Leading up to the 2022 NFL Combine, many mock drafts had the New York Giants landing North Carolina State offensive lineman Ikem Ekwonu with the No. 5 overall pick.
However, Ekwonu was viewed as one of the combine’s biggest winners. That’s significant because his stock had already begun to rise prior to testing.
With Ekwonu’s value now hot to the touch, many are beginning to wonder if he’ll even slip past the Jacksonville Jaguars, who hold the No. 1 overall pick. And if he does, how much farther will he fall?
ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler postulate that the Giants are aware of Ekwonu ascension and may even consider trading up to select him. Assuming, of course, he does slip by the Jags.
The draft is believed to be loaded with top offensive line prospects, and two teams I expect to consider linemen with high first-round picks are the Panthers at No. 6 and the New York Giants, who hold picks Nos. 5 and 7.
If NC State’s Ikem Ekwonu isn’t the No. 1 overall pick, I believe he’ll be of interest especially to the Giants, who could take him at No. 5 or even move up a spot or two to get him if that’s what it takes.
The issue facing the Giants in this scenario is that there are other teams ahead of them also targeting the top linemen.
In addition to the Jaguars, the Houston Texans (No. 3 overall) are a near lock to draft an offensive lineman. The New York Jets (No. 4 overall) also need line help, although they may be more focused on guards than tackles.
Either way, having Ekwonu slip past both the Jags and Texans seems highly unlikely at this point. The same applies to Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal, who will likely go opposite Ekwonu at either No. 1 or No. 3.
If one does begin to slide, it’ll be interesting to see what the Giants and general manager Joe Schoen do and how much (if anything) they’d be willing to part with in order to move up.
