Giants 7-round mock draft: Surrounding Daniel Jones with talent takes priority

Joe Shane made a flashy move as he armed himself with cap space in his second offseason as Giants general manager. There is

With some veteran players making top bills (and more teammates expected to join them soon), it’s even more important for Schoen to get a cheap draft pick. will be The good news is that he has plenty of chances to hit, as he’s slated to take his 10th pick in the next draft.

To get a feel for how the draft will play out, I FanSpeak’s Mock Draft SimulatorThis is not a potential prospect’s wish list. All other picks were simulated by FanSpeak, so they had to pick who could be when the Giants had the clock. I made my choice based on what I thought Shane would do.

Round 1, No. 25 Pick: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College

It’s impossible to ignore the amount of attention the Giants have shown wide receivers in the pre-draft process. The Giants added some pass catchers this offseason, but wide receivers remain a precarious position, especially after this season. Despite his 5-foot-9-inch, 182-pound stature, Flowers has the versatility to play indoors and out. The dynamic athlete has the separation ability the Giants covet. Flowers lined the entire field as the Giants tried to surround Jones with a playmaker.

Wide receivers Jordan Addison, Jackson-Smith-Nigba, Quentin Johnston, and Jalyn Hiatt were off the board before the Giants’ pick, causing anxiety in the team’s war room on draft night. Flowers might be the best wide-receiver option for the Giants, so they’d be happy to get him. , with the Giants’ apparent desire to continue stockpiling under threat, Flowers nodded.

Round 2, No. 57: John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota

It’s hard to imagine the Giants being happy with their current plan to put the converted guard at center. At 6 feet 4 inches and 301 pounds, Schmitz is NFL-ready after 27 starts in college. The Giants have an immediate foothold in the center. Schmitz is a strong run blocker with the intelligence to center pre-snap reads. Schmitz doesn’t have the athleticism to be a star, but he could be a solid player for years.

Round 3, No. 89: Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami

Passing cornerbacks in the first two rounds was uncomfortable, but this draft class has deep positions. This allows the Giants to wait until the third round to get a player like Stevenson. Stevenson’s 32-inch arm is ideal for press coverage, and his 40-yard dash of 4.45 seconds is fast enough to play the men’s coverage. The 6-foot, 198-pound Stevenson should be able to step in as the Giants’ second corner opposite Adley his Jackson early on.

Round 4, No. 128: Tank Bigsby, RB, Auburn

A running back is a sneaky need for the Giants, who have Sacwon Barkley set to play in the franchise tag this season. There should be an abundance of quality backs in the mid-round, so the Giants can wait to get a player like Bigsby on his third day. Bigsby’s big-playing ability this season with Barkley and the 210-pounder could develop into a productive tandem focus in the future.

Round 5, No. 160: Andre Carter, Edge, Army

Carter, who recorded 14 1/2 sacks in 2021, was initially able to step in as a situational pass rusher. The Giants need to inject some pass-rushing juices into their outside linebackers behind Kavon Thibodeau and Aziz Ojulari. At 6 feet 7 inches and 256 pounds, Carter has a lot of room to grow. With a higher ceiling as a three-down player as his body grows, it’s worth aiming for his upside at this stage of the draft.

Round 5, No. 172: Anthony Johnson Jr., S., Iowa

The Giants received this compensatory pick after tight end Evan Engram left free agency last year. They have a question mark on safety after Julian Love signed with the Seahawks this offseason. Johnson has some interesting physical traits and a cornerback background that offers versatility. He could develop into a quality third safety.

Round 6, No. 209: Cam Jones, LB, Indiana

The Giants acquired this pick as part of a Kadarius Tony trade with the Chiefs. They named cornerback Kaion Crossen to the Texans in his sixth round in 2021. At 6-foot-1 and 226 pounds, Jones could start his career as a core special in his squad, with potential to grow into a quality backup his linebacker.

Round 7, No. 240: PJ Mustiffer, DL, Pennsylvania

The Giants acquired the pick in a trade for offensive lineman Ben Bredeson prior to the 2021 season. This is not a strong defensive tackle his class, which is why Shane is free in his agency veteran Rakeem Nunez aggressively acquiring his Roches and keeping an eye on other veteran options explained. Depth is strictly key to getting the 6-foot-4-inch, 320-pound Mustifer at this point.

Round 7, No. 243: Malik Knowles, WR, Kansas

Knowles has potential as a wide receiver, but his greatest strength is his kick return ability. Knowles returned his three kickoffs for touchdowns and averaged 27.7 yards per return during his Kansas State career. With the Giants looking for a more dynamic returner, this could be his ticket to his spot on the 6-foot-2, 196-pound roster.

Round 7, No. 254: Malik Cunningham, QB, Louisville

The Giants’ third seventh-round pick is another comp pick created by Crossen’s free agency move to Miami last year. The advantage of having three picks in the final round is that the Giants can add players without having to enter a bidding war in undrafted free agency. Adding a development quarterback behind Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor makes sense this year, giving the Giants an affordable second quarterback. Hope you can have a buck. Cunningham poses a bigger threat as a runner than a passer, but if Jones misses time in the future, it could serve as a stopgap in the Giants’ offense.

final draft card

First round: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College
Second round: John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota
Third round: Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami
Fourth round: Tank Bigsby, RB, Auburn
Fifth round: Andre Carter, Edge, Army. Anthony Johnson Jr., S, Iowa
Sixth round: Cam Jones, LB, Indiana
Seventh round: PJ Mustiffer, DL, Pennsylvania. Malik Knowles, WR, Kansas.Malik Cunningham, QB, Louisville

(Zay Flowers top photo: John Tlumacki / The Boston Globe via Getty Images)