Andrew Parsaud’s 7-Round New York Giants Only Mock Draft

The Giants Country editorial team's mock draft series continues with Andrew Parsaud's mock.

Author:
Andrew Parsaud
Publish date:
Apr 7, 2023 4:21 PM EDT

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There is no better time for NFL fans than when the draft rolls around every April. The opportunity for teams to grab the best young talent that college football offers. Last year, the New York Giants selected 11 players.

This year, things are a little different. Rather than picking near the top of the order, the Giants have the 25th overall pick. I hear the pleas from fans every day, saying that they want the Giants to take a wide receiver at that spot. I agree.

I used Pro Football Network’s simulator for this mock draft and tried to make it as realistic as possible because sometimes these trials can have some weird outcomes. Without any more explaining, here’s my Giants-only seven-round mock!

R1, No. 25: WR Quentin Johnston

Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 216 lbs. | School: TCU

Since trading away Odell Beckham Jr during the 2019 offseason, the Giants have failed to replace his production, as no wide receiver on the team has reached 1,000 receiving yards since.

Insert Johnston, the large target from TCU. Johnston, an X-receiver on TCU's national championship season, fits what the Giants are trying to do on offense.

The Draft Network notes that Johnston "has an elite-level athletic profile, combining speed, acceleration, and size in a way that has allowed him to be dominant and consistently put up impressive single-game numbers."

While he is a much larger receiver than most, his speed is unmatched, and the Giants have made it a trend this offseason to add speed to the offense (Darren Waller, Parris Campbell).

R2, No. 57: IOL Luke Wypler

Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 303 lbs. | School: Ohio State

The Giants will add veteran center J.C. Hassenauer to the roster, pending his physical, but at best, that's a one-year signing and one that doesn't erase the need for a long-term solution

At some point in this draft, the Giants are thought to be planning to take a center that can anchor the position for years to come. And in this mock draft, I had them take New Jersey native Luke Wypler out of Ohio State.

Wypler, a stable pass blocker, is, according to The Draft Network, a polished technician who also "operates under control, stays square, and competes to stay leveraged while fitting his hands" and is capable of winning in space and at the second level.

The Giants haven't had the same opening-day starting center since Weston Richburg was on the roster. It's probably time that trend ends.

R3, No. 89: CB Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson

Height: 5-foot-9 | Weight: 178 lbs. | School: TCU

Staying with TCU, I have the Giants selecting cornerback Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson in the third round to address a need.

Hodges-Tomlinson played a lot of man coverage and proved to be effective. According to Pro Football Focus, Hodges-Tomlinson allowed just 22.2 percent of the pass targets against him to be completed when in man coverage, placing him in the top 10 of draft-eligible cornerbacks who participated in a minimum of 100 coverage snaps.

The Draft Network notes that Hodges-Tomlinson is "an extremely athletically-gifted player" who, as already noted, comes from a defensive system rooted in man defense.

"His ability to stay square and mirror a receiver as they stem to try and open his hips is a credit to his footwork. He is smooth in and out of breaks and can easily flip his hips when necessary," TDN continued. "His speed is a huge advantage to him, as he can quickly close the distance if a receiver has beat him and gotten separation."

The only knock against him is his size, as he doesn't have the length and wingspan the Giants seem to desire in their cornerback.

R4, No. 128: S Ji’Ayir Brown

Height: 5-foot-11 | Weight: 211 lbs. | School: Penn State

Some may be asking why I decided to pick a safety at this spot, even after the Giants signed veteran Bobby McCain to presumably fill the void for Julian Love, who went to Seattle.

Brown’s big frame and versatility in the secondary were too appealing to pass up. I think he’d be great value at this spot and a very nice chess piece for Martindale to work with, as a team can never have too many defensive backs.

TDN notes that Brown is coming off two of the most productive seasons a safety has had in college football in the past ten years. Brown recorded 122 tackles against the run (a GIants weakness last year) in the last two seasons.

He's also been a ballhawk, recording ten interceptions in that same span. His versatility should allow whatever team selects him to optimize his many talents.

R5, No. 160: EDGE Brenton Cox Jr

Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 250 lbs. | School: Florida

The Giants have Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari as their projected starting pass rushers. But as we saw last season, when one of those two isn’t on the field, the Giants struggled to force opponents to "pick their poison." And although the team re-signed Jihad Ward for another year, and they have Elerson Smith on the roster, that's still not a lot of firepower at an important position.

Enter Brenton Cox Jr, a potential situational pass rusher. Cox, who has ideal size and speed for a pass rusher, has been touted as a developmental prospect, as his pass rush has been inconsistent, but he has all the tools to become a solid player in the league.

According to TDN, Cox can hold up against the run. TDN also notes Cox "has strong hands in that he can engage with offensive linemen and control them with his hands and shed them when he needs to make a play on a ball carrier that’s near."

And if you're wondering about his athleticism, Cox has shown an ability to chase plays down on the backside if left undefended.

R5, No. 172: DT Jaxon Player

Height: 6-foot | Weight: 294 lbs. | School: Baylor

IDL Jaxon Player would be a nice depth piece behind Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams. The Giants signed Rakeem Nunez-Roches early in free agency, so he will be the main rotational player behind those two.

Adding Player to learn behind them (along with D.J. Davidson, last year's draft pick who had his season end early due to a torn ACL) would be a good move to help build up a position's depth that last year lacked as injuries kept gnawing away.

According to NFL Draft Bible, Player is considered undersized for the position, has short arms, and lacks power, all of which he could overcome with some coaching at the next level. He might not evolve into a starter, but as a rotational piece, there could be something there with which to work.

TDN agrees with that assessment adding, "Player's impressive movement skills, active hands, and excellent feel for leverage make him a dangerous defender on any snap."

R6, No. 209: TE Brenton Strange

Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 253 lbs. | School: Penn State

The Giants made a splash a few weeks back, trading for star tight end Darren Waller. Waller will be an immediate explosive play threat the Giants have been missing for quite some time. He’ll pair up with Daniel Bellinger, who showed massive promise last season and should be another big contributor in 2023.

But this doesn't mean the Giants won't look to add to the position. If they were, for example, to add Strange, he would compete to be the third tight end on the roster. Strange does have strong hands and excels at running after the catch.

NFL Draft Bible summarizes him as someone who "is an athletically enticing prospect who offers ideal acceleration, understanding of zone coverage, motor, and scheme versatility as a blocker." Strange is also a decent enough inline blocker, but that said, he is a developmental prospect at this stage.

R7, No. 240: CB Starling Thomas V

Height: 6-foot | Weight: 194 lbs. | School: UAB

Given the depth of the cornerback class, I decided to double up at cornerback. Starling Thomas V is a bigger, physical corner that projects as a fit in Martindale’s defense. Thomas, a converted receiver, has length and experience playing press-man. He possesses good athleticism and ball skills and forced 23 pass breakups with 13 interceptions over his career.

Last season, he started all 13 games, posting 30 tackles and a team-high 15 pass breakups, the latter putting him in the top five in Conference USA as a contributor to one of the top defensive units in the nation.

Thomas stood out at the Shrine Bowl and could be a potential late-round gem.

R7, No. 243: OG T.J. Bass

Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 317 lbs. | School: Oregon

The Giants double dip again in this mock draft, this time on the interior offensive line where they land guard/tackle T.J. Bass.

Bass finished his college career with 2,211 total (three seasons), including 1,379 at left tackle and 824 at left guard. He was the only player to be named the Pac-12 Offensive Lineman of the Week multiple times in 2022, receiving the honor in back-to-back weeks, and his four career Pac-12 "Offensive Lineman of the Week" honors tied former Duck Penei Sewell for the most in the award’s history.

Although he played mostly tackle in college, he projects more as an interior lineman since he lacks the length and athleticism necessary for tackle at the next level. Currently ranked as NFL Draft Bible's 12th best guard, Bass offers a high football IQ and ability to diagnose plays, but he can struggle with his balance and against players with length and athleticism.

R7, No. 254: RB Travis Dye

Height: 5-foot-10 | Weight: 201 lbs. | School: USC

Although the Giants have Saquon Barkley ad Matt Breida back for 2023, the long-term future still seems murky in this position. Gary Brightwell and Jashaun Corbin have been waiting in the wings, but the Giants might want to add another running back to the mix to have ready for the future.

Travis Dye might make for an interesting prospect. A slasher-style runner, he adjusts well while in motion and runs with an attitude.

TDN notes that Dye "has a bit of a unique build—his stride length is short, and his step frequency is high. This allows for some sudden stutter cuts and shallow adjustments on the track to maintain his pace and clear early penetration."

But if you're looking for a bulldozer, Dye apparently isn't it.

"While he isn’t going to flat-back any linebackers, he’ll confidently trust his pads and lean. Dye is likely part of a stable of backs at the next level, but he’s a natural pass-catcher, ran ample routes out of the backfield, and has abilities as a runner to pick his way through the front and key gaps out of the mesh point."

Dye, who also has some experience as a return specialist, could end up competing with Gary Brightwell for that role after Brightwell's less-than-stellar showing as a kickoff returner.

We will return with more mock drafts from the Giants Country editorial team, including those by Patricia Traina and Olivier Dumont, on Monday.