The New York Giants and general manager Joe Schoen made 11 picks in the 2022 NFL draft knowing that all of those players would likely see significant roles.
Unfortunately for Schoen & Co., they got bit by the notorious East Rutherford injury bug. 10 of the 11 draftees missed time due to injury with five of them closing out the season on IR.
Linebacker Micah McFadden was the only rookie to see action in all 17 games.
Despite those issues, there was some notable upside. Edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux appears to be lightyears ahead of where most rookies are, while offensive lineman Joshua Ezeudu and tight end Daniel Bellinger showed enough to be optimistic about their future.
Wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson was also flashing before he went down with a torn ACL.
But because of all those injuries, it was hard to properly grade the Giants’ rookie class. And that ultimately led Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports to rank them in the bottom half of the NFL.
Thibodeaux hit the ground running after an injury delayed the start to his pro career. Bellinger, who many thought was a project, caught 30 passes in Year 1. (Cor’Dale) Flott was a part-time cornerback and chipped in with two pass breakups and a big one in the playoff win.
Over time, Schoen’s first draft class will likely look much better. They need right tackle Evan Neal to have an Andrew Thomas-like rebound and for the others to stay healthy. If that happens, there’s quite a bit of meat on the bone.
