The New York Giants continue to work diligently ahead of the 2022 NFL draft, and that includes multiple top-30 visits.
On Monday, the Giants hosted NC State offensive lineman Ikem Ekwonu for a visit, which came after a handful of other meetings over the weekend.
The Giants hosted NC State OT Ikem Ekwonu for a visit on Monday, per source. Continues their run of bringing in most of draft’s top prospects. If Ekwonu is actually there at pick 5, hard to see him lasting much longer. Considered by many the top OL in the draft.
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) April 12, 2022
The Giants are also scheduled to meet with Oregon edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux on Thursday, which means an open spot on Wednesday.
The meeting block will be filled by Michigan edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson.
Sources: Michigan DE Aidan Hutchinson is visiting the Giants in Jersey tomorrow, and will visit the Jets on Friday. Seems unlikely he'll get to either team, at 4 or 5, but they're doing their homework.
Hutchinson already visited the Jags, and is set to visit the Lions next week.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) April 12, 2022
Hutchinson is still expected to go No. 1 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but that’s no longer the certainty it once was. However, even if he slides past the Jags, it’s unlikely he’d slip all the way to the Giants at No. 5.
Still, the Giants must cross all their t’s and dot all their i’s just in case.
Here’s how NFL Network draft guru Lance Zierlein broke down Hutchinson:
Defensive end prospect with a can’t-miss combination of football character, skill and physical traits who is more likely to contend for occasional Pro Bowls than become an All-Pro playmaker. Hutchinson’s strength and flexion allows him to drop a deep anchor and set a very firm edge, and that is unlikely to change as a pro whether he’s used in 4-3 or 3-4 fronts. He can be too mechanical, engaging in cursory contact rather than using his hands to whip the man in front of him quickly. Hutchinson is an instinctive rusher, assailing the pocket with a non-stop barrage of activity. His hands are skilled and efficient to grease the edge while fluid counter steps open inside paths to the pocket. He needs to add a few more items to his rush menu in order to maintain his rush production against NFL tackles. Hutchinson is scheme versatile and should be a very good starter with a very high floor, but his ceiling might not be as elevated as some of the talent he’s been compared to.
The Giants haven’t had a pure, organic edge rusher in quite some time. If Hutchinson fell to them, it’d be like winning a mini lottery.
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