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ESPN NFL Draft gurus Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay joined Field Yates on the latest edition of the First Draft Podcast to discuss the 2022 NFL draft. And while said draft is still three months away, they decided to conduct a little mini-mock.
The trio only broke down picks 1-5, but that included the first of two first-round picks for the New York Giants.
So, who did Big Blue take? Here’s how their top five shook out:
1. Jaguars: DE Aidan Hutchinson
2. Lions: DE Kayvon Thibodeauk
3. Texans: LT Evan Neal
4. Jets: CB Derek Stingley, Jr.
5. Giants: LT Ikem Ekwonu
Evan Neal seems to be the early betting favorite for the Giants, but in this case he was off the board at No. 3 overall to the Houston Texans. That left New York a more limited range of options.
With offensive tackle still the team’s most pressing need, McShay and Kiper have the Giants selecting NC State lineman Ikem Ekwonu.
Ekwonu has been a popular mock to the Giants but some do not view him as the same sure-thing they view Neal.
Hmm yes, but Ekwonu needs a lot of work on his set and landmarks. Too far inconsistent and inefficient. https://t.co/LU1jaW39wu
— Duke Manyweather (@BigDuke50) January 13, 2022
A lot can change between now and the draft, and perhaps Ekwonu puts on a show at the NFL Combine and eases some of those concerns. Either way, the Giants are basically locked into taking an offensive tackle at some point in Round 1.
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