Wide receiver in first round highlights Giants' seven-round mock draft

The 2023 offseason should be eventful for the Giants. QB Daniel Jones and RB Saquon Barkley are pending free agents. New York has just under $54 million in cap space, according to Spotrac, and at least nine picks in the 2023 NFL Draft in April. (The Giants probably will also have two compensatory selections.)

GM Joe Schoen has the ammo to improve the roster. He has said New York will build through the draft. Here's a look at potential Giants picks during the draft on April 27-29 in Kansas City.

Round 1, Pick 25: Jordan Addison, WR, USC

Wide receiver is the most glaring hole on the roster. With other top wideouts Quentin Johnson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Zay Flowers possibly off the board, New York would happily settle for Addison, the 2021 Fred Biletnikoff award winner as college football's best WR.

Addison is the second-ranked receiver on ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. big board. Over three seasons at Pitt and USC, he had 219 catches for 3,134 yards and 29 touchdown receptions. 

The wide receiver free-agent class is weak, headlined by JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jakobi Meyers and Allen Lazard. It would shock if the Giants did not address this position early.

Round 2, Pick 57: John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota

The interior of the offensive line struggled in the second half. Schmitz, a 6-foot-4, 320-pound center,  started all four seasons at Minnesota. He excels in run blocking and pass protection. Nick Gates and Jon Feliciano are pending free agents, so the Giants will likely need two new interior starters.

Round 3, Pick 89: Noah Sewell, ILB, Oregon

The only two inside linebackers remaining on the roster heading into 2023 will be second-year players Micah McFadden and Darrian Beavers, who missed his entire season with a torn ACL. ESPN ranked Sewell as either above average or exceptional in the five key traits for a linebacker: instincts/recognition, take-on skills, range vs. run, tackling and third-down down capabilities.

Sewell's brother, Penei, is a star offensive lineman for the Detroit Lions.

Round 4, Pick 128: Henry To'oTo'o, ILB, Alabama

To'oTo'o, a transfer from Tennessee, is a tackling machine. He ranks 81st on ESPN Mel Kiper Jr.'s Big Board, so it would be a great value to get him at 128. In two seasons at Alabama after transferring from Tennessee, To'oTo'o was on the field for 1,773 defensive plays and had 145 tackles.

Round 5, Pick 161: Deuce Vaughn, RB, Kansas State

Vaughn was hugely productive at Kansas State, rushing for 3,604 yards and tacking on 1,280 yards receiving. Even if the Giants re-sign Barkley, New York needs a backup running back. Vaughn is only 5-foot-6, but he would be a nice complement in any NFL backfield.

Round 5, Pick 171: DJ Turner, DB, Michigan

The Giants need a second defensive back to play alongside Adoree Jackson. Turner has a ton of experience playing high-level football, amassing more than 700 coverage snaps in the past two seasons at Michigan.

Round 7, Pick 239: Wayna Morris, T, Oklahoma

Teams can never have enough offensive linemen in the NFL. Morris is a sneaky fast offensive lineman. His 40-yard-dash time is five seconds, per nfldraftbuzz. If Morris posts that time at the NFL combine, it would rank in the 92nd percentile of offensive linemen 40 times in combine history. 

Round 7, Pick 242: Puka Nacua, WR, BYU

Nacua is a big wide receiver (6-2, 205) who had 1,749 yards in four years at BYU and would be a solid addition to the back end of the wide receiver room. Nacua had a major impact on BYU's offensive output in 2022, as the Cougars averaged 36.1 points in the nine games Nacua played and 28 points in the three games without him.

Round 7, Pick 255: Max Duggan, QB, TCU

Duggan, a Heisman finalist in 2022, led TCU on a stunning run to the national title game. His playing style is similar to Jones'. There's little risk and big reward in selecting him here -- if he falls this far. Could he be the next Brock Purdy? The Athletic's Dane Brugler projects Duggan as a middle-round draft pick. Bugler wrote that Duggan "has NFL-level arm strength and mobility, but his competitive toughness stands out the most."