That Giants used a top-five pick for an offensive lineman in 2020 and Andrew Thomas now anchors her leash. But the team went into the offseason with needs everywhere else ahead. Even after adding several likely indoor O-Line starters in March, Big Blue has a vacancy at Right Tackle. This has prompted the Giants to extensively prepare this draft’s top tackles, including Alabama’s Evan NealNC states Ikem Ekwonu and the state of Mississippi charles cross, notes SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano. Other teams are drawing the Giants to line up at No. 5 or 7, a rival manager said of Vacchiano. The Giants brought sizeable contingents to the pro days of the top three tackles and have previously been linked with Cross, who trails behind Neal and Ekwonu.
With two picks in the top seven, it would be surprising if one of the top three tackles stayed on the board after the Giants’ second pick — assuming it wasn’t traded. The Panthers, who hold the No. 6, also have their eye on Ekwonu and Cross. That could test the Giants with the first of their Round 1 decisions, with other teams ahead of them — namely the Texans and Jets — being strong candidates for draft tackles. The Giants could exit the first round with a proper tackle to join the offseason signings Markus Glowinski and Jon Feliciano as part of their recent up-front overhaul.
Here’s the latest from the draft realm:
- Another candidate to join the Giants, Ahmed Gardner will pay them a visit and meet with several other teams ahead of the draft. The Cincinnati standout has emerged as a favorite for first cornerback, and ProFootballNetwork.com’s Aaron Wilson is noting nozzles, Eagle, lions and Seahawks join the Giants in planning “30” visits. The Giants and Jets are believed to have a strong interest in Gardner, who is unlikely to make the top 10. The Jets hold picks #4 and #10.
- That cowboys brought in some prospects from the first round this week. Georgia defensive tackle Jordan DavisUtah linebacker Devin Lloyd and Texas A&M Guard Kenyon Green visited the Cowboys this week, according to Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (everything Twitter connections). Lloyd and Davis are considered top 12 prospects, according to NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah. Barring free falls or Dallas rising from #24, they will be out of range. Green is considered the best guard available by Jeremiah and ESPN.com, each just outside the top 25. The cowboys who lost Connor Williams in free agency target O-linemen early on.
- One of the best wide receivers of this draft Treylon Burks has already met with some teams. In addition to the Cowboys and Buccaneers peaks, the Arkansas product spent time with the Brown and nozzles this week, Wilson tweets. That texan are next. The Browns are an unrealistic Burks contender after trading their first-round pick (No. 13) to the Texans, who would loom as a potential target thanks to one of the decisions they made in the Deshaun Watson act. The Jets have made their wide receiver interest fairly well known this offseason.
- Though they don’t have a first-round pick until 2025, the Brown still hold their second place this year (No. 44). In addition to their Burks meeting Friday, the Browns brought in North Dakota State wide receiver Christian WatsonAlbert Breer from SI.com tweets. ESPN and Jeremiah place the Division I FCS product at number 45. The 6-foot-4 pass catcher played along Trey Lance as a sophomore in 2019 and received All-American recognition in 2021.