The New York Giants are interested in trading down in the first round of the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft. The Giants hold two top-ten picks in this year’s draft. The fifth and seventh overall picks are highly valuable and the Giants could greatly improve their team with this draft capital. New York has the ability to draft two top-ten prospects with these picks. But they could also trade down in the first round and gain even more capital. The Giants are almost inevitably drafting an offensive lineman in the first round of this year’s draft. Could they target two offensive linemen in a trade-down scenario?
The rumors indicate that the Giants will be drafting the top offensive tackle available with their first pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Many believe the Giants will draft the best defender available with their second pick. But if they trade down, New York’s list of options extends quite far. They could still target a defender, but the Giants could even take an alternative route.
The New York Giants offensive line has been an atrocity for years. It is an issue that new general manager Joe Schoen plans on fixing immediately. Schoen will address this need in the draft, reportedly with more than one pick. He could place a heavy emphasis on rebuilding the offensive line and invest two first-round picks into the position group.
Offensive linemen the Giants could target in a first-round trade-down
The Giants are inevitably landing one of the top offensive tackles in this year’s draft class with the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Either Evan Neal, Ikem Ekwonu, or Charles Cross are likely to wear a Big Blue cap on Thursday night. But these prospects will not fall outside the top ten. The Giants could target other offensive linemen to pair with these tackles later on in the first round, though.
After drafting a tackle with their first pick, the Giants could target an interior offensive lineman with their second pick. There are a few prospects that make sense in a trade-down scenario. Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum, Texas A&M guard Kenyon Green, and Boston College guard Zion Johnson could be late first-round picks.
Walking out of the first round with two potential long-term starters on the offensive line would be a dream scenario for the Giants. New York could then focus its attention on other positions of need during the later rounds of the draft and look toward the future with comfortability regarding their front line. If the New York Giants trade down in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, they should consider targeting a second offensive lineman to create a foundation up front for years to come.