Giants Will Pick a Wide Receiver in the First Round of the 2023 NFL Draft
The Giants ended up with the 25th pick in the 2023 NFL draft after making a postseason appearance — and winning a road playoff game — in coach Brian Daboll’s first year at the helm.
This is the latest the franchise has picked in the first round since it won the Super Bowl more than a decade ago and one position stands out as perhaps its most pressing need: Wide receiver. New York is favored to take a wideout in the first round. Some other likely possibilities with this pick are cornerback and offensive and defensive line.
SI’s Albert Breer noted wide receiver, interior offensive line and cornerback as the Giants primary needs heading into the draft. The mid-20s could be a tough spot to find a cornerback, though a receiver is very realistic at their current position.
Who Will the Giants Select in the First Round?
Wide Receiver +110
Cornerback +200
Offensive Lineman +350
Defensive Lineman +600
Linebacker +2000
Safety +2500
Running Back +3300
Tight End +3300
Quarterback +6600
New York bolstered its group of pass-catchers this offseason but those moves won’t take the team out of the running to add another receiver. Despite the trade for tight end Darren Waller and the Parris Campbell and Jamison Crowder signings, quarterback Daniel Jones still needs a true No. 1 target.
The Giants have spent two top-50 picks on receivers in the last two drafts: Kadarius Toney at No. 20 in 2021 and Wan’Dale Robinson at No. 43 in 2022. Toney played just 12 games for the team before he was traded midseason and Robinson’s rookie year was cut short by a torn ACL.
Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba, although he might not fall this far, Jordan Addison out of USC and Quentin Johnston from TCU are some of the possible pass-catchers in this range of the draft.
Breer also wrote in his mock draft that a tight end shouldn’t be ruled out for New York here, either. He mentioned Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer as a possible match and Dalton Kincaid out of Utah is another potential first-round pick at the position. It’s worth noting tight end (+3300) offers the second-largest payout after quarterback (+6600).
Cornerback Deonte Banks from Maryland also could be available in this range, though Conor Orr’s mock draft projects Alabama safety Brian Branch to be inserted into defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s scheme.
New York spent two top-10 picks on tackles (Andrew Thomas at No. 4 in 2020 and Evan Neal at No. 7 in 2022) in the last three drafts and can continue to invest in the trenches with a guard. O’Cyrus Torrence out of Florida is the highest-rated guard on SI’s big board and he’s been mocked in this range.
Defensive line is not necessarily a need for this roster, but general manager Joe Schoen could add up front next to edge Kayvon Thibodeaux and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Breer mocked Clemson defensive end Myles Murphy to the Giants.
From a value perspective, a tight end at 33-to-one is intriguing. It seems that New York does want to add another weapon for Jones and some of the best pass-catchers in this class are at tight end rather than receiver. Breer’s defensive line projection is worth entertaining, but a wide receiver is the betting favorite, and the Giants are in prime position to land one late in the first.
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