Adding to the Giants’ roster with a mid-season three-round mock draft

The calendar has rolled over to November and for the first time in a long time, we aren’t looking ahead to the draft for the New York Giants.

But the Giants are also still on a bye week, so we might as well take a peek ahead to the upcoming draft. In another rarity in recent years, we can’t consider prospects at the very top of draft boards and instead need to look down depth charts a bit. That can make finding fits to continue building the Giants’ roster more difficult than when the team is drafting at the top of the order.

I decided to take advantage of the slight lull before we get back on the weekly grind to go to the Pro Football Network draft simulator and ran a three-round mock draft.

First round

27th overall - Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU

I’m higher on the Giants’ receiving corps than a lot of people and I think they made the right move in not spending draft capital to add a receiver at the 2022 trade deadline. The Giants don’t have a true “number one” option on their offense, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to add one.

I don’t expect Johnston to be available this late after the Draft Process gets into full swing, so I’m jumping on the opportunity to select him here. At 6-foot-4, 215 pounds with great length and potentially elite athletic traits. Johnston is not only big and long, but he has great acceleration, speed, and body control for his size. He might not be as quick or detailed a route-runner as Jordan Addison, Kayshon Boutte, or Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but he isn’t weak in that area either. He could be what the Giants hoped Kenny Golladay would be and a great compliment for Wan’Dale Robinson and the smaller, quicker receivers.

Second round

58th overall - Ricky Stromberg, OC, Arkansas

I still want to find a long-term answer at center.

Stromberg could be one of the highest-rated centers in the upcoming draft and blends good size at 6-foot-4, 310 pounds, with solid movement skills and hand usage. He’s also an experienced center with good football IQ who has played against some of the top interior defensive linemen in college football.

Stromberg is versatile-enough to man the center position as well as guard if necessary. The Giants have shown a definite preference for versatility in their offensive linemen, and that philosophy has already born fruit for them. That could attract them to Stromberg at the end of April.

Third round

91st overall - Jack Campbell, ILB, Iowa

The Giants need to do something about their linebacker corps. Yes, Wink Martindale prefers to use defensive backs, but still. It can be painful to watch the Giants’ linebackers in the middle of the defense. And frankly, this is a position the team has needed to upgrade for a long, long time.

I’ve seen Campbell described as a “throwback” linebacker, and that fits perfectly. He’s big, strong, and quick to close downhill, yet also athletic enough to cover in shallow zones. He’s a tackling machine who also has some production as a pass defender. His size and length could also make him an intriguing option as a moveable piece in Martindale’s blitz schemes. Campbell also has a sky-high football IQ and was named a permanent captain of Iowa’s team back in 2021.

99th overall - SirVocea Dennis, LB Pittsburgh

While the Giants didn’t trade for players during the season, they did pick up another third-round pick. We don’t yet know which pick it will be — compensatory picks haven’t been awarded yet — but it was nice of Pro Football Network to include it in their draft machine.

I decided to double down on the linebacker position and add some speed to compliment Campbell.

SirVocea Dennis is a smart, athletic off-ball linebacker. He doesn’t have an imposing build at 6-foot-1, 230 pounds, but he brings plenty of athleticism to play in space in the modern NFL. Dennis also played basketball and lacrosse in high school and he puts those wheels to work in coverage and pursuit. He is also a very frequent blitzer in Pittsburgh’s defense, which would serve him well in Martindale’s scheme.