Giants’ Roster Gets an Interesting Makeover in Redraft of Current NFL Players

It’s the time of year when there's not a lot of hardcore news to dissect and talk about, which means that analysts tend to get busy with “what if?’ scenarios, some of which tend to get rather wild.

Such is the case with Chad Rueter of NFL.com, who unveiled a mock draft in which he used this past season’s draft order. However, instead of selecting rookies, he plugged in active veteran talent from around the league to create a “draft class” designed to win now.

Reuter’s roster makeover exercise used a snake format, meaning that once he reached No. 32 in the first round, that team (Eagles) went right back on the clock for the second round.

So with that noted, let’s take a look at what he came up with for the Giants.

Round 1: QB Lamar Jackson (Ravens)

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

There’s no disputing that Jackson, a two-time MVP and three-time first-team All-Pro, would inject some excitement into the offense given his athleticism, and who is arguably more still at his peak than Russell Wilson, the Giants’ projected starter for the upcoming season.

And did we mention that Jackson, the league's career rushing record holder among quarterbacks and four-time achiever of a perfect passer rating, doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon?

That wouldn’t be a bad consolation in this mock draft, considering Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes were already off the board.

Round 2: RB Bijan Robinson (Falcons)

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

With the quarterback position taken care of, the Giants continue to round out their triplets by going with Falcons running back Bijan Robison, who finished last season third in the league in rushing yardage (1,456).

Robinson is probably the closest the Giants could get to replicating what they had with Saquon Barkley, who was gone in the first round of this mock. Robinson’s 82 rushing first downs tied Barkley’s total and ranked third in the league, but his 60.2% success rate was much better than Barkley’s 52.5%.

Round 3: WR Puka Nacua (Rams)

Los Angeles Rams receiver Puka Nacua | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Rounding out the Giants’ fantasy offense is perhaps the most “questionable” pick among the seven made for the simple reason that Nacua is coming off an injury-shortened second season in which he only played in 11 regular-season games.

Despite that, Nakua, graded as PFF’s top receiver last year, still came within 10 receiving yards of his second straight 1,000-yard performance in regular-season play.

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Round 4: DT DeForest Buckner (Colts)

Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Buckner’s versatility in being able to play multiple positions, along with his ability to stop the run and pressure the quarterback–he led the Colts last year with 6.5 sacks–might not make any Giants fans forget Dexter Lawrence II. Still, it might ease the sting of not having the big nose tackle, who in this exercise went to the Chargers in Round 2.

Buckner finished ninth among interior defensive linemen (300 pass rush snaps minimum) in pass-rush win percentage (13.9%), according to Pro Football Focus. As for his run defense, he recorded 24 stops, 14th among interior defensive linemen last year.

Round 5: Edge Josh Hines-Allen (Jaguars)

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Hines-Allen has 25.5 sacks in his last two NFL seasons, better than that of Brian Burns (16.5) and Kayvon Thibodeaux (17.0) over the same period. Last season, he finished 11th among graded edge rushers, with 63 pressures ranking 14th among his peers. His pass-rush win rate (15.9%) placed him 12th among edge rushers with a minimum of 330 pass-rushing snaps.

Round 6: OL Brian O’Neill (Vikings)

Minnesota Vikings tackle Brian O'Neill | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

O’Neill would give the Giants something they haven’t had since 2012 (Chris Snee): a Pro Bowl offensive lineman.

O’Neill, a career right tackle for the Vikings, was named to his second career Pro Bowl last season. He has also been a durable rock for the Vikings, appearing in 110 games over his seven-year career with 106 starts.

In 2024, he posted a 97.7 pass-blocking efficiency rating, having surrendered 26 pressures by only four sacks,

Round 7: CB L’Jarius Sneed (Titans)

Tennessee Titans cornerback L'Jarius Sneed | Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sneed, now with the Titans, was a proven playmaker during his career with the Chiefs. He recorded 10 interceptions and 39 pass breakups over his four-year career in Kansas City.

Last year, however, in his first season with the Titans, he only appeared in five games due to a quad injury that landed him on the injured reserve list.

A healthy Sneed at this point in this mock draft would be a steal for the Giants, whose cornerback group hasn’t been as productive since the days when James Bradberry (seen interceptions, 35 pass breakups) wore Blue.