182 | Darrian Beavers | LB | Cincinnati |
Day One
The first day of the new Giants regime and it was a big one for new GM Joe Schoen and HC Brian Daboll, having 2 picks in the top 10 – which gave them an opportunity to start remaking the roster with some blue-chip players. Their first pick was Oregon Edge Rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, who is a fascinating prospect. At the start of the draft cycle, Thibodeaux was seen as the best player by many given his skillset. However the draft process was not kind to Thibodeaux as concerns around his attitude and commitment to football were raised.
Like the Giants I loved ‘Thibs’, and where teams saw attitude issues I saw a big personality – and given how quick he came back from an ankle injury at the end of the season I am not convinced by commitment concerns either. People see him as a Jadeveon Clowney type, which is an above average level NFL starter even if Clowney didn’t reach his full potential. The Giants will be hoping Kayvon surpasses Clowney, especially from a pass-rushing point of view.
With their 2nd first-round pick, the Giants used the run on defense early in the draft to get Evan Neal, the tackle from Alabama. Neal is a mountain of a man at 6-8 and 337lbs, but he is a smooth athlete and is an excellent pass protector. To get Neal at 7 given some experts saw him as a top 3 talent was a steal, and should benefit Daniel Jones this season and the Giants long term (when they get rid of Jones).
Neal will be an immediate starter for the Giants at either tackle spot and should be an excellent addition with many Pro Bowls in his future. I am not sure if the top of the draft could have fallen any better for the Giants and they would have been ecstatic with their Day 1 haul.
Day Two
Day 2 saw the Giants make 3 selections. In round 2 they traded down twice before eventually selecting Kentucky WR Wan’Dale Robinson at 43. Robinson was a surprising selection at this point and seen by many as a reach. I do believe however that the selection of Robinson is an indicator of what the Giants want to be on offense. Robinson is hyper-quick and Daboll will look to get the ball into his hands as quickly as possible to show his excellent vision and athleticism when he gets into the open field. At present, he may only be a slot or return many but the Giants will expect big things given the position they drafted him.
In the 3rd Round, the Giants made two selections – one on offense and one on defense. With the 67th pick, the Giants selected Tar Heels guard Joshua Ezeudu. Ezeudu is an interesting prospect with many thinking he has a lot to work on but expect him to play some at guard this season – and given his size I am sure the Giants may look to get him to be at worst an emergency tackle in the future.
With the 81st pick, the Giants attempted to solidify their secondary with Cardale Flott from LSU. Especially given the knowledge that James Bradbury would eventually be cut (he has been since), the Giants needed corner help. Flott isn’t especially big but he is physical, and the Giants will hope Wink Martindale will be able to work his magic and get a solid starter out of Flott as soon as possible.
Day Three
On Day 3 the Giants made six selections, two on offense and four on defense. On offense they selected Daniel Bellinger TE from San Diego State and Marcus McKethan, guard from North Carolina. Both players will be seen as backups to start with but they add needed depth at both positions and there will be hope that both players are able to become starters in the near future.
On defense the Giants selected Iowa safety Dane Belton, Indiana LB Micah McFadden, Arizona State DT DJ Davidson and Cincinnati LB Darrian Beavers, who will all look to impress new DC Martindale. With three of the picks being versatile players you can believe that Martindale was heavily involved in the selection process, and the Giants fans will hope that he can work his magic as he has done in Baltimore over the past few seasons.
One To Watch: Darrian Beavers
Given the four selections on defense on Day 3, the Giants will hope at least one of them is a success – and i think Beavers is the one who has the greatest chance. Beavers is a Linebacker from Cincinnati who starred for a Bearcat program that made the college football playoffs. Although he is not great in coverage, I expect Martindale to use him as a playmaker and someone who rushes the passer when appropriate. He has many skills and that versatility will be great for Wink as we talked about above. I think by the end of the season he will be starter on this Giants defense, and a name you will be hearing a lot.
Darrian Beavers was drafted with pick 182 of round 6 in the 2022 draft class. He scored a 9.6 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 97 out of 2419 LB from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/QrDepfE6yw #RAS #Giants pic.twitter.com/atldniFcQS
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 30, 2022
UDFA Tracker
| Darren Evans | CB | LSU |
| Jeremiah Hall | TE | Oklahoma |
| Tyrone Truesdell | IDL | Florida |
| Chris Hinton | IDL | Michigan |
| Jabari Ellis | IDL | South Carolina |
| Austin Allen | TE | Nebraska |
| Yusuf Corker | S | Kentucky |
| Josh Rivas | IOL | Kansas State |
| Jashaun Corbin | RB | FSU |
| Zyon Gilbert | CB | FAU |
| Daylen Baldwin | WR | Michigan |
Conclusion
The Giants draft can be split into two parts. Part one was hits; specifically the first round. I love the two picks they made and if these both hit the draft will be a total success. Part 2 of the draft was a lot of swings on versatile players who Joe Schoen will hope that Daboll and Martindale can coach up and make effective starters. This is the beginning of the process for the Giants, but it is a good start and bodes well for this era of the team.
Paul Mainwaring
NFL Analyst
A former UKEndzone writer, Paul has been dragged out of an enforced retirement to give his thoughts on the NFL and anything else he can slide past the editorial team.
Paul is most famous (infamous?) as Mainz one half of Waxing Lyrical. alongside his Partner in Crime Neil ‘Dutts’ Dutton.
Find him @Mainzey7 where all manner of sports are on the menu.