Yes, it is that time of year when we need some night vision goggles on what is going on in the NFL Draft. We have been truly blessed to have the assistance of Wonder, UltimateNYG’s Draft analyst. If you do not think Wonder has added value in his insights over the years, think again. Few, if any, are willing to share any historical record of what they said about the Draft and when they said it. We have records that go all the way back to 2010. We reviewed and provided tweets of timestamped Giants picks going back to 2011 when Twitter kicked into high gear. Who said the Jets killed the draft last year on Saturday April 30th when it was over, only to land the DROY and 2 OROYs in the same draft?! Wonder, that’s who.
The 2023 Draft is mediocre this year. That means trade a R3 for a R2 next year. Unless there are specific guys you are looking for, trade down for a pick in next year’s draft. The media will overhype these guys, because they have nothing better to do. This is the kind of draft that makes a GM. Last year had Sauce Gardner. This year literally has the emaciated version of Sauce Gardner. Now that is a metaphor. So this is a harder test for your front office/scouts. Do not get taken in and get desperate. Trade down! Don’t think you are going to the Super Bowl with 1 or 2 pieces. Build the OL this year. Someone may want to trade up for QB Hooker at 1.25; squeeze them and get a lot, like R2 or R3+ this year and their R1 next year.
* – could be special in the NFL.
Wonder did not get to QB, RB and S. Hopefully we get there before the Draft.
Of course there are many players not mentioned below. Most of the ones we mention are worthy players that are preferred at a particular round for VALUE. So this list is about players inside of a thin draft that can be value value value.
CENTER
The Giants need a Center. Let’s start with them. The Centers are amongst the strongest position in this year’s draft.
C John Michael Schmitz – Plug and play. More of a mauler type of player. Powerful running blocker, tough. Effective zone blocker. R2 value. Ceiling is ~ 2nd team All Pro. I do not think you go wrong with either one of these guys. COMP: Bigger version of Mike Webster.
C Joe Tippmann – Mobile. Can get out, and pull with him. Less power than Schmitz. R2 value, end of R2. COMP: Kevin Mawae or Dwight Stephenson type.
C Ricky Stromberg – Nasty, tough. I like him in R4. Plays like Creed Humphrey. COMP: poor man’s Nick Mangold.
C Olusegun Oluwatimi – Played all 4 years at Michigan, pro set. Good experience R4 value. Good solid, strong guy. Can be a starter for years to come. I think you may not hear his name called (for a penalty), solid pro. COMP: Poor man’s Dermonte Dawson.
The rest at Center do not have the quality or value.
INSIDE LINEBACKER
Inside Linebacker is bad. Not much here. Poor group. But note how Wonder operates, looking for later round guys for VALUE.
ILB Trenton Simpson. Late R3 or R4. If he slips, I like him there. Smaller size, but has speed, very fast for a LBer. Today, I need him to cover a RB or TE. So he can do that, and can even rush the passer, which Wink likes. He may be gone before the Giants select at end of R3, but he gets interesting. COMP: Poor man’s Derrick Brooks, but faster.
ILB Dorian Williams. R5-R6. Fireplug. Runs well, runs sideline to sideline. Stealing if you can get him there, won’t object to R5. Only problem I have is that he may be a big fish in a little Tulane pond, so that is why I wait, but he tackles! He tackles! A football player! Long arms, accurate, in the right place at the right time, can cover, not afraid to hit, even though only 230 lbs. Can make your team. COMP: Poor man’s Mike Singletary.
ILB Dee Winters. R6. Kind of similar to Dorian Williams, TCU big time football. If I wait for R6, between him and Williams, hopefully one of them falls to R6. COMP: poor man’s Zach Thomas.
ILB Owen Pappoe, R5. This is me, nobody else… He is too small, I do not want him playing LBer. Too much speed. I want him to be a Strong Safety. Can drop down to the box. Can blitz for Wink. Fast. Convert him to SS for a very cheap price. COMP: Isaiah Simmons.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
I am not bothering with Carter, will be gone in top 10.
DT Calijah Kancey. Everyone comparing him to Aaron Donald, but not me. Not a R1 pick.
DT Mazi Smith. Run defender. Good value at end of R2. Not going to move him. COMP: Tony Siragusa.
DT Bryan Bresee. What a hard luck story. Hardly played, infection etc. End of R2. Has the right body and the right everything to play in the NFL. Fast for a 6’6″ 300 lb guy. Teammates love him. If you need cap space, dump Leonard Williams, draft this guy at the end of R2. COMP: Jerry Tillery.
DT Moro Ojomo. Late Round sleeper. R6? R7? UFA? No idea where he goes. BUT, I actually think he can play the 3 technique in the pros, because he is an athlete. A pass rushing situation, he can go inside or outside, versatile. Value, could be a good player! Strong, quick. I like him as an athlete. COMP: Poor man’s thin version of Warren Sapp.
DE/OLB/EDGE
You’ll never see Anderson (probably best player in draft), Tyree Wilson, and Nolan Smith from GA. Will go early.
EDGE Nolan Smith.* Small possibility that Smith falls to 1.25, if that happens, run to the podium. Even if Smith falls to 1.22 and you do not have to give away anything significant, do it. 240 lbs, plays like 260, a winner, speed to burn, football player from head to toe, carved out of granite. Can rush the QB, blitz, tackle and cover. He will change your Defense. This is the new NFL. Beast potential. Unlimited Ceiling. COMP: I don’t know anyone like him. Smaller version of Derrick Thomas.
EDGE Lukas Van Ness. EDGE Myles Murphy. No interest in R1, overdrafted.
EDGE Adetomiwa Adebawore I have interest in R2. Value value value. Fast. 4.49 and weighs 282 lbs. Powerful for his size. Jets or Giants in R2, you take him. You can never have enough good pass rushers. He uses it on the field. I do not understand why he is behind Van Ness and Murphy. COMP: I have never seen a guy that size run that fast, even Alan Page was 240-250 lbs.
EDGE Tavius Robinson. The mock consensus says 218, but I think he deserves to go at 110. If he can get had in R4- R5-R6 ,ran a 4.66! Long arms, strong, big tall, experienced, you name it. Can split him out as DE in a 4-3, or EDGE 3-4. I like standing him up on the DL. Flexibility. Can become a starter! If these mocks are right and he falls to R6, this could be sleeper gold. Will make your team. COMP: Poor man’s Ojulari.
EDGE Robert Beal Jr. Same as Tavius Robinson for value. I have Robinson higher but this is also good value. Athlete. Played at one of the best defenses ever in GA. Can play OLB. Already powerful at 6’4″. If he can gain 30 lbs, I want him as 4-3 DE, because his body can handle it. In GA he can get lost in the coaching, so a lot of potential here. COMP: Nick Bosa.
GUARD
G O’Cyrus Torrence. Round 2 value. If the Giants believe that either Torrence or Avila can become a Center, then it gets even more interesting. 330 6’5″. Moves people. Big and strong, my kind of football players who become long term starters in the NFL. Big size, long arms, dominant run blockers. Road grader. Can’t move them. Great at inside pass protection. COMP: Better in shape version of Mo Collins.
G Steve Avila. Round 2 value. see Torrence. Both are serious value at 2.57.
T Peter Skoronski will be gone early for sure, but needs to move inside. I would expect Broderick Jones, Paris Johnson and Skoronski to go ahead of Wright, but that may set up Wright to be there at 1.25. If so….
T Darnell Wright.* Take him at 1.25 and move him to Guard. He will be that good. And can swing over to Tackle if you need that. Flexibility. Overwhelmed his opposition in college, 6’5″ 330 lbs. Can play a RT, ok. But he can get moved inside and be All Pro. Has the arms, hands and size to be dominant inside. COMP: Bigger version of Alijah Vera Tucker.
G Tyler Steen. Late R3. Blended into the woodwork because of Alabama. Chance he might be cheap. College is different than pros. A guy this size dominates in college. In pros, if a little stiff, or arms a little short, need to move inside. So that is why he has fallen as a Tackle (!) pre Draft. Can be mountain of a Guard. 6’6″ 320. Value. Can maybe play RT, but definitely inside at G. Athletic. Balance. Mobile. Good pass blocker. Too tall and arms maybe too short for Tackle? But dominant Guard. I can get a starting G for 10 years. COMP: Poor man’s Art Shell.
T Warren McClendon. Can play Tackle or Guard. I want him as a Sleeper. R6-R7. Smooth, fundamentally ok. Worth a stab later in the draft. Will provide his OL depth. Has been through big games. Will not be overwhelmed. So there is value here. At worst I give him a R5 grade, so there can be an oppty late. COMP: Kelvin Beachum, journeyman in the NFL for 11 years.
TIGHT END
TE Darnell Washington*. Round 2. Backup to Bowers, but a better blocker. Could be the best real TE since Gronk. When I say “real” I mean a guy who you can run the ball on 3rd and 1, off tackle, run in the seam between Tackle and TE, he is that good a TE Blocker. 6’7″ 265. 4.64 40. Great arm length, smooth, strong, top end speed for a TE. Can play both ways at TE. Good strong hands. This guy could be scary. (You do not draft him in R1 because too many needs and drafting on potential, not reality. R2? Absolutely.) COMP: Gronk, but faster and more athletic.
WIDE RECEIVER
F Wide Receiver. No first round grades here. You have to be special to be a first round WR. Big body. 6’3″ 210 and Larry Fitzgerald. And there are none here. There is one guy I really like, weird situation…Jaxon Smith Njigba, but he has an injury, so I do not like R1 for lower body injuries here.
WR Jonathan Mingo. R2-R3 value, and almost all the mocks have him in R2. A slower version of D.K. Metcalf. The only WR I REALLY like for the Giants in this draft is Mingo. 6’2″ 220 lbs. A football player. If Daniel Jones needs a guy who can box out a CB, this is it. Giants need to decide if worth R2 or R3. COMP: Anquon Bolden.
WR Marvin Mims. Slot guy. Fast. Quick. Great twitch. R3. Develop a relationship Jones. Unguardable. So many mocks have the Giants taking Addison or Flowers in R1, and if I can get this guy in R3, he might end up being just as good, so why I am blowing a R1 pick on a smurf? Take this one in R3. COMP: Fast version of Edelman or Welker.
WR Cedric Tillman. 6’3″ 215, experienced, strong hands, good at the high point, good route runner, catches the ball. Good but not great speed which is why he may last into R3. So why am I getting Flowers in R1 if I can get one of these guys in R3? Doesn’t make sense. COMP: Mike Williams.
WR Tre Tucker. Really a punt/kickoff returner. Small. Quick and fast. But can throw him in the slot if giving someone else a breather. Sleeper. Round 6-7-UFA. COMP: Billy White Shoes Johnson.
CORNERBACK
We ran out of comps for some of these guys. Most are not good, but there is one guy I like…
CB Emmanuel Forbes. Round 2. He will get drafted in Round 1 but he is too risky at that juncture. One thing I need to know. Can he gain 25 lbs lean muscle mass without losing his speed? Tall, long arms, blazing fast, but he is too small. He is the most talented CB in the draft, but he will not hold up and will not be able to tackle a RB at his current weight. The RB will simply run him over. COMP: Doesn’t exist. Emaciated Sauce Gardner.
CB Julius Brents Round 2 value. He can be there at 2.57. Decent speed, long arms. Good height. Good size. COMP: Poor man’s Antonio Cromartie
CB Deonte Banks Round 2 value. Might be R1 this year but not last year. COMP: Jason Sehorn.
CB Cam Smith. Can turn his hips, smooth. R3 steal. R2 value.
CB Clark Phillips III. Slot CB. Quick. Strictly slot. Can’t play CB too small. But Slot CB yes. R4-R5.
CB Terell Smith. Sleeper. Good size, underrated, fine speed. Long arms, 6’1 200. I don’t understand why he is not rated higher. Get him in R5 is great value.