Is it too early for a 2022 NFL mock draft? Well… yes, but here we are anyway, covering a mock for a draft that’s almost a full year away.
Pro Football Network recently released their latest 2022 mock draft and they have the New York Giants keeping and using both of their first-round picks (the second acquired in a draft day trade with the Chicago Bears).
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With their first pick, PFN has the Giants selecting Texas A&M guard Kenyon Green.
Thanks to their trade with the Chicago Bears in the 2021 NFL Draft, the New York Giants are in an excellent position to alter the franchise’s fortunes dramatically. In this 2022 NFL Mock Draft, they hold two top 10 selections, a sign that sticking with Daniel Jones for another year maybe didn’t work out all that well. Of course, the natural assumption is that they’d use this selection on a quarterback, but we all know what assumptions do.
The 2022 NFL Draft quarterback class contains a lot of uncertainty at this point. Although the Giants will get a new signal-caller shortly, there isn’t a prospect that necessitates them running up to the podium here. However, in offensive lineman Kenyon Green, there is.
They need to address the offensive line, and, for me, Green is comfortably the best offensive lineman in the class. He’ll play tackle for Texas A&M this year, but he’s an elite interior lineman. Wherever he lines up for the Giants, he will automatically upgrade the line.
Considering PFN gets to pick and choose where the Giants select in this mock draft (they chose Vegas odds), the argument that “picking here means Daniel Jones failed” holds no real water. It’s just a subjective assumption made by the author and some bookies.
That being said, the selection of Green makes sense. The Giants are arguably the weakest along their offensive line and specifically at guard. But again, we won’t know that for sure until nearly a year from now.
Next up, as PFN previously alluded and seemed in a rush to get to, the Giants select a Daniel Jones replacement with a near-carbon copy: Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder.
The Giants are all in on Daniel Jones — apparently. Their moves in the draft and free agency have set the third-year quarterback up for success. The addition of Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney offers Jones the best wide receiver room he’s had so far. As a result, there are no excuses. There has to be success this season. Picking twice in the top 10 would suggest that success is absent from the 2021 Giants.
Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder gives the Giants an exciting alternative to Jones. Yes, there are some accuracy issues that he needs to iron out. But when you combine the prototypical height of an NFL quarterback with a mesmerizing ability to create plays outside of the pocket, Ridder provides an intriguing potential replacement. He’ll likely compete at the Senior Bowl too, where winning the MVP award would practically guarantee him being drafted by the Giants.
The 6-foot-4 Ridder does have prototypical height. So does the 6-foot-5 Jones. And yes, Ridder does have an ability to create plays outside of the pocket. So does Jones.
PFN doesn’t hide that they’re not fans of Jones, so absorb this analysis with a grain of salt.
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