Now that the 2023 NFL regular season is in the books, it’s time to review how the New York Giants draft class performed.
The Giants had seven selections in last spring’s NFL draft, four on defense and three on offense.
Here’s how they fared in their debut seasons.
Round 1, Pick 24: CB Deonte Banks, Maryland
Deonte Banks showed flashes of what the Giants loved about him coming out of the draft — a physical player who would challenge the opponent’s top wide receivers.
Here’s how Pro Football Focus saw his rookie year:
Banks was inactive in Week 18 due to a shoulder injury. He missed the final two games of the regular season. Banks’ degree of difficulty was as high as any cornerback in football, as the Giants often played him in shadow coverage against opponents’ best receivers. From Week 7 to Week 10, he allowed 393 yards and earned a 32.9 coverage grade. He improved in his final five games, allowing no more than 40 yards in any of them while earning a respectable 66.9 coverage grade.
He’s certainly a player they can build on.
Grade: B
Round 2, Pick 57: OL John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota
John Michael Schmitz was made to play center in the NFL. He handled himself nicely from the start and played through a shoulder injury he suffered on a poorly executed version of the ‘tush push.’
Schmitz took control of an offensive line that was ravaged by injuries and you could see growth as the season unfolded.
Some snap issues resulted in Justin Pugh tipping the snap count, but hopefully, that can be fixed with good coaching.
Grade: B
Round 3, Pick 73: WR Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee
The Giants thought so much of Jalin Hyatt on draft day that they sacrificed a fourth-round pick to move up in a trade with the Rams to get him. That was the last of their love for him this year, however, as Hyatt was sparsely used during the season.
Hyatt played on 50 percent of the offensive snaps but was only targeted 40 times. He caught 23 balls for 373 yards for a team-leading 16.3 YPR but did not get into the end zone.
The record-setting speedster was likely a victim of the Giants’ quarterback carousel, so we’ll see how they incorporate him going forward with a more stable offense.
Grade: C
Round 5, Pick 172: RB Eric Gray, Oklahoma
Eric Gray didn’t get much of a look this season with the Giants mainly leaning on Saquon Barkley and Matt Breida, but it’s clear that they want him to be part of their future.
Gray appeared in 13 games, playing just 5.9 percent of the offensive snaps and carrying the ball 17 times for 48 yards adding another 22 on six receptions.
Gray’s rookie year might be remembered most for its failed run as a punt returner, where he had multiple ball security issues.
Grade: C
Round 6, Pick 209: CB Tre Hawkins III, Old Dominion
Tre Hawkins opened eyes in camp as a potential steal and went on to have a so-so season. He played in all 17 games, starting three.
He played on 30.8 percent of the defensive snaps this year, compiling 35 total tackles and showing good cover skills. He also was a mainstay on kickoff on punt coverage.
Unfortunately for Hawkins, he saw a drastic decrease in his defensive snap counts as struggles mounted.
Grade: C-
Round 7, Pick 243: DT Jordon Riley, Oregon
Jordon Riley, a 25-year-old rookie, played on 12 percent of the defensive snaps and showed some of the prowess against the run that Schoen mentioned during his post-draft presser.
Riley got a bit more playing time after the Giants traded Leonard Williams to Seattle before the Oct. 31 deadline but he was formally behind a wall of veterans (Dexter Lawrence, A’Shawn Robinson, Rakeem Nunez-Roches) and D.J. Davidson on the depth chart.
Grade: B
Round 7, Pick 254: DB Gervarrius Owens, Houston
With the Giants having surprisingly good health in the secondary this season, they didn’t have to dig too deep into the depth chart, so Gervarrius Owens did not play a single defensive snap as a rookie.
He did dress for three games and played on 37 special teams snaps.
Grade: Incomplete
