In a mini-mock draft conduct by ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay earlier this month, the New York Giants ended up selecting NC State offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu.
That was as far as Kiper and McShay took it at the time but on Wednesday, the former released his first mock draft of 2022. And in it, Kiper has the Giants staying true to his earlier pick.
5. New York Giants
Ikem Ekwonu, OT, NC State
There has been a lot of recent buzz around Ekwonu, whose stock is rising. He dominated at left tackle for the Wolfpack this season after playing some guard earlier in his career. Based on the 2021 tape, there’s not much separating Ekwonu from Evan Neal, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Ekwonu was the top tackle off the board in April. He has All-Pro potential as a run-blocker and as a pass-blocker.
For the Giants — who haven’t yet replaced coach Joe Judge or general manager Dave Gettleman — this would be top-five tackles in two of the past three drafts, but even though Andrew Thomas played better this season, the right tackle spot is far from settled. They just have to get better up front, and taking Ekwonu is a step toward that. Like the Jets, they have two top-10 picks, and they could go offense with the No. 7 selection.
