The New York Giants hold the fifth and seventh overall selections in the 2022 NFL draft and have a chance to lay some serious groundwork on their roster rebuilding effort.
On Tuesday, ESPN’s original draftnik, Mel Kiper Jr., provided his most recent take on how the Giants can do that in next month’s draft.
Round 1, Pick 5: Evan Neal, offensive tackle, Alabama
The Giants, the other team with two top-10 picks [Kiper is referring to the New York Jets here], haven’t been as active in free agency as new general manager Joe Schoen gets the team back into decent salary-cap shape. That doesn’t mean they don’t have needs, though, particularly at edge rusher and offensive tackle. With the way the board has fallen in this projection, they can get Day 1 starters at both spots.
Neal is a massive tackle who can overpower defenders in the run game and move his feet as a pass-protector. Andrew Thomas, the No. 4 pick in the 2020 draft, looked much better in Year 2 and could stay at left tackle, pushing Neal to the right side. Neal also played some guard at Alabama, and he could be great there too. This is a big season for quarterback Daniel Jones, so the Giants have to keep him upright.
