ESPN's Todd McShay updates 2022 NFL Draft big board
With the Senior Bowl in the rearview mirror, draft experts now have a better sense of how some of the nation's top prospects match up against each other.
This has led to updated projections for the first round of April's NFL Draft, which the Giants hold the fifth and seventh overall selections in.
This week, one of the nation's top draft analysts, ESPN's Todd McShay, updated his big board ranking of the top 32 prospects following the week in Mobile. While McShay has not released a mock draft in nearly two months, a few of his ESPN colleagues have in recent weeks.
Mel Kiper predicted the Giants address both sides of the ball with their first two picks in his most recent mock draft. Here are Kiper's projections with updated commentary from McShay following the Senior Bowl.
5. New York Giants - OT Ikem Ekwonu, NC State
"Ekwonu is an aggressive run-blocker who uses power to knock defenders off the ball. He is at his best in a phone booth, and I'd like to see better body control when in space. In pass protection, he is tough to get around, though he tends to overset and lunge. He is potentially a better fit at guard in the NFL, and he can develop into a mauling starter there. Ekwonu plays with an edge and looks to bury defenders." -- McShay
7. New York Giants (via CHI) - OLB David Ojabo, Michigan
"Lining up opposite Aidan Hutchinson on Michigan's defensive front, Ojabo really came on last season, posting 11.0 sacks (tied for 11th in the country), 14 tackles for loss, 39 pressures and five forced fumbles (tied for second). He has a super quick first step and excellent torso flexibility, and his dip-and-rip move is very effective. He has speed and hunts for the ball, but he can get stuck on blocks occasionally. Ojabo is sudden and instinctive, and he has very little wasted movement coming off the edge, running a tight loop. He plays with discipline against the run, doing a good job keeping the outside lanes contained." -- McShay
In McShay's updated rankings, Ekwonu comes in at No. 4 (previous rank: No. 21) while Ojabo lands at No. 15 (previous rank: No. 11).
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
ESPN's Jordan Reid released a two-round mock draft this week, where he also projected the Giants to select both an offensive lineman and a defensive player with their two first-round picks. Here are Reid's projections for the Giants with McShay's comments on each prospect.
5. New York Giants - OT Charles Cross, Mississippi State
"Cross has long arms, good agility and solid quickness for a 310-pound left tackle. He is a natural knee bender with great balance and the mirror-and-slide skills to handle double moves and speed rushers. Cross is a patient pass-blocker and can pick up blitzes and other defensive line disguises. On run-blocking plays, Cross has strong angles and above-average range, but he needs to develop his lower-body strength and push. He sees more pass-blocking snaps (683 last season) than most collegiate linemen in the Bulldogs' scheme, giving evaluators plenty of tape. And despite the hefty workload, Cross allowed just one sack and five pressures last season." -- McShay
7. New York Giants (via CHI) - S Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame
"Hamilton is a nightmare matchup for offenses. He has great size and closing burst while playing all over the defense. You'll see him line up deep in coverage, over the slot and even at linebacker. Hamilton can blanket tight ends, and with solid ball skills and an ability to read the QB, he will make plays. He had three interceptions in seven games this year, along with 20 tackles and five passes broken up. Against the run, Hamilton can fill the alley, but he will need to work on his angles to avoid missing tackles. Hamilton injured his knee in October and never returned." -- McShay
In McShay's latest rankings, Cross is ranked No. 22 (previous rank: No. 10) while Hamilton comes in at No. 3 (previous rank: No. 5).
With their second-round pick (No. 36), Reid believes the Giants will select South Carolina edge defender Kingsley Enagbare. In McShay's position rankings, Enagbare lands as the No. 3 outside linebacker.
View photos of the best players ever to be selected with the Nos. 5 and 7 picks in NFL draft history.
1940: No. 7 C/LB Clyde "Bulldog" Turner (HOF)
1944: No. 5 HB Steve Van Buren (HOF)
1945: No. 5 HB/E Elroy Hirsch (HOF)
1946: No. 5 T George Connor (HOF)
1957: No. 5 QB Len Dawson (HOF)
1958: No. 7 LB Chuck Howley
1961: No. 5 TE Mike Ditka (HOF)
1964: No. 5 DE Carl Eller (HOF)
1965: No. 5 RB Gale Sayers (HOF)
1976: No. 5 DB Mike Haynes (HOF)
1979: No. 7 QB Phil Simms
1988: No. 7 WR Sterling Sharpe
1989: No. 5 DB Deion Sanders (HOF)
1990: No. 5 LB Junior Seau (HOF)
1992: No. 7 DB Troy Vincent
1994: No. 7 DT Bryant Young
1995: No. 5 QB Kerry Collins
1996: No. 7 WR Terry Glenn
1997: No. 7 WR Ike Hilliard
1999: No. 7 DB Champ Bailey (HOF)
2001: No. 5 RB LaDainian Tomlinson (HOF)
2004: No. 5 DB Sean Taylor
2007: No. 7 RB Adrian Peterson
2010: No. 5 DB Eric Berry
2011: No. 5 DB Patrick Peterson
2014: No. 5 LB Khalil Mack
2014: No. 7 WR Mike Evans
2015: No. 5 OL Brandon Scherff
2016: No. 5 CB Jalen Ramsey
2016: No. 7 DE DeForest Buckner
2018: No. 7 QB Josh Allen
2019: No. 5 LB Devin White
2021: No. 5 WR Ja'Marr Chase
Dapper labs launch limited-edition NFT collection to honor Giants 10th anniversary celebration
Dapper Labs Inc., in partnership with the New York Giants and the NFL, released four limited-edition collectible NFTs that feature three iconic play designs from the New York Giants 2011 championship season, as well as the team's Super Bowl XLVI championship ring. The NFT collection concludes the Giants season-long celebration of the 10-year anniversary of that historic season.
The limited-edition collection went on sale yesterday, Tuesday, February 8th, at 12:00 PM ET, and feature four unique NFTs, released one after the other, commemorating the iconic victory. To access the drops, fans can visit the Giants virtual pop-up shop at giants.nflallday.com, where they will be able to join the queue for a chance to purchase these limited-edition collectible NFTs from Dapper Labs.
"We are excited that our Fans can collect the first-ever NFT collectibles featuring three iconic Giants plays and the Super Bowl XLVI ring from our unforgettable championship season. Fans can now collect a virtual piece of Giants history," said New York Giants Chief Commercial Officer Pete Guelli.
"Dapper Labs brings a fan-centric approach to digital collectibles," said Dave Feldman, SVP, Marketing at Dapper Labs. "Bringing these limited-edition, 2011 championship NFTs to Giants fans gives them the ability to memorialize their best moments, and once integrated fully with NFL ALL DAY, Giants fans can celebrate their team's history with pride along with their entire NFL NFT collection."
Super Bowl XLVI Champions: Where Are They Now? Mathias Kiwanuka
Travel down to South Florida in the video below and catch up with two-time Super Bowl champion Mathias Kiwanuka.
