Giants Draft Grades for All Seven Picks

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The 2023 NFL Draft has come and gone, and New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen has now submitted his second draft class for Big Blue. In fact, you could argue this is the first that truly and totally belongs to Schoen, as he was only a couple months on the job last year and didn’t yet have his complete scouting staff in place.

New York came into this year’s draft with ten total selections. But as was predicted in this space beforehand, Schoen dealt away a few of his day-three picks to move up on days one and two. When all was said and done, the Giants came away with a standard seven-pick haul, with a second seventh-round pick making up for the lack of a fourth-round pick.

So, in an attempt to gauge the quality of Schoen’s second draft class, let’s assign a letter grade to each of the Giants’ seven picks.

Round 1, Pick 24: CB Deonte Banks, Maryland (6’0″, 197 pounds)

It’s certainly no surprise the Giants went cornerback with their first pick. Banks had been commonly mocked to Big Blue leading up to the draft. The second starting outside cornerback spot opposite Adoree’ Jackson was a question for the Giants that Banks now answers. The Maryland product has prototypical size and athleticism for the position. He put himself firmly in the first round conversation after shining at the NFL Scouting Combine. He projects as a press-man corner who should be an ideal fit for defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s scheme. Banks marries value and need for the Giants in round one, with the only downside being they felt compelled to give up a fifth and seventh round pick to move up one spot from pick no. 25 to nab him.

Grade: B+

Round 2, Pick 57: C John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota (6’3″, 301 pounds)

If the Giants married value and need with Banks, they renewed vows between value and need with Schmitz. The departures of Nick Gates and Jon Feliciano in free agency left New York with a glaring hole at center. Schmitz was regarded by many to be the best center prospect in the draft, and was thought to be in the mix for the Giants in the first round. The 2022 AP All-American is a smart, powerful, and polished center that should start for New York immediately. At 24 years of age, he’s an older prospect than Schoen typically targets, but his quality as a player combined with the need he’ll fill made this a slam dunk pick.

Grade: A

Round 3, Pick 73: WR Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee (6’0″, 176 pounds)

Schoen had been open about the Giants’ desire to add speed and big-play ability to their offense. As day two moved into the third round and a player who can do just that remained on the board, Schoen gave up his fourth-round pick in order to move up 16 spots to take him. As a sheer deep threat, Hyatt stood alone in this class. In 12 starts in 2022, Hyatt caught 15 touchdowns and registered a staggeringly high 18.9 yards per reception. He won the Biletnikoff Award as the most outstanding receiver in college football. Questions around his ability to run a wider variety of routes and to beat press coverage give Hyatt some bust potential, but his star-level upside makes this a steal in the third round. That the Giants essentially used their third and fourth round picks on him diminishes the value of this pick.

Grade: B

Round 5, Pick 172: RB Eric Gray, Oklahoma (5’9″, 207 pounds)

New York’s trade up in the third round meant they had to wait nearly 100 picks before they could make another selection. This deep into day three, you’re simply trying to find players that can contribute early, with the potential to develop into a starter down the line. Gray definitely fits the bill, as he’ll compete with veteran Matt Breida to be Saquon Barkley‘s primiary backup while possibly bringing special teams value as a punt returner. While not a powerful or speedy runner, Gray is slippery and elusive. He sets up his blocks to get yards that less creative backs wouldn’t get. He’s solid in pass protection and the receiving game which gives him three-down utility. Gray could become the Giants’ starter if Barkley isn’t retained long term.

Grade: B

Round 6, Pick 209: CB Tre Hawkins III, Old Dominion (6’2″, 188 pounds)

Rounds six and seven are primarily about finding athletic projects or reliable special teams contributors. Hawkins definitely falls into the first bucket, as he possesses the frame and speed to be a press-man corner. He struggles, though, with the less tangible aspects of playing cornerback, such as ball skills, anticipation, and play recognition. The hope here is that New York’s defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson can teach Hawkins the finer points of playing the position so that his natural athleticism can shine. It’s a long-shot bet, but Schoen isn’t laying much with a sixth-round pick.

Grade: B-

Round 7, Pick 243: DT Jordon Riley, Oregon (6″6′, 330 pounds)

Schoen has talked about the need to improve the Giants’ defensive line depth. Riley here in the seventh represents another shot at finding a decent young rotational piece. The Oregon product has the size, length, and power to develop into a pretty good run defender in the NFL. He lacks the athleticism to add anything to the pass rush, and could be maxed out given he started his collegiate career way back in 2017. He’ll compete with D.J. Davidson, a fifth-round pick from last year, for a spot at the bottom of the roster.

Grade: C

Round 7, Pick 254: S Gervarrius Owens, Houston (6’0″, 195 pounds)

The seventh round isn’t the place to find starters, but it’s nice to add some safety depth here given Xavier McKinney is the only reliable starting option the Giants have right now. Owens captained Houston’s defense, and received second-team All-AAC honors this past season. He’s a physical player with a cornerback background, but is susceptible to missed tackles and has just average athleticism. Owens will have to show his worth on special teams to make the roster.

Grade: C+

– 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.