Giants 2023 Draft Lookahead

Even as the opening of training camps across the NFL signals the creeping approach of football season, the NFL’s regular season is still about a month and a half away. For those who need their fix as soon as possible, however, college football is only a month away, with its regular season set to begin on August 27th.

Many New York Giants fans have gotten used to keeping an interested eye on college ball, and especially on the top prospects for the NFL Draft, since Big Blue has made a habit of picking highly in recent years. The Giants plan (fingers crossed) to not be picking so highly in next year’s draft, but there are still plenty of intriguing prospects New York could target in the mid-to-late first round to fill out their far-from-complete roster.

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So, while it’s early and plenty of things could change between now and the 2023 NFL draft, let’s project what the Giants’ biggest needs could be entering next offseason, and name a draft prospect worth watching for each of them.

Quarterback

We may as well get the most polarizing position out of the way. Incumbent Daniel Jones is entering his fourth professional season, and has yet to establish himself as the Giants’ “franchise” quarterback. While a significant portion of the fanbase still believes in Jones, including the very owner of the team, there’s a distinct possibility this will be his final year in New York. The Giants declined the fifth-year option on his rookie contract, and he has no ties to Big Blue’s new regime.

Prospect to Watch: Anthony Richardson, Florida

It’s unlikely the Giants will be bad enough to be in position to take one of the more ballyhooed quarterbacks, such as Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud or Alabama’s Bryce Young. So instead we look further down the board and focus on a toolsy and dynamic prospect from the SEC. Richardson has everything you look for in a quarterback in terms of size, arm strength, and mobility. He doesn’t yet have the track record of production you’d want in a first-round pick. He’ll have this season to prove he can play the position at a high level.

Inside Linebacker

The Giants haven’t selected a true linebacker in the first round since Carl Banks all the way back in 1984. And while that may not change under new general manager Joe Schoen, it’s clear Big Blue will most likely have to address the position one way or another next offseason. Veteran Blake Martinez is entering the final year of his contract and is coming off a torn ACL. After him, the Giants have a few uninspiring late-round picks rounding out the depth chart. New York badly needs an infusion of young talent at linebacker.

Prospect to Watch: Noah Sewell, Oregon

Noah may be best known as Penei Sewell’s younger brother, but he’s a very good prospect in his own right. He’s coming off a hyper-productive 2021 season, in which he racked up 114 total tackles. Sewell is a heady, instinctive player that shows great pursuit and some juice in the pass rush. He could be a great option to replace Martinez as the quarterback of the defense.

Tight End

The Giants have entirely turned over their tight end room this offseason. The top three players on the tight end depth chart weren’t on the roster last year. Despite all the change, Big Blue still doesn’t have a surefire long-term answer at the position. Rookie fourth-round pick Daniel Bellinger has upside, but it’s far from guaranteed that he’ll secure a starting role this season.

Prospect to Watch: Michael Mayer, Notre Dame

After years of watching Evan Engram drop balls and miss blocks, a player like Mayer would be a breath of fresh air for Giants fans. At 6’4″ and 250 pounds, the golden domer is a prototypical all-purpose tight end. He can be used in-line as a blocker, and dominate the middle of field in the passing game. He’ll almost surely go in the first round next year.

Cornerback

Despite selecting seven total cornerbacks over the last four drafts, cornerback remains a position of need for Big Blue. Second-year player Aaron Robinson will have a chance to capture the second outside cornerback spot opposite veteran Adoree’ Jackson this season. If he falters, though, the Giants have scant options on their depth chart. Darnay Holmes and Cordale Flott are intriguing young talents, but both project as slot-only corners.

Prospect to Watch: Eli Ricks, Alabama

Giants fans may not want to go back to the well of cornerbacks named Eli, but Ricks may become the Apple of New York’s eye. There should be plenty of quality corners available in next year’s draft, but at 6’2″ and nearly 200 pounds, Ricks has the physical profile to excel in coordinator Wink Martindale’s scheme. The five-star recruit played his first two collegiate seasons for LSU, but transferred to Alabama for this year.

Safety

After the departures of Logan Ryan and Jabrill Peppers this offseason, safety quickly turned from a strength to a concern on the Giants’ roster. Xavier McKinney is one of the better young safeties in football, and he should hold down one of New York’s starting spots for years to come. Beyond him, however, is where things get dicey. Julian Love is penciled in to start at strong safety this season, and rookie fourth-round pick Dane Belton will be the third safety. Neither player has proven is even projects to be a full-time starter.

Prospect to Watch: Rashad Torrence, Florida

Torrence was a four-star recruit of high school, and broke out as a sophomore with three interceptions and 87 tackles. He’s an aggressive, hard-hitting safety that could compliment the ball-hawking McKinney and give the Giants’ defensive backfield an element it currently lacks.

– Ryan Cuneo is the Managing Editor of Full Press Giants. He covers the New York Giants. Like and follow on Follow @ryan_cuneo Follow @FullPressGiants and Facebook.