As the 2022 NFL draft unfolded, the New York Giants weren’t exactly sure what players would be available with the 5th overall selection. However, after the New York Jets selected Sauce Garden out of Cincinnati to fill a role in the secondary, meaning the Giants had their pick of all three offensive tackles and Oregon stand-out pass rusher, Kayvon Thibodeaux.
General manager Joe Schoen had a big decision to make, stay put and take his offensive tackle of choice or snag Thibodeaux and prevent the Carolina Panthers from stealing him prior to the 7th overall selection.
Schoen made the obvious decision, landing Thibodeau and settling for whichever tackle fell to him two picks later. Last season, Kayvon produced 7.0 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and 49 total tackles, presenting impeccable tangible traits and leadership capabilities. With an outstanding charismatic personality, Thibodeaux fits the New York media to perfection, and the Giants executed diligent research on him to make sure he could handle the load.
Clearly, they thought highly enough of him, selecting 5th overall and injecting him into a young defense that features Azeez Ojulari on the opposite side. Having two cost-controlled pass rushers is the perfect way to rebuild a team, and the Giants can now move forward with confidence knowing their defensive line is set.
However, they didn’t forget about Daniel Jones and protecting him at the line of scrimmage. The Giants went ahead and snagged Evan Neal at No. 7, solidifying right tackle for the foreseeable future. The Giants now have two rookie contracts in Andrew Thomas and Neal at offensive tackle, which is a fantastic situation to build around.
Last season, Neal enjoyed 1073 snaps, including 650 pass-blocking. Evan is already a dominant run blocker coming from an NFL-ready program in Alabama, making him a perfect fit and transition player.
The first round couldn’t have unfolded better for Big Blue, and social media reacted accordingly.