2022 NFL Draft order: Giants officially hold picks 5 and 7 in the first round

The 2021 regular season is (finally) over and now the top of the 2022 NFL Draft is set and the New York Giants hold the fifth and seventh overall picks.

It was largely a foregone conclusion that the Giants would lose to the Washington Football Team, securing a 4-13 record and locking them into the Top 5 of the upcoming draft. The Giants needed some help in the form of upset wins by the Houston Texans or New York Jets to ascend further.

The Texans nearly did pull off the upset, narrowly falling to the Tennessee Titans 28-25. The Jets played the Buffalo Bills tight for a while, but ultimately lost 27-10.

The Giants’ next general manager will have a (very) tight salary cap situation, but will have considerable draft capital to spend on improving the team. The Giants currently rank second in Tankathon’s Draft Power Rankings, just behind the Jets.

As of right now, the Giants hold picks 5, 7, 36, 67, 80, 109, 145, 170, and 182.

The Giants’ loss to Washington ensured that they hold the fourth overall pick in the second round and the third overall pick in the third round. Depending on how the draft board ultimately falls, those picks could yield steals and players with grades in the fringe first and second rounds, respectively.

It remains to be seen who will be available for the Giants to draft, and who they’ll ultimately select. However, the Giants should be expected to be one of the drivers of this year’s draft. That should at least keep mock drafts interesting over the coming weeks and months. It will also be interesting to see if the Giants’ next GM makes any moves to add to the Giants’ draft capital.

In one minor disappointment, the Miami Dolphins beat the New England Patriots. That victory knocked the Giants’ second third-round pick (80th overall) down the board slightly.