The 2022 NFL Draft has officially kicked off, and the New York Giants have made their first selection. As the seven rounds progress and the team makes all of their picks, we will provide a live draft grade and analysis for each of the Giants’ selections. How do these new prospects fit with the roster, what kind of impact will they have on the team, and what do the team’s needs look like now that the draft is complete?
Make sure to continue to check back as the 2022 NFL Draft continues for live New York Giants draft grades and analysis.
New York Giants grades for 2022 NFL Draft
What are the Giants‘ grades for their selections in the 2022 NFL Draft as they look to address their main needs this offseason?
Round 1, Pick 5: Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon
Making it five straight defensive players, the New York Giants selected Oregon EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux with the fifth overall pick. Thibodeaux, who was at one point thought of as a near-lock to be the first overall pick, lands as the third edge defender of the draft. Yet, he presents a player that is as athletic, if not more athletic, than the EDGE players taken ahead of him.
Thibodeaux, at 6’4”, 254 pounds, moves incredibly well no matter his alignment. He bends the edge, uses his strength well, and has elite balance through contact. Separating himself from the rest of the EDGE class, Thibodeaux is the best run defender of the group in the 2022 NFL Draft. He’s a cornerstone defensive player and lands in a very favorable defensive scheme.
Grade: A
Round 1, Pick 7: Evan Neal, OT, Alabama
The Giants hit another home run with their second pick in the top seven selections. Evan Neal comes fully equipped with positional versatility, having played left guard, right tackle, and left tackle for the Alabama Crimson Tide over the past three seasons. He immediately slides into the right tackle spot opposite Andrew Thomas to form one of the top tackle duos in the NFC.
Neal stands at a lean 6’7”, 337 pounds, yet moves like a much smaller man. His strength is unmatched in this class, and he finished as the top-ranked tackle on the PFN Consensus Board. Arguably their biggest need overall, Neal easily fills the Giants’ largest hole on offense and gives Daniel Jones the best protection he’s had in what will be a pivotal contract year.
Grade: A+
Round 2, Pick 43: Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky
The New York Giants won Round 1 with their haul on the first day. They grabbed their next biggest need to open Round 2 with the pick of Wan’Dale Robinson. The former Nebraska receiver who had a terrific season at Kentucky presents perhaps a bit of a reach but has plenty to like in his profile.
Robinson is a gadget player who offers more than your typical gadget receiver. He can take it the distance on every touch, and he blazed at the Combine in the 40-yard dash. Robinson doesn’t quite have the elite separation ability of a WR1, but he has found enough separation with his speed and burst through his college career. He may be pigeonholed to a WR2 or WR3 role in the NFL with his separation issues, but the Giants need all the pass catchers they can get.
Grade: C+
Round 3, Pick 67: Joshua Ezeudu, G, North Carolina
The Giants kicked off the 2022 NFL Draft on a high note, adding offensive tackle Evan Neal opposite Andrew Thomas. They’re turning back to the offensive line in Round 3, taking North Carolina offensive lineman Joshua Ezeudu. Ezeudu has experience at both tackle and guard, but he’ll most definitely play on the interior for New York.
Ezeudu has room to further refine his hand usage, but he’s quietly a solid player. He has a lot of the necessary tools, standing at 6’4”, 308 pounds, with 34” arms and great functional athleticism. Ezeudu is light on his feet, but his extensions carry a lot of force. He’s also shown promising awareness taking on stunts from the interior. He may take some lumps early on, but the upside is worth banking on here.
Grade: B
Round 3, Pick 81: Cordale Flott, CB, LSU
Through the process, LSU cornerback Cordale Flott was generating a bit more interest than expected – to the point where it felt like he might be selected higher than anticipated. Still, very few people expected him to come off the board where he did: 81st overall, to the New York Giants.
Flott does have some redeeming qualities. He’s an explosive athlete who has good recovery ability. However, Flott is severely underweight for an NFL cornerback, measuring at 178 pounds. He also has subpar length and isn’t a high-level playmaker at the catch point. There’s a chance Flott develops into more, but much better prospects were available at cornerback at this point.
Grade: D
Round 4, Pick 112: Daniel Bellinger, TE, San Diego State
An under-the-radar prospect for the majority of the 2022 NFL Draft cycle, Daniel Bellinger has catapulted up draft boards following an impressive pre-draft process. Bellinger was particularly impressive at the NFL Combine, showcasing his athletic ability with a 9.66 Relative Athletic Score. Bellinger possesses the size, blocking skills, and after-the-catch ability to make an impact for a New York Giants team that needed to add a tight end. There were, however, higher-rated tight ends on the PFN Top 300 Consensus Big Board available.
Grade: B-
Round 4, Pick 114: Dane Belton, S, Iowa
An impressive safety prospect in a class brimming with talent, Dane Belton’s selection in the fourth round may come as a surprise to some fans. However, he possesses an alluring size and strength profile. Belton has impressive football intelligence and ball skills, reflected in his final season with the Hawkeyes, snagging 5 interceptions and 7 pass deflections. Belton is arguably a better value pick here at 114 than LSU CB Cordale Flott was with their third-round pick. The Giants continue to build their defensive unit with some smart picks.
Grade: B
Round 5, Pick 146: Micah McFadden, LB, Indiana
The Giants continue to rebuild their defense in the 2022 NFL Draft with Indiana linebacker Micah McFadden. There was always an expectation that they’d add a linebacker in this class, with Blake Martinez and Tae Crowder leading a LB room that possesses little talent and depth.
McFadden is an extremely intelligent linebacker prospect, with high-level ability to diagnose in the run game and zone-coverage understanding in the passing game. He routinely triggers downhill in the run game, and he’s a leader with a hot motor. However, some athletic limitations and a lack of length and physicality in disengaging from blocks may limit his NFL effectiveness. The 229th overall player on our Top 300 Consensus Big Board, McFadden might be classed as a bit of a reach.
Grade: C+
Round 5, Pick 147: D.J. Davidson, DT, Arizona State
With back-to-back picks, the New York Giants chose to bolster their defense. They added linebacker Micah McFadden at 146th overall, then selected Arizona State DT D.J. Davidson one pick later. Davidson is an intriguing fit for the Giants. At 6’3”, 327 pounds, with 33” arms, he has great size, and he’s capable of playing 0-tech.
He’s also athletic enough to generate some disruption with his burst off the line. He’s not the twitchiest lineman, and he can play with a high pad level at times. But in the Giants’ scheme, which often employs hybrid fronts, Davidson has some rotational appeal with long-term upside.
Grade: B
Round 5, Pick 173: Marcus McKethan, G, North Carolina
Interestingly, the New York Giants selected Marcus McKethan’s teammate Joshua Ezeudu earlier in the third round. Now, they take McKethan himself to preserve some chemistry on the offensive front. McKethan, who started multiple seasons at right guard for the Tar Heels, provides good depth initially for the Giants. He’s a big-bodied blocker at 6’6”, 340 pounds. While he needs to regulate his pad level and refine his game, he does have good athleticism for his size. In Round 5, depth itself is enough sometimes.
Grade: B-
Round 6, Pick 182: Darrian Beavers, LB, Cincinnati
A top-100 player on the Pro Football Network Top 300 Consensus Big Board, the New York Giants land an absolute bargain in Cincinnati LB Darrian Beavers. He’s a physical, imposing, intelligent linebacker who possesses positional and schematic versatility.
Beavers reads the game exceptionally well, diagnoses run concepts, and acts upon them with his impressive downhill athleticism. He’s adept at using pass-rush moves in blitz situations and has coverage versatility, too. While he has some development to do as a tackler and has some limitations athletically that show up in coverage, this is a great pick for the Giants.
Grade: A
What were the Giants’ biggest needs entering the draft?
- LB, OT, C, G, S
The Giants have major needs on both sides of the ball. There is a huge weakness when it comes to their linebackers, with a relative lack of talent at safety somewhat enlargening the issue. They could do with addressing both positions with potential starters during the draft.
However, the offensive line is really where a lot of Giants fans will likely be looking. They need to address all three positions, and if they truly want to evaluate Daniel Jones in 2022, at least a couple of them likely need to be able to push to start this season.