Make sure you’re ready for Thursday night
Are you ready for the 2023 NFL Draft, New York Giants fans? Well, if not, we have a crash course for you. Everything you need to know is below. If you want to see all the coverage we’ve provided, check out our New York Giants Draft Hub page.
What choices do the Giants have?
The Giants have 10 picks in the upcoming draft. They had 11, but sent a third-round pick (No. 100 overall) to the Las Vegas Raiders in the Darren Waller trade. The Giants originally got that pick from the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for Kadarius Toney.
The Giants picks are:
Round 1 (#25)
Round 2 (#57)
Round 3 (#89)
Round 4 (#128)
Round 5 (#160)
Round 5 (#172)
Round 6 (#209)
Round 7 (#240)
Round 7 (#243)
Round 7 (#254)
How to watch the draft?
The draft will take place in Kansas City, Missouri, starting Thursday night.
The first round begins at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. The second and third rounds take place on Fridays starting at 7 p.m. The fourth through seventh rounds take place on Saturdays starting at 12 p.m.
The draft can be viewed on NFL Network, ABC, ESPN and ESPN Deportes.
The Needs of Giants
High priority
Cornerback – Adoree ‘Jackson is the Giants’ best cornerback. After that, nothing but questions. Can Cor’Dale Flott ride? Can Aaron Robinson stay healthy? Can the Giants find a better cornerback than Darnay Holmes? Can Amani Oruwariye help them? Also, the Giants should keep in mind that Jackson is in the final year of his three-year, $39 million contract. The Giants must be ready to replace him.
wide receiver – The Giants were last in the league in explosive passing plays a season ago. They added tight end Darren Waller and wide receiver Parris Campbell, brought back Darius Slayton, will have Isaiah Hodgins for a full season and hope to have exciting sophomore Wan’Dale Robinson for a full year.
Consider what Mike Tannenbaum said on Monday:
“They need more explosive firepower…they need several difference factors on the outside. Waller is a good start, but they need more than that.
Center/IOL – 2022 starting center Jon Feliciano is in San Francisco with the 49ers. His replacement, Nick Gates, is a member of the Washington Commanders. The Giants haven’t had the same starting center in consecutive seasons since Weston Richburg from 2015 to 2017.
Their current options are former undrafted free agent JC Hassanauer, a backup for several seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and potential converted guards Ben Bredeson, Shane Lemieux and Jack Anderson.
medium priority
linebacker – The Giants entered the offseason knowing they needed to upgrade there. They took a big step in that direction by signing quality veteran Bobby Okereke to a four-year, $40 million free agent deal.
After Okereke, however, the group is plagued with question marks. Veteran Jarrad Davis never lived up to being a first-round pick and couldn’t leave the Detroit Lions’ practice squad a season ago. Micah McFadden, a fifth-round pick in 2022, was an afterthought on defense at the end of the season. Darrian Beavers, a 2022 sixth-round pick, impressed in training camp but is coming back from a torn ACL.
Depending on how the scoreboard falls, it won’t be a huge shock if the Giants approach this spot soon enough.
Security –I didn’t put safety in the “high priority” category, but it’s certainly a position you can relate to the Giants looking to fill. Julian Love fled to the Seattle Seahawks in free agency, and the Giants did not re-sign Landon Collins or Tony Jefferson. The Giants added veteran Bobby McCain and have promising youngsters Jason Pinnock and Dane Belton. A youthful, difference-making safety would be a nice addition, especially with Xavier McKinney entering the final year of his rookie contract.
tight end –The idea surfaced Monday that the Giants, under the right circumstances, could select tight end Michael Mayer at No. 25. That seems unlikely. Drafting a tight end at some point in the middle of the draft, however, does not.
The Giants traded for Darren Waller. They have Daniel Bellinger, a fourth-round pick who had a strong rookie season in 2022. Waller’s age (31 in September) and his health issues over the past two seasons mean the Giants could hedge their bets. here. As of now, Lawrence Cager, Tommy Sweeney, Dr. Miller and Chris Myarick were competing for the tight third role. An upgrade might be in order.
To come back – It doesn’t look like the time is right for the Giants to sign a replacement for Saquon Barkley – like Bijan Robinson or Jahmyr Gibbs. It could, however, fall to the Giants to use a mid-range pick to try and improve the pedestrian depth behind Barkley and perhaps find a player who could contribute to a potential future without Barkley.
Edge — The Giants have Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari. The third edge defender is Jihad Ward, but the Giants need more. I have this in the ‘medium priority’ category because the Giants don’t need to select a top defenseman at the start of the draft – although if there’s one they can’t pass up, they is there early and they’re going that route, it would be arguable. A mid-to-late round pick on a player who could provide depth seems like a good idea.
defensive tackle – The Giants have Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams. They added quality veteran depth with free agent signings of A’Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nunez-Roches. Those two signings, along with the return of sophomore DJ Davidson from a torn ACL, will likely put defensive tackle out of play for the Giants early in the draft.
Still, the position can’t be completely out of the picture. Williams is in the final year of a massive contract. Robinson is on a one-year contract. Looking ahead, adding depth here on Day 3 would be a good idea.
Low priority
Strategist – The Giants are not looking for a starting quarterback. They just gave Daniel Jones a four-year, $160 million deal to do it. Tyrod Taylor is the replacement for another year. The Giants could use a developing quarterback who could become No. 2 if they decide not to keep Taylor past the 2023 season.
Offensive tackle — Andrew Thomas anchors the left side. The Giants spent the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft on Evan Neal to anchor the right side. He has yet to prove he can do it after a turbulent rookie season, but it’s too soon to let go of the idea that he can be a quality right tackle. Tire Phillips did a good job last year replacing Neal when he was injured. The Giants still have former third-round pick Matt Peart, who never really got a full opportunity. If Neal has another tough year, the need there changes. But for now, it’s not a priority.
Big Blue View Draft Previews
All of our draft coverage can be found on our New York Giants Draft Hub page.
Prospect profiles
Chris Pflum, with a tiny bit of help from Nick Falato, has been profiling draft prospects for months now. We are at more than 120 prospect profiles.
Dummy drafts
Podcasts
The “Valentine’s Views” podcast and the “Chris and Nick Show” have focused almost exclusively on the draft in recent weeks. Here are some shows worth checking out if you missed them.
More Features
Big Blue View Big Board
Our Big Board covers the players we think should be selected in the first four rounds. It was compiled by Chris Pflum and Nick Falato.
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
Complete the first provisional order round
No. 1 – Carolina Panthers
No. 2 – Houston Texans
No. 3 – Arizona Cardinals
No. 4 – Indianapolis Colts
No. 5 – Seattle Seahawks
No. 6 – Detroit Lions
No. 7 – Las Vegas Raiders
No. 8 – Atlanta Falcons
No. 9 – Chicago Bears
No. 10 – Philadelphia Eagles
No. 11 – Tennessee Titans
No. 12 – Houston Texans
No. 13 – New York Jets
No. 14 – New England Patriots
No. 15 – Green Bay Packers
No. 16 – Washington Commanders
No. 17 – Pittsburgh Steelers
No. 18 – Detroit Lions
No. 19 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
No. 20 – Seattle Seahawks
No. 21 – Los Angeles Chargers
No. 22 – Baltimore Ravens
No. 23 – Minnesota Vikings
No. 24 – Jacksonville Jaguars
No. 25 – New York Giants
No. 26 – Dallas Cowboys
No. 27 – Buffalo Bills
No. 28 – Cincinnati Bengals
No. 29 – New Orleans Saints
No. 30 – Philadelphia Eagles
No. 31 – Kansas City Chiefs
Learn more