The New York Giants have spent the first wave of free agency heavily focused on the offensive side of the ball. They’ve added several offensive linemen, wide receivers and even a tight end.
The question is, has that approach opened up options in the 2022 NFL draft? Does it mean they will go heavy on defense over the first few rounds?
Nate Davis of USA TODAY certainly thinks so. In his latest mock draft, he has the Giants outright ignoring their offensive line in favor of beefing up their secondary.
Up first at No. 5 overall is Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton.
5. New York Giants – S Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame: He’s 6-4 and 220 pounds with sub-4.6 speed and can shore up deficiencies at the second and/or third levels. Hamilton can provide coverage, a box presence, blitzing ability and an intimidation factor. And with veteran Logan Ryan’s release opening a job on the back end, sure seems like pairing Hamilton with improving Xavier McKinney would give Big Blue a heckuva safety tandem.
After releasing veteran safety Logan Ryan, the selection of Hamilton makes much more sense than it had previously. The Giants now have a need at the position and Hamilton has as much upside as anyone else in the draft.
Two picks later, the Giants forego adding a talented edge rusher in favor of another body in the secondary. This time, Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner.
7. Giants (from Chicago Bears) – CB Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner, Cincinnati: Totally feasible that New York could take a pair of defensive backs in a three-pick span, this one obtained in last year’s draft day deal involving QB Justin Fields. Gardner would be a safe plug-and-play selection, the consensus All-American allowing only 20 receptions in 2021, picking off three passes and – evidence of his all-around game – posting 40 tackles and three sacks. And talk about shutdown – he never allowed a TD pass while with the Bearcats. His 6-3, 190-pound build is another selling point to a league that likes big corners. Adding Gardner might also trigger a deal of veteran CB James Bradberry and bring more needed draft ammo back to the Giants.
The selection of Gardner only makes sense if the Giants are able to trade James Bradberry or are confident a post-draft trade will be agreed upon. They do not intend to release the veteran, so taking Gardner before Bradberry is dealt would be a risky move.
Still, Gardner has a high ceiling and a potentially bright future. He would come in and start on Day 1 (if Bradberry is traded), giving the Giants a top-end corner for the foreseeable future.
