The NFL Draft is finally here and the rumor mill is heating up for the New York Giants. The latest rumors and reports give a good indication of what GM Joe Schoen could have in store for this weekend. Taking all of the latest news into consideration, here’s a three-round mock draft in which the Giants are able to land some of their favorite prospects.
1st Round, 25th Overall: Giants draft CB Deonte Banks, Maryland
Cornerback is a major position of need for the Giants, one that many analysts believe could be addressed in the first round. New York likes Maryland CB prospect Deonte Banks, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN. In this mock draft, Banks is the pick at 25 overall based on his first-round talent, Big Blue’s biggest needs, and reported interest in the Maryland prospect.
I think if Deonte Banks were sitting there at 25, they would like to take him.
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan via Breaking Big Blue with Jordan Raanan
Pat Leonard of the Daily News listed Banks as one of the Giants’ four “blue” corners, blue being “the color of their highest scouting grade.” Of the four corners, though, Banks is the most likely to last until the 25th overall pick.
Banks is rumored to rank pretty highly on GM Joe Schoen’s draft board. The 6-foot, 198-pound CB ran a blazing-fast 4.35s 40-yard dash at this year’s Combine to go along with 42″ vertical and 11’4″ broad jumps. Banks is an elite athlete with “scheme versatility,” “first-round traits,” and the potential to be a CB1, per Lance Zierlein of NFL.com.
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TRADE: 2nd Round, 40th Overall: Giants draft WR Jonathan Mingo, Ole Miss
There’s been a lot of buzz surrounding the New York Giants and Ole Miss WR prospect Jonathan Mingo this week. New York is reportedly really high on Mingo and he could be a “sleeper” pick for the Giants at 25 overall in the first round. However, the Ole Miss WR is more likely an option in the second round.
Considering how high the Giants are on Mingo, he could be a prospect that Schoen pursues in an aggressive fashion. According to the New York Post, the Giants “will actively pursue trading up by packaging some of their seven picks in the fourth round or later.” Mingo could be a trade-up target at the top of the second round.
Jonathan Mingo has the hands and the body to follow in the Ole Miss-to-NFL footsteps of A.J. Brown and DK Metcalf. If Mingo goes in Round 2, it’s a steal. And if a team takes him in Round 1, I’ll stand up and applaud the move.
Adam Schein of NFL.com
In this mock trade, the Giants package picks 57, 128, 240, and a 2024 fourth-round pick to move up 17 spots to 40th overall and land Mingo. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound wideout is described by Lance Zierlein of NFL.com as a “big, strong slot receiver possessing the mental and physical toughness to outperform his speed limitations.”
3rd Round, 89th Overall: Giants draft OC Ricky Stromberg, Arkansas
Raanan listed three specific centers that the Giants are interested in: John Michael-Schmitz, Joel Tippman, and Ricky Stromberg. Of those three players, Stromberg is the only one with a chance to last until round three. Raanan says the Giants taking a center in the first round is “unlikely at this point,” so waiting until the third round to draft Stromberg could be a realistic option.
Stromberg is a physical offensive lineman “with enough athleticism and strength to be considered scheme independent,” per Lance Zierlein. He was a two-year starter at Arkansas and was awarded the 2022 Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the conference’s top offensive lineman.
Stromberg was coached by Sam Pittman at Arkansas, the same college coach that recruited Giants All-Pro OT Andrew Thomas to Georgia. Pittman was Georgia’s offensive line coach from 2016-2019.
ESPN’s Todd McShay said Stromberg shocked him with his tape because it was so good, per Raanan. The Arkansas product could be a strong option for the center-needy Giants in the third round.