With the New York Giants spending this week without an opponent, it’s as good a time as ever to look ahead. While the season isn’t finished yet, we can predict that the Giants will have a high first round pick if they keep up their pattern from the first half of the season.
Additionally, the Giants also have a first round pick from the Bears which should give them another high selection. But what position will they spend these picks on?
According to the latest mock draft from CBS Sports, both the offensive and defensive line are areas the organization could prioritize.
Pick 8: Aidan Hutchinson, DE
CBS has the Giants taking Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson with the 8th pick, who they rank as the third best defensive end in this class.
Azeez Ojulari leads all rookies with 5.5. sacks, but that is not as impressive as it seems. New York still needs to supplement its pass rush and Aidan Hutchinson is one who would fit in well on that Giants defensive line.
It’s not hard to see the justification for a move like this. Hutchinson has contributed 35 tackles and 6 sacks up to this point in the season with Michigan, and the Giants are still looking to repair a pass rush that has been underwhelming in recent seasons.
The Giants are getting their main production in this area from Azeez Ojulari and Leonard Williams, with both having 5.5 sacks right now, but it’s unclear whether they can consistently rely on Williams to put together seasons like last year, where the defensive end had double digit sacks.
Adding another name to this group of pass rushers with a top 10 pick would certainly help to improve the defense.
Pick 9: Kenyon Green, OT
Somewhat predictably, CBS has the Giants helping out their other line using their pick from the Bears. The player projected for the pick is Kenyon Green, a junior tackle from Texas A&M who could solve the team’s needs opposite of Andrew Thomas.
Kenyon Green is and always has been a dominant guard prospect. I think his foray to tackle early this season led some to forget that fact. The roller coaster should come back to a peak with Green moving back inside.
The Giants generally have a spotty record drafting offensive line prospects, or at the very least, they’ve run into problems integrating some of those prospects into an NFL offensive line after drafting them.
Taking Green, one of the top three tackles in this class, would be considered a safe move. It’s one that few fans would complain about, as for a team like the Giants, it’s better to run with the highly ranked ‘safe’ prospect when spending a valuable pick on a blue-chip position like tackle.
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