Mar 5, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Minnesota offensive lineman John Michael Schmitz, Jr. (OL39) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Giants addressed many of their biggest needs this offseason through free agency. However, one glaring need has gone mostly unaddressed: the offensive line. The Giants lost two starting offensive linemen in free agency this offseason and did little to replace them. New York’s need for reinforcements on the offensive line has become more glaring, indicating the team could allocate valuable draft capital toward the offensive line in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Though many expect the Giants to target a wide receiver or cornerback with their first-round pick in this year’s draft, the possibility of drafting an offensive lineman cannot be ruled out. The Giants are reportedly “locked onto” Minnesota center John Michael-Schmitz, a potential target with the 25th overall pick.
Schmitz is looked at as a second-round pick, but significant interest from teams across the league may push him into the back end of the first round. If the Giants want to draft the top center prospect, they’ll likely have to pull the trigger at 25.
The Giants’ current projected starting offensive line has Joshua Ezeudu at left guard, Ben Bredeson at center, and Mark Glowinski at right guard. There is clearly a significant amount of room for improvement in those three positions. It would be wise for the Giants to add some more young talent to compete on the interior of their offensive line through the draft.
If the Giants decide a center at 25 overall is too rich, there are two other prospects they could target in rounds two or three. Ohio State center Luke Wypler and Wisconsin’s Joe Tippman, who has the ability to play both center and guard.
New York added a couple of offensive linemen during the middle rounds of last year’s draft, but the team may want to add more high-end talent in this year’s draft. The goal should be for Big Blue to walk away with an interior offensive lineman by the end of day two as the likelihood of finding a prospect who can make a day-one impact takes a nosedive on day three.
The Giants are likely to address their offensive line in this year’s draft as they continue to round out their roster for the upcoming season. Thankfully, they should be able to find an opportunity to upgrade pretty early in this year’s event.
This post was published on 2023-04-19 15:15
