The New York Giants seem to have an interest in bolstering the interior of their offensive line during the early rounds of this weekend’s NFL Draft. The Giants are thin at the center and both guard positions. One name has been identified as a possible solution to this problem: Steve Avila out of TCU.
New York could consider drafting Avila pretty early in this year’s draft. The promising prospect has the ability to play both as a guard and as a center. According to Jordan Raanan of ESPN, Avila is a “sleeper” for Big Blue in the first two rounds of this year’s draft.
What TCU iOL Steve Avila could bring to the Giants:
The Giants place a lot of value on offensive linemen with positional flexibility. Avila moved to left guard in 2022 after starting 11 games at center in 2021. Jordan Reid of ESPN recently listed Avila as a prospect to keep an eye on as his name has “repeatedly come up” as a potential first-round pick.
Considering the Giants’ need for talent at both guard and center, Avila could be an intriguing option. If New York feels like Avila will be a center at the next level, he could potentially join their roster as a projected day-one starter. However, his experience at left guard will also allow him to compete for that starting job, too.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com describes Avila as a player who is “likely to start right away as a Day 2 draft pick and should have a solid NFL career as either a guard or center.”
Avila did not surrender a single sack during his 2022 season at left guard, per Pro Football Focus. As New York weighs its options ahead of tonight’s first round of the draft, Avila could sneak his way into the 25th overall spot depending on how the draft board shakes out.
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