It is no secret the New York Giants desperately need to inject more talent into the offensive line, which they will likely do during the 2022 NFL draft. New general manager Joe Schoen has already spent as much money as possible this off-season to upgrade the unit, giving quarterback Daniel Jones a fighting chance.
However, with nine selections this year, he will have plenty of opportunities to find a starting right tackle. One extremely underrated player is Bernhard Raimann out of Central Michigan.
There may not be a more interesting tackle prospect in the draft than Raimann, who originally came from Austria to play tight end with Central Michigan before making the transition to left tackle. With phenomenal athletic traits, Raimann projects as a starting left tackle but could make the transition to the right side as he grows at the next level.
Standing at 6’6″ and 303 pounds, he has good size for the position and showcases adequate physical tools. Most believe with good coaching, he could end up becoming a plus starter in the NFL, which would be a steal given he projects anywhere from the 2nd to 4th round.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com raved about Raimann:
With alluring athleticism and an impressive skill set, Raimann is just scratching the surface of his potential. His initial transition from tight end to left tackle occurred in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, making his rapid transformation fairly remarkable. He is a much better technician than he should be at this stage, but his approach is also mechanical and he could struggle against sophisticated edge defenders until he learns to diversify his pass sets and hand usage. Raimann’s instincts and fundamentals at the position are still in a developmental phase so bumps in the road are expected, but his best football is ahead of him and he should become a long-time starter at left tackle.
The Giants attended Central Michigan’s Pro Day this week, working out Raimann in the process. He may not be an immediate impact starter like Ikem Ekwonu, or Evan Neal would be, but if the Giants are willing to develop a relatively raw prospect and wait until the 2nd round to draft a tackle, he could be a perfect fit with Big Blue.