Todd McShay’s Interesting First-Round Options for the Giants Revealed

ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay went a little outside of the box with his choices for the Giants at No. 5 and No. 7.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Feb 17, 2022 8:00 AM EST

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Offensive line. Pass Rusher. Cover corner. Tight end. Inside linebacker…

These are all positions where the New York Giants are thought to need depth. But with only so many picks—the Giants currently have nine picks, though Joe Schoen is said to be opened to acquiring more “at-bats” as he prepares for his inaugural draft as Giants general manager—and not a lot of cap space to operate (even once he clears his reported objective of $40 million), the Giants need to have a solid plan in place to address as many needs as possible.

That said, ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay, in his post-Super Bowl mock draft, made a couple of interesting picks for the Giants.

At No. 5, he has Big Blue selecting Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, noting:

Yes, the Giants need offensive linemen, but with a second top-10 pick on deck and the top two linemen off the board, we're pivoting to the other massive weakness: pass rush. And wouldn't you know it, Thibodeaux falls right into the Giants' lap here. He has great quickness, a good arsenal of pass-rush moves, and plenty of versatility. His tape is up and down, hence a slight slide to No. 5, but he'd immediately elevate a New York pass rush that had 34 sacks (tied for 22nd) last season. And he'd perfectly complement Leonard Williams and Azeez Ojulari, the team's 2021 second-rounder who led the defense with 8.0 sacks in his rookie year.

Thibodeaux would undoubtedly be difficult to pass up if he fell to No. 5. Still, in this instance, the Giants might be better off drafting a cover cornerback rather than a defensive end, especially if they move on from James Bradberry, as many expect will be the case.

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Oct 15, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; A general view of a New York Giants helmet on the turf before the game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (26) walks onto the field in the second half. The Giants lose to Washington, 22-7, at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022.

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Sep 13, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Baltimore Ravens inside linebackers coach Don Martindale on his sidelines in the fourth quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos defeated the Ravens 19-13.

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While having a “blue goose” pass rusher would be a welcome addition to a team that hasn’t had a “Batman” pass rusher since Jason Pierre-Paul was traded away if the back end of the defense can’t hold its coverage, that might not be the prudent move.

New defensive coordinator Wink Martindale has ways of scheming a pass rush, such as overloading one side of the formation to create a one-on-one situation with his best pass rusher on the team (currently Azeez Ojulari).

But if the opposing quarterback can get rid of the ball quickly thanks to poor coverage in the back end, it’s all for naught.

And in McShay’s mock draft, he has such a cornerback, Cincinnati’s Sauce Gardner, going to the Panthers at No. 6, and Derek Stingley Jr still on the board.

If it comes down to a pass rusher versus a solid man coverage cornerback, the latter has to be the pick, again, especially if the team moves on from James Bradberry.

Then at No. 7, McShay addresses the glaring need on the offensive line with Mississippi State offensive tackle Charles Cross, noting:

I'm not totally sure Cross is a top-10 pick. But he handles speed rushers well and plays with patience, and I see good angles on tape in the run game. He's the next best tackle on the board, and after landing Kayvon Thibodeaux at No. 5, New York can afford to reach a little bit here. With a new GM, head coach, and offensive coordinator, the Giants are going to give quarterback Daniel Jones every chance to succeed in 2022 before making a decision on their future under center. Jones has taken a lot of hits, and though left tackle Andrew Thomas rounded into form in 2021, the line remains a glaring problem. Cross, who gave up one sack on 683 pass-block snaps last season, helps.

Drafting an offensive tackle that can handle speed rushers is hard to pass up, but I can’t see the Giants reaching for a tackle that’s not a legitimate Top-7 prospect. If, as McShay projects, Ikem Ekwonu is off the board—he has him going to the Jets at No. 4—and if Cross were a player the Giants had to have, here, it might make sense to see about dropping down a few spots where Cross might potentially still be on the board.

How far down? The Vikings are plugged in at No. 12, so if they are in the market for a quarterback and want to get ahead of the Washington Commanders, who are also in need of a quarterback and who draft No. 11, perhaps a deal can be struck there.

There’s still a ways to go before mock drafts begin to crystallize, but these early scenarios being presented are still interesting, nonetheless.