Daniel Jeremiah updates Giants' picks in latest mock draft
Many of the top draft analysts are publishing their pre-combine predictions for the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
The latest to post an updated mock draft prior to next week's festivities in Indianapolis is NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah.
In his first mock draft, Jeremiah connected the Giants to N.C. State offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu (No. 5) and Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd (No. 7). But in his latest mock draft, the NFL Network analyst switched up his projection for both of the Giants' first-round picks.
Pick for No. 5: Travon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
Analysis: "Walker is a unique talent because of his size, athleticism and versatility. The Giants need more playmakers on defense." -- Jeremiah
Height/Weight: 6-foot-5, 275 pounds
2021 Stats: 15 games, 37 tackles (17 solo), 6 sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss, 36 QB hurries, 1 fumble recovery and 2 pass breakups
Accolades: CFP National Champion (2021)
Lance Zierlein's player comparison: Chris Wormley
Pick for No. 7: Drake London, WR, USC
Analysis: "London has inside/outside versatility and he'll be a monster in the red zone." -- Jeremiah
Height/Weight: 6-foot-5, 210 pounds
2021 Stats: 8 games, 88 receptions for 1,084 yards and 7 touchdowns
Accolades: Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year (2021), AP Third-Team All-American (2021), First-Team All-Pac-12 (2021), Second-Team All-Pac-12 (2020)
Lance Zierlein's player comparison: Ed McCaffrey
NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah released his final edition of the top 50 prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft.
No. 50 Logan Hall, DT, Houston
No. 49 David Ojabo, EDGE, Michigan
No. 48 Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina
No. 47 Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida
No. 46 Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State
No. 45 Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan
No. 44 Nik Bonitto, EDGE, Oklahoma
No. 43 Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan
No. 42 Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa
No. 41 Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor
No. 40 Matt Corral, QB, Mississippi
No. 39 Lewis Cine, S, Georgia
No. 38 Christian Harris, LB, Alabama
No. 37 Travis Jones, DT, Connecticut
No. 36 Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M
No. 35 Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington
No. 34 Arnold Ebiketie, EDGE, Penn State
No. 33 Kenneth Walker III, RB, Michigan State
No. 32 Andrew Booth Jr., CB, Clemson
No. 31 Boye Mafe, EDGE, Minnesota
No. 30 Zion Johnson, IOL, Boston College
No. 29 Quay Walker, LB, Georgia
No. 28 Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State
No. 27 Tyler Linderbaum, IOL, Iowa
No. 26 Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
No. 25 Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State
No. 24 Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh
No. 23 Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia
No. 22 Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State
No. 21 Dax Hill, S, Michigan
No. 20 Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa
No. 19 Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
No. 18 George Karlaftis, EDGE, Purdue
No. 17 Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia
No. 16 Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
No. 15 Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State
No. 14 Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington
No. 13 Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah
No. 12 Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU
No. 11 Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia
No. 10 Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon
No. 9 Jermaine Johnson II, EDGE, Florida State
No. 8 Evan Neal, OT, Alabama
No. 7 Drake London, WR, Southern California
No. 6 Travon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
No. 5 Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame
No. 4 Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
No. 3 Ickey Ekwonu, OT, North Carolina State
No. 2 Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
No. 1 Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Michigan
Lance Zierlein's prospect rankings and comparisons
We are one week away from the start of the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine.
The combine provides draft prospects the opportunity to showcase their skillsets to NFL teams in person, many for the first time this offseason. Players will have the opportunity to display their on-field athleticism through various workout drills and their off-field football intelligence through interviews.
While we are a little over two months away from the draft, many of the top analysts in the business have been taking their turn predicting how the first round of this year's draft might play out.
One of the top draft experts in the business is NFL.com's Lance Zierlein. Every year, Zierlein writes up hundreds of prospects, ranking them compared to the rest of the class and providing analysis and even NFL comparisons for many of the players.
Zierlein released his 2022 prospect profiles this week and offered some intriguing NFL comparisons for some of the top ranked prospects in this year's draft class.
Here are Zierlein's rankings, along with analysis and an NFL comparison from the NFL.com draft expert.
1. Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame
Analysis: "High-impact safety with unique blend of traits and characteristics that make him a bit of a unicorn at the position. Hamilton has the eyes and speed to play over the top, the strength and toughness to play near the line, and coverage length to guard elite pass-catching tight ends who often mismatch opposing defenses. It's rare to find such a ferocious striker and intimidator who has the football intelligence and athletic prowess to go make plays in the passing game, but Hamilton provides it all. He thrives playing downhill or sinking into a robber alignment on the back-end but will have occasional missteps in coverage when in retreat from his pedal. Hamilton has the traits and football character to transition from standout college moments to a standout pro career as a future Pro Bowler with All-Pro potential."
Comparison: Kam Chancellor
2. Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan
Analysis: "Defensive end prospect with a can't-miss combination of football character, skill and physical traits who is more likely to contend for occasional Pro Bowls than become an All-Pro playmaker. Hutchinson's strength and flexion allows him to drop a deep anchor and set a very firm edge, and that is unlikely to change as a pro whether he's used in 4-3 or 3-4 fronts. He can be too mechanical, engaging in cursory contact rather than using his hands to whip the man in front of him quickly. Hutchinson is an instinctive rusher, assailing the pocket with a non-stop barrage of activity. His hands are skilled and efficient to grease the edge while fluid counter steps open inside paths to the pocket. He needs to add a few more items to his rush menu in order to maintain his rush production against NFL tackles. Hutchinson is scheme versatile and should be a very good starter with a very high floor, but his ceiling might not be as elevated as some of the talent he's been compared to."
Comparison: Kyle Vanden Bosch
3. Evan Neal, OT, Alabama
Analysis: "Three-year starter with rare combination of measurables, talent and pedigree. Neal has experience against the best competition the college game has to offer. He has started at both left and right tackle and should project on the left side if he can continue to manage his weight. While he has flashes of greatness on tape, he doesn't always maintain that level throughout a game. Intensity and consistency are two areas that will be key in matching performance with profile. Technique has been drilled into him and Neal plays with good fundamentals across the board. He's well-versed and capable in a variety of run schemes and has correctable areas of improvement in pass protection. Neal will come into the league as a good NFL starter, but greatness will require additional attitude and action."
Comparison: Jordan Mailata
Giants Life: A New Era | Joe Schoen & Brian Daboll Era Begins
The premiere of "Giants Life: A New Era" takes viewers behind-the-scenes of GM Joe Schoen and Coach Brian Daboll's first days with the Giants. Plus, follow the new general manager's trip to Senior Bowl to check out some of this year's top draft prospects.
Check out the video below to watch the first episode of "Giants Life: A New Era".
