INDIANAPOLIS – Just their luck.
There are two prospects for attack that rise to the top of the NFL draft boards, and the Giants, who were pretty bad in 2021, weren’t bad enough to be in a position to secure any of them.
Imagine being as deprived of talent and depth as the Giants are on the offensive line, with a total of № 5 (and № 7) and feeling that the first two boys are out of their reach. Almost every year, quarterbacks taken early push other players down, but this is not expected to be the case in this draft. So, as bad as the Giants are in a group of positions that have annoyed them for a decade, they are likely to see Iki Equon of North Carolina and Evan Neal of Alabama – fights that would be Day 1 starters for them – the first four selections will go.
“I don’t think you can look at an offensive line and say you have to draw one in the first round,” said new general manager Joe Schoen. “I think you can find offensive strikers during the draft.
The giants need this to be true. They have nine choices in this draft and they will use some of them to take offensive lines. It will be unpleasant if they do not use one of their two choices in the first round to strengthen this position. But they can’t force it. If the highest offensive line players on their board do not guarantee a choice in the top 7, the giants must either swap or look elsewhere. It is not as if they are included in the list of many other positions.
Giants general manager Joe Schoen speaks to the media at the NFL Scout Factory. Michael Conroy
When Sean was assistant general manager at Buffalo under Brandon Bean, restoring Bills’ offensive line involved only two drafts: Dion Dawkins (second round, 2017) and Wyatt Teller (fifth round, 2018). They acquired Mitch Morse (formerly second-round Chiefs) through trade and signed Ryan Bates and Ike Boetger as non-drafted free agents. The result was not one of the NFL’s top five offensive lines, but the division came together enough to help Buffalo become a dynamic offensive team.
The current state of affairs with the giants is grim. Schoen pointed out that there are only five healthy offensive players on the list. It can stretch it. Andrew Thomas, Nate Solder, Ben Bredeson and Wes Martin are under contract. The fifth player Schoen can talk about is guard Shane Lemieux, who played in just one game last season before a knee injury left him in reserve for injury. They are not expected to deal with Matt Perth (ACL reconstruction) and the Nick Gates Center (multiple leg surgeries) to be ready for the start of the 2022 season.
The signing of a veteran in the free agency is ideal for plugging at least one of the holes, but the Giants will buy the trash for bargain deals, given the restrictions on the salary cap. The project is more cost effective. Expect Neil and Equonu to disappear, so what’s next?
The Giants are unlikely to stay in place and use one of their first-round choices for an inside striker, even though they need a center, and Tyler Linderbaum of Iowa is rated the best of the group, he is short with more less than 300 pounds. He said he had an official interview with the giants here at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Zion Johnson, a Boston College guard who played as a center last month at the Senior Bowl, met with Giants scouts in Mobile, Alabama, and spoke Wednesday with Bobby Johnson, the Giants’ new offensive line coach.
Ickey Ekwonu will probably not be available when the time comes for the Giants to make number 5 in the NFL 2022 Draft. Getty Images
“I was really good at talking to him,” Johnson said. “He taught me one of the runs they do, and I felt it went well.”
The Giants have a gaping hole in one place to deal with, and the next best after the effervescent Equon and the super-polished Neil is probably Charles Cross, a young man with few words.
A deep athlete, 6 feet 5 and 310 pounds Cross was a starter in the state of Mississippi for two years and played all his pictures in college except four on the left. Arranging himself in Mike Leach’s rifle-based air attack system, Cross was asked to cross the block 54 times per game. Can he stand out as a grip capable of putting his hand on the ground and blocking the force run?
Charles Cross of Mississippi may be the best chance for the Giants to improve their offensive line through the draft. AP Photo
“Watch a movie,” Cross said. “I say ‘Watch a movie.’ I definitely feel I can come in and help any organization. I definitely feel I can play on both sides. I feel I can play all five positions, to be honest. “
Cross was scheduled to meet with the Giants on Thursday night. It will be difficult for them to cross the Cross at number 7 if they go with the vanguard at number 5. Quarterback Daniel Jones can’t block for himself.