Ken in Connecticut: Obviously, the team wants a right tackle with one of their first two picks. But if elite Cincinnati corner Sauce Gardner is on the board along with a highly-rated edge rusher at No. 7, which way do they go?
John Schmeelk: First, who do the Giants consider as elite edge rushers and cornerbacks in this class based on their scouting, grades and the coach's opinion on how well they will fit in the scheme they plan to play? Players such as Aidan Hutchinson, Travon Walker, Kayvon Thibodeau, Jermaine Johnson, Sauce Gardner and Derek Stingley Jr. might not be viewed the same way by every team in the league. The Giants might not get to a point where they have players with identical grades on the board available when they pick at seventh overall.
But let's go with your hypothetical. Depending on what happens with James Bradberry, cornerback might be the bigger need, especially given the pressure put on the position in Wink Martindale's scheme. When you look at Joe Schoen's past, however, a different pattern emerges. When he worked under Brandon Beane in Buffalo, they picked bigger players up front early in drafts (Ed Oliver, AJ Epenesa, Gregory Rousseau, Boogie Basham) much more frequently than cornerbacks. The Giants also don't have a surefire edge player opposite Azeez Ojulari.
So there is no definitive answer since a good argument can be made for either position since both are needs, would be considered premium positions that are very expensive to fill in free agency, and will likely have very talented players on the board when the Giants pick.
Bill in Florida: Do you think the Giants will draft another RB?
John Schmeelk: The Giants already added a running back in free agency with more than 450 career carries in Matt Breida to backup Saquon Barkley. It would not be surprising if the Giants also added a running back in the draft since no one on the roster is on a long-term contract. When Joe Schoen was with Buffalo, the Bills drafted running backs in the third round in 2019 (Devin Singletary) and 2020 (Zack Moss).
Dennis in North Carolina: The Giants have a solid backup quarterback in Tyrod Taylor, but would they consider drafting a later-round quarterback for the future?
John Schmeelk: It's always possible a team drafts a developmental quarterback. The Giants have Daniel Jones, Taylor, Davis Webb and Brian Lewerke in their quarterback room. Late-round quarterbacks are easy to talk about, but the large majority of the time, they are no more than backups, at best.
