Tag: Ikem Ekwonu

Giants land Ikem Ekwonu, Kyle Hamilton in latest USA TODAY mock

In the latest mock draft from USA TODAY, the New York Giants select OT Ikem Ekwonu and safety Kyle Hamilton.

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Get ready for mock draft season now that the New York Giants are heading home for the offseason.

With general manager Dave Gettleman and head coach Joe Judge gone, the Giants are conducting interviews to fill those positions as we speak.

Who gets hired for those positions will dictate how the Giants choose to utilize their two top 10 picks in the upcoming 2022 NFL draft.

Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA TODAY believes the Giants will use those selections on a combination of need and best player available.

5. Giants – Ikem Ekwonu, OT, North Carolina State

Call it a Dave Gettleman tribute pick, as the outgoing general manager would surely admire the team taking one of his beloved “hog mollies.” After proving himself this season to be a skillful pass protector in addition to a bully in the run game, Ekwonu looks like just the kind of blocker Big Blue needs to bring on to stabilize a perpetually underperforming line that offers little long-term hope beyond left tackle Andrew Thomas.

The 6-foot-4, 320-pound redshirt sophomore was a unanimous All-American, a first team All-ACC selection and the recipient of the Jacobs Blocking Award this past season and would add some much-needed talent and toughness to the trenches.

7. Giants (from Bears) – Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame

Opting for safety this high might seem a bit of a luxury for a Giants team that has finally embraced a full rebuild. But Big Blue needs to stock up on top-tier talent where it can get it, and Hamilton surely fits that bill. At 6-4 and 220 pounds with massive range both in coverage and as a tackler, the two-time All-American can be utilized in an array of different manners. Pairing him with emerging standout Xavier McKinney would give the Giants a formidable tandem on the back end of their defense.

The Giants are likely done with Jabrill Peppers and Logan Ryan will be 31 next month so this pick isn’t as much of a luxury as it seems. It’s never a reach to bring in a game-changing player on either side of the ball and Hamilton certainly has the potential to be that.

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2022 NFL draft: Defense a priority for Jets in Draft Wire’s latest 3-round mock

Draft Wire’s latest mock draft has the Jets using four of their first five picks in the 2022 NFL draft on their defense.

Another disappointing season of Jets football is just days away from ending. Robert Saleh’s first season as head coach inspired a bit of hope for the future, but New York is going to finish another season buried in the AFC East cellar.

What better time to look ahead to the 2022 NFL draft than now with the 4-12 Jets inching closer to their season finale against the Bills? Joe Douglas has a legitimate chance to build a contender — or a respectable team, at the very least — thanks to the draft capital he is armed with.

New York has two first-round picks for a second straight year thanks to the Jamal Adams trade. Douglas will also have an extra second-round pick from the Sam Darnold trade.

Draft Wire’s latest three-round mock draft has Douglas using all but one of his first five picks of the draft to address Gang Green’s porous defense. The first-round pick from Seattle was dedicated to beefing up the offensive line, though, which has been a point of emphasis from the day Douglas arrived in Florham Park.

Let’s take a look at who exactly Draft Wire has the Jets selecting on the first two days of the draft.

2022 NFL draft: Jets land All-ACC OL, defensive pieces in Draft Wire’s new mock

Draft Wire’s latest three-round mock has the Jets selecting an All-ACC offensive lineman and four defensive pieces.

The Jets are dead last in the AFC East and going nowhere this season, making December an appropriate time for fans to turn their attention to the 2022 NFL draft.

There is still hope for the future at One Jets Drive despite little going right in the first year of the Robert Saleh era. Joe Douglas will once again have the chance to land two impact players early in the first round of the draft. Draft Wire’s latest three-round mock has Douglas using those two picks to add potential day-one starters on both sides of the ball before fully turning his attention to defense on the second day of the draft.

Let’s take a look at who Draft Wire has the Jets selecting with their first five picks of the draft.

2022 NFL mock draft: Jets get NC State OL prospect with Jamal Adams pick

Our latest example of just how costly the deal could be comes via a 2022 mock from our friends at Draft Wire.

Jamal Adams is an exceptional football player and one of the most unique defenders in the NFL today. That doesn’t make the trade the Seahawks made with the Jets to get him any more palatable, though. In the wake of the news that Adams will require season-ending surgery on his shoulder, Seattle’s deal to land No. 33 is looking much worse now than when it originally happened, which is about as bad as it gets.

Head coach Pete Carroll is still defending the deal, calling it a “terrific trade” for his team. Carroll can say whatever he wants but the hard truth is that the move cost Seattle a massive amount of draft capital, which will make keeping this team competitive that much more difficult.

Our latest example of just how costly the deal could be comes via a 2022 mock from our friends at Draft Wire. If the season were to end today, the Jets would be in line for two picks in the top five. In this particular mock, at No. 4 overall they selected standout LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., followed by North Carolina State offensive lineman Ikem Ekwonu at No. 5 with the pick they got from the 4-8 Seahawks.

Ekwonu (6-foot-4, 320 pounds) was recently named a First Team All-American and is being mocked as high as No. 2 overall in some places.

The NFL draft is a crapshoot and there’s always a chance that Ekwonu will end up a bust at the next level. That’s what makes capital so important, though. The more picks a losing team has, the more likely they are to acquire an athlete who can change their fortunes. 

Seattle’s No. 1 personnel priority this coming offseason should be reinforcing the left side of the offensive line. Starting left tackle Duane Brown is set to become a free agent and will be 37 years old by the time next season begins. Meanwhile, left guard Damien Lewis has struggled since switching over from the right side and both Kyle Fuller and Ethan Pocic have misfired, suggesting there probably isn’t a long-term starter at center currently on the roster.

Fixing these issues up front may take more than one draft class, especially given the Seahawks’ poor track record of drafting OL in recent years. Being in position to draft a player like Ekwonu might have accelerated that process. Now, Seattle has to wait and watch on Day 1 of the draft, hoping that one of the top OL prospects falls into round two.

The trade for Adams was meant to be an all-in, win-now type move. It may turn out to be regime-changing blunder no matter how well Adams plays when he returns.

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2022 NFL draft: Jets land star corner, versatile lineman in Draft Wire’s new 3-round mock

Draft Wire has the Jets using the first three rounds of the 2022 NFL draft to address their most pressing holes on both sides of the ball.

The Jets broke back into the win column against the Texans last weekend, but New York is 3-8 and dead last in the AFC East entering Week 13.

There is still hope for the future though, as one of Gang Green’s few silver linings is that Joe Douglas will once again have the chance to land two impact players in the first round of the draft. The Jets are currently slated to pick fourth with their own pick and fifth with the first-rounder they acquired from the Seahawks in the Jamal Adams trade.

Draft Wire’s latest three-round mock has Douglas using those picks to address New York’s most pressing needs in the secondary and on the offensive line before using day two of the draft to upgrade on both sides of the ball.

Let’s take a look at who Draft Wire has the Jets selecting in the first three rounds of the 2022 NFL draft.

Giants address multiple needs in Draft Wire’s three-round 2022 mock

In the latest 2022 mock draft from our friends at Draft Wire, the New York Giants address several dire needs over the first three rounds.

The New York Giants, barring any unforeseen changes, will enter the offseason with needs along the offensive line, at linebacker and along the edge.

They could also use a little added depth at cornerback and perhaps a two-way tight end. Some would even argue a quarterback, but that’s a debate for another day.

In the latest 2022 NFL mock draft from our friend Luke Easterling at Draft Wire, the Giants do a good job addressing most of the above needs over the first three rounds.

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2022 NFL draft: 6 prospects Jets fans should check out during the bye week

The bye week is the perfect time for Jets fans to check out some of the elite college talent that could wind up calling Florham Park home.

The bye week is the perfect opportunity for Jets fans to cleanse themselves of yet another disappointing start to the season.

It’s also the best time to look ahead to the future and see the talent that might call One Jets Drive home by this time next year.

New York is likely to land another top 10 draft pick with its 1-4 start to the season. Robert Saleh’s team is currently projected to pick fourth in the 2022 NFL draft. The Jets also have another first-round selection in their back pocket thanks to the Jamal Adams trade with the Seahawks.

There is a good chance Joe Douglas finds himself in a prime position to land multiple top-tier talents in the first round of this year’s draft. Two players that will be high on New York’s board are Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux and LSU cornerback Derrick Stingley Jr. Jets fans won’t be able to watch either play on Saturday, though, as Thibodeaux played against the University of California in a Friday night thriller and Stingley Jr. is currently out with an injury.

Watching elite Michigan pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson is also off the table, as the Wolverines are on their bye week. The same goes for Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton.

So, which elite college prospects should the Gang Green faithful have their eyes on Saturday? Here are six players to watch.

Notre Dame’s Robert Hainsey is ACC Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week

Thanks to their offensive line, Notre Dame’s backs and receivers had plenty of room to work with in the Irish’s 52-0 victory over USF.

Thanks to their offensive line, Notre Dame’s backs and receivers had plenty of room to work with in the Irish’s 52-0 win over USF. It seemed difficult for some to pick one lineman who stood out. The ACC decided that was Robert Hainsey, who shared ACC co-Offensive Lineman of the Week honors with NC State’s Ikem Ekwonu, the brother of Irish linebacker Osita Ekwonu. Hainsey is a two-time Notre Dame captain and a nominee for this year’s William V. Campbell Trophy.

With how well the line played Saturday, Hainsey pretty much accepts this award on behalf of the entire unit. It didn’t allow any sacks, and the Irish scored all six of their touchdowns on the ground. They ran for 281 yards and picked up 6.2 yards a carry. They also earned 16 first downs and converted on both of their fourth-down attempts.

While the Irish wait for Ian Book to have a breakout game, it’s nice for someone to gain this honor in the meantime.