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The New York Giants are an essential lock to select one of the top three available offensive tackles in the 2022 NFL draft. However, that’s not how things played out in the NFL Nation mock.
With Evan Neal and Ikem Ikwonu already off the board at No. 5, the Giants instead catch a break and land edge rusher Travon Walker — a player many now speculate could go No. 1 overall.
With the way the board fell, the top two offensive tackles are gone but perhaps the top edge player is staring the Giants in the face. Walker is too hard to pass up in this situation. Edge rusher is a major need, and the Giants are enamored of Walker’s potential. The Giants haven’t had a top-tier pass-rusher since trading Jason Pierre-Paul. Since 2015, they have had one edge rusher (Markus Golden) reach double-digit sacks. Hard to fathom given their former dominance at the position. Even though Walker’s production at Georgia was limited, there is belief given more opportunities that will change quickly.
The gamble paid off as Carolina went on to select Liberty quarterback Malik Willis at No. 6 overall. So, come on down Charles Cross? Not to fast.
Instead of nabbing Cross, whom the Giants are reportedly high on, they instead go out and select Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner.
OK, this is going to irk the fan base to not get a right tackle with either of these top-seven picks. It just worked out that way. Yes, the Giants are high on Mississippi State offensive tackle Charles Cross. He definitely has some supporters in the building. But so does Gardner, who didn’t allow a receiving touchdown in three years at Cincinnati. With James Bradberry likely gone by the end of the weekend, cornerback makes a ton of sense here. It’s a premium position and it fills a major need, for this year and beyond.
Great picks. Day 1 starters, impact players and potential long-term franchise guys. There’s no doubt Walker and Gardner immediately make the Giants a better team, but it leaves them with a gaping hole at right tackle — an ongoing issue that has plagued the team for a decade. And while there are mid-round options, the guarantee for success falls off dramatically.
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