• Round 1, Pick 4: T Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State — Fashanu is the top offensive tackle in the upcoming draft class and boasts elite size-movement skills. Drafting him to play opposite Andrew Thomas while kicking Neal inside could be the best vision for this New York offensive line.
• Round 4, Pick 104: QB Spencer Rattler, South Carolina — The Giants would be wise to invest in a developmental quarterback with the starting-caliber potential to play behind Daniel Jones next season — that is, of course, if they don’t take one in the first round to replace him immediately.
• Draft and trade for yourself: Try PFF's mock draft simulator — trade picks and players and mock for your favorite NFL team.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
With quarterback Daniel Jones out for the season, the New York Giants are unlikely to claw out many more wins over the second half of the season. So, to lift some spirits, we are giving Giants fans something to look forward to in the form of a five-round mock draft.
ROUND 1, PICK 4: T Olumuyiwa Fashanu, PENN STATE
With New York currently slated to pick at No. 4, they’re just out of range of Caleb Williams or Drake Maye, so there's no early quarterback for them in this mock.
I was a big fan of the Giants' all-trenches strategy in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft when they selected Kayvon Thibodeaux at No. 5 and Evan Neal at No. 7. Thibodeaux has really started to break out in his second season, but the same cannot be said for Neal.
The former Alabama offensive tackle has struggled, earning a 42.3 pass-blocking grade in his rookie year before following that up with a 38.5 grade through nine weeks of 2023. If his play does not improve, the Giants can’t blindly keep him at that right tackle spot going into 2024.
Fashanu is the top offensive tackle in the upcoming draft class and boasts elite size-movement skills. Drafting him to play opposite Andrew Thomas while kicking Neal inside could be the best vision for this New York offensive line.
ROUND 2, PICK 36: S CALEN BULLOCK, USC
Jason Pinnock has been playing well as a free safety in Wink Martindale’s defense. But his running mate, Xavier McKinney, is a pending free agent and might not return.
Bullock replacing McKinney really intrigues me. Though Pinnoick plays free safety, a lot of his best plays come when he’s been able to anticipate shorter routes and make plays on them from a depth position. That can translate into strong safety alignments, where I believe he would continue to play well.
As for Bullock, he is the best true single-high free safety in the class. Giving Martindale a true centerfield coverage player to be even more aggressive up front while allowing Pinnock to be more of a robber safety could be perfect.
ROUND 2, PICK 57: EDGE CHRIS BRASWELL, ALABAMA
The Giants just need more pass-rushers. Their edge defenders have produced just 37 total pressures through nine weeks, the fewest in the NFL. Simply put, they need more than just Kayvon Thibodeaux, who has 23 of those 37 pressures.
It has taken Braswell a bit to really hit his stride as an outside linebacker for Alabama, but this is his best season yet. He has really nice explosiveness off the edge, and that is turning into a career year. His 79.5 pass-rush grade, 38 total pressures and 16.3% pass-rush win percentage are all top-six numbers in the SEC.
ROUND 3, PICK 68: G CHRISTIAN MAHOGANY, BOSTON COLLEGE
The Giants' interior hasn’t been great this season, either. This mock draft has them moving Evan Neal inside to guard, but if the draft falls to them a certain way in the mid-rounds, they shouldn’t shy away from continuing to invest in the offensive line.
Mahogany could have been an early Day 2 pick had he not torn his ACL before last season. He’s back now and is one of the biggest ass-kickers in college football.
ROUND 4, PICK 104: QB SPENCER RATTLER, SOUTH CAROLINA
Seeing Spencer Rattler’s name evokes negative emotions for many due to how his time with Oklahoma ended. But, much like Bo Nix at Oregon, Rattler has been a much-improved player since his transfer. He still has that NFL arm talent but isn’t as prone to mistakes these days.
Despite playing behind two of the least efficient offensive lines in the country over the last two years, Rattler has been a good decision-maker and lowered his turnover-worthy play rate against pressure and from a clean pocket.
He has improved enough to deserve a shot at an NFL job. The Giants would be wise to invest in a developmental quarterback with the starting-caliber potential to play behind Daniel Jones next season — that is, of course, if they don’t take one in the first round to replace him immediately.
ROUND 5, PICK 141: LB TY’RON HOPPER, MISSOURI
Hopper would be a nice fit for the Giants as a special teamer and a rotational linebacker whose specialty is attacking the pocket as a blitzer.
He’s listed at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, so his lack of size makes it tough to project a full-time role, but he can be an aggressive downhill linebacker for New York. He has recorded 44 pressures over the last two seasons.
© 2024 PFF - all rights reserved.