The New York Giants hold the 25th pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft and all the experts and analysts seem to have one position of need in mind for Big Blue. The Giants have a glaring need at wide receiver, which most analysts are projecting the Giants will address with their first-round pick in this year’s draft. ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper recently released his first mock draft of the offseason and he has the New York Giants landing a star wide receiver out of USC with the 25th overall pick in the draft.
Giants select Jordan Addison in Mel Kiper’s mock draft
“I like what the Giants are building, but they have to give [Daniel] Jones some help,” Mel Kiper said when explaining his mock draft selection for the Giants. Kiper had the Giants selecting USC star wide receiver Jordan Addison, a refined route runner who is also dangerous after the catch.
Before transferring to USC in 2022, Jordan Addison was an unstoppable force in the ACC playing for Pitt from 2020 to 2021. Addison totaled 1,593 receiving yards with 17 touchdowns on 100 receptions for Pitt in 2021, winning the 2021 Biletnikoff Award, presented annually to the country’s most outstanding receiver.
In his final collegiate season, Jordan Addison put up 59 receptions for 875 yards and eight touchdowns. in the Pac-12 as a member of USC’s explosive offense. These numbers likely could have looked even more impressive had Addison not been dealing with an ankle during his final season.
This injury caused Addison to miss the Cotton Bowl against Tulane, however, it is not considered serious or long-term and shouldn’t keep him from being healthy by the time the 2023 NFL Draft rolls around, according to ESPN.
Jordan Addison will be on the New York Giants’ radar this spring as one of the top wide receiver prospects in this year’s draft. Addison has the versatility to line up both outside and in the slot. The Giants would be drafting an elite separator with grit and tenacity in Jordan Addison.
“The 20-year-old pass-catcher is as NFL-ready as it gets,” according to Pro Football Focus. PFF has Addison ranked 13th on their big board and describes him as “a true No. 1 receiver who can run all the routes in the book.”
Jordan Addison is one of the best route-runners in the draft class, making him a perfect fit in Brian Daboll’s offense that relies on its wide receivers to separate, rather than make contested catches. If he is still on the board when they are on the clock with the 25th overall pick, Addison will be a top target for the Giants who are in desperate need of a new wide receiver.