2022 NFL Draft: Best available players for the Giants on Day 2

The first round of the 2022 NFL Draft could hardly have gone better for the New York Giants. If I said back in September that the Giants would get Oregon edge Kayvon Thibodeaux and Alabama offensive Evan Neal, nobody would have believed me.

And yet here we are, with two of the players consistently at the top of big boards as Giants. Now it’s time to turn the page to the second and third rounds.

The Giants have plenty of great options available for their Day 2 picks, and hopefully they’ll be able to follow up a great first round with strong second and third rounds. After nailing the first round, who could the Giants be looking at in the second and third rounds?

Could the Giants actually look at Liberty quarterback Malik Willis?

Needs and fits

The Giants filled two glaring needs at the top of the first round, but several still remain. The Giants still only have two safeties on their roster. They could also use a cornerback with press-man upside, a linebacker, a wide receiver, and of course some interior offensive linemen.

Safety

• Jaquan Brisker (Penn State) - [Prospect Profile]
• Jalen Pitre (Baylor) - [Prospect Profile]
• Nick Cross (Maryland) - [Prospect Profile]

Cornerback

• Andrew Booth Jr. (Clemson) - [Prospect Profile]
• Roger McCreary (Auburn) - [Prospect Profile]
• Kyler Gordon (Washington)

Linebacker

• Nakobe Dean (Georgia) - [Prospect Profile]
• Leo Chenal (Wisconsin) - [Prospect Profile]
• Chad Muma (Wyoming) - [Prospect Profile]
• Troy Andersen (Montana State) - [Prospect Profile]
• Christian Harris (Alabama) - [Prospect Profile]

Wide Receiver

• George Pickens (Georgia) - [Prospect Profile]
• Christian Watson (North Dakota State) - [Prospect Profile]
• Skyy Moore (Western Michigan) - [Prospect Profile]
• Calvin Austin III (Memphis) - [Prospect Profile]
• John Metchie III (Alabama) - [Prospect Profile]

Interior Offensive Line

• Sean Rhyan (OG, UCLA) - [Prospect Profile]
• Darian Kinnard (OG, Kentucky) - [Prospect Profile]
• Dylan Parham (OC, Memphis) - [Prospect Profile]
• Jamaree Salyer (iOL, Georgia) - [Prospect Profile]
• Luke Fortner (OC, Kentucky)
• Cam Jurgens (OC, Nebraska)

Tight End

• Trey McBride (Colorado State) - [Prospect Profile]
• Jelani Woods (Virginia) - [Prospect Profile]
• Jeremy Ruckert (Ohio State) - [Prospect Profile]
• Cade Otten (Washington) - [Prospect Profile]

Too much value to ignore?

There are still some excellent players on the draft, many of whom garnered first-round consideration at some point over the course of the process. Could they be high enough on the Giants’ board that one gets selected at No. 36?

• David Ojabo (EDGE, Michigan) - [Prospect Profile]
• Boye Mafe (EDGE, Minnesota) - [Prospect Profile]
• Arnold Ebiketie (EDGE, Penn State) - [Prospect Profile]
• DeMarvin Leal (DL, Texas A&M) - [Prospect Profile]
• Phidarian Mathis (iDL, Alabama) - [Prospect Profile]
• Bernhard Raimann (OT, Central Michigan) - [Prospect Profile]
• Abraham Lucas (OT, Washington State) - [Prospect Profile]

Is running back on the menu?

One of the more interesting aspects of the Giants’ 2022 draft process was the interest they’ve shown in the top running backs. The Giants made a point of taking a nice close look at players like Iowa State’s Breece Hall [Prospect Profile], Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III [Prospect Profile], and Georgia’s James Cook [Prospect Profile].

Every one of those players should be in consideration for one of the Giants’ picks in the third round. We could also see the Giants take s player like Brian Robinson Jr out of Alabama [Prospect Profile] or Isaiah Spiller from Texas A&M [Prospect Profile].

Offensive big board

Defensive big board