FOFC GroupThink 2022: We take over the NY Football Giants

[JPhillips]

I wasn't planning on Linderbaum, but it was irresistible at 36.

I also can't believe the picks could actually work out this way.

[QuikSand]

mock sites have been letting LB Lloyd fall into the late 1st... meanwhile the whisper market has him increasingly showing up in the top ten... beats me

[bhlloy]

FWIW Kiper and McShays mock on ESPN yesterday had him falling to the end of the first… it’s an interesting Rorschach test about what you think NFL teams value in 2022 for sure

[JPhillips]

Well Kiper and McShay had the Bengals picking him, so I really question their prediction. The Bengals rarely use more than 2 LBs and are quite happy with Wilson and Pratt. Oher than QB, LB might be the only position they don't consider drafting.

[QuikSand]

Nothing shocking here, just cycling...

[QuikSand]

The sites that fling trade offers at you are just fish-in-a-barrel fun...

[QuikSand]

Fun article on small school prospects, via The Athletic:

NFL Draft 2022: Under-the-radar prospects whose pro days are moving them up team boards - The Athletic

[QuikSand]

And, Walter Football has a tracker of each team's "Top 30" visits with propsects... might as well leverage that as we are looking at these mid-round picks, right?

• New York Giants
• Nik Bonitto, Outside Linebacker, Oklahoma (PRI)
• Treylon Burks, Wide Receiver, Arkansas (COM)
• Lewis Cine, Safety, Georgia (PRI)
• James Cook, Running Back, Florida State (PRI)
• James Cook, Running Back, Georgia (PRI)
• Justin Covington, Running Back, Villanova (LOC)
• Charles Cross, Offensive Tackle, Mississippi State (COM)
• Nakobe Dean, Outside Linebacker, Georgia (PRO)
• Ikem Ekwonu, Offensive Tackle, N.C. State (PRI)
• Olakunle Fatukasi, Linebacker, Rutgers (LOC)
• Ahmad Gardner^, Cornerback, Cincinnati (COM, PRO, PRI)
• Jarrett Guarantano, Quarterback, Washington State (LOC)
• Breece Hall, Running Back, Iowa State (PRI)
• Logan Hall, Defensive End, Houston (PRI)
• Kyle Hamilton, Safety, Notre Dame (VIR)
• Jovani Haskins, Tight End, Rutgers (LOC)
• Sam Howell, Quarterback, North Carolina (PRI)
• Aidan Hutchinson, Defensive End, Michigan (PRI)
• Zion Johnson^, Offensive Guard, Boston College (COM, SR)
• Travis Jones, Defensive Tackle, Connecticut (PRI)
• Tyler Linderbaum, Center, Iowa (COM)
• Abraham Lucas, Offensive Tackle, Washington State (PRI)
• Jesse Luketa, Linebacker, Penn State (LOC)
• Boye Mafe, Defensive End, Minnesota (PRI)
• Trey McBride, Tight End, Colorado State (COM)
• Bo Melton, Wide Receiver, Rutgers (LOC)
• Thayer Munford, Offensive Guard, Ohio State (VIR)
• Evan Neal, Offensive Guard, Alabama (PRI)
• Kenny Pickett, Quarterback, Pittsburgh (PRI)
• Jalen Pitre, Safety, Baylor (VIR)
• Brian Robinson Jr., Running Back, Alabama (PRI)
• Brandon Smith, Outside Linebacker, Penn State (PRI)
• Tyler Smith, Offensive Tackle, Tulsa (PRI)
• Derek Stingley^, Cornerback, LSU (COM, PRI)
• Cole Strange, Offensive Guard, Chattanooga (WOR)
• Pierre Strong Jr., Running Back, South Dakota State (WOR)
• Ja'Sir Taylor, Cornerback, Wake Forest (LOC)
• Kayvon Thibodeaux^, Defensive End, Oregon (COM, PRI)
• Isaiah Thomas, Defensive End, Oklahoma (VIR)
• Cole Turner, Tight End, Nevada (VIR)
• Amir Tyler, Safety, Temple (LOC)
• Travon Walker, Defensive End, Georgia (PRI)
• Bryce Watts, Defensive Back, Massachusetts (LOC)
• Malik Willis^, Quarterback, Liberty (COM, PRI)
• Jelani Woods, Tight End, Virginia (PRI)

Notes:

SR - Senior Bowl meeting.
EW - East-West Shrine meeting.
COM - Combine meeting.
INT - Interested.
VINT - Very Interested.
PRO - Pro Day or campus meeting/workout.
LOC - Local visit. Prospect making a local visit.
PRI - Private visit. Prospect making an official 30 visit.
WOR - Private Workout. Members of an organization working out a player in private.
STM - Some Type of Meeting.
VIR - Virtual Meeting.
% - indicates more than one meeting at an event.
^ - has met with team at more than one event.
# - indicates meeting set up outside of the 2022 Senior Bowl or the 2022 East-West Shrine Game

[QuikSand]

Didn't heed the interviews as much as I said I would... going to start working that in more. Here, Cross was last of the big OT left for pick 5, forcing the issue - had to choose between Walker and Gardner at 7.

[QuikSand]

Running a Giants mock, but sticking to their interview list for all picks, as a change of pace:



I kinda hate it, but it's possibly closer to reality than my personal stabs in the dark, right?

[QuikSand]

G-men focused coverage in the Athletic:

Updates on Kadarius Toney and James Bradberry, plus more on the Giants as the draft nears - The Athletic

Your money quote:

The Giants will create $12.1 million in cap savings by trading Bradberry and $10.1 million by releasing him. The Giants need that money just to sign their draft class unless Schoen is going to drastically alter course and restructure the contracts of wide receiver Kenny Golladay or defensive lineman Leonard Williams.

It has been challenging for Schoen to find a team willing to give up a draft pick to acquire Bradberry, who has a $13.4 million salary in the final year of his contract.

Also chatter about them moving on from WR Toney after one injury-plagued year, citing "fit" concerns but suffering a major cap hit and actual loss of cap space this year if they do so. Some team willing to take on a project (KC? NE?) should surely knock on that door, right?

[sabotai]

FWIW, the media source (Pat Leonard) for the news about the Giants trying to trade Toney is not a reliable one. He even tweeted out a backpedaling tweet this afternoon in response to Jordan Ranann essentially calling bullshit on the rumors in a professional way.

Spoke to a bunch of sources around the league about second-year WR Kadarius Toney over the weekend. Giants view him as a valuable asset. Would want a significant return. Makes it seem right now the likelihood is he does not get moved.#giants #nfl #NFLDraft2022

— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) April 25, 2022

[sabotai]

As for Kadarius Toney being traded, I'm still told the Giants weren't shopping him. They were just willing to listen when some teams called, as they are with every player. Some teams wanted to see if Giants were willing to sell low. They are not.

— Ralph Vacchiano (@RVacchianoSNY) April 25, 2022

[QuikSand]

That makes much more sense re: Toney unless the guy is a total wreck to have around.

[stevew]

They declined the 5th year option on Jones. I wonder if Willis is in play for 5 or possibly Pickett

[Lathum]

Toney was really good when he was on the field and it is way too early to give up on him.

[bhlloy]

Jones news doesn’t necessarily mean the Giants are walking away from him, could just mean they think they can get an extension done for a lot less than 30m (which unless he plays significantly better this year is true) - but it also doesn’t mean they aren’t planning on doing that.

With that being said, I still just don’t think the QBs in this years draft are good enough to make it worth a look. Roll with Jones and if he is what he’s been so far we will be high enough to pick a better one next year.

[bhlloy]

Well, feels like we mostly got this right. A tackle and a defensive player (2 CBs were already off the board). Pretty low bar, but nothing crazy like WR happened.

[QuikSand]

Agreed, things went fine through day one. Given the first four picks, I really felt that Thibodeaux at 5 was the play, and take the best remaining OT at 7. Done.

Now... there are going to be QB options for the NYG early 2nd rounder, but I'm still inclined to pass there. Mayyyyyyybe tempted if Willis is there, but... really don't even want to. I'm totally aboard with turning down the 5th year option on Jones, even if he does remain somewhat in the picture.

I think they can land a quality DB/DT addition here and round out the ideal top three pretty well.

[QuikSand]

A way forward:

[sabotai]

[QuikSand]

bad draft no punter

[QuikSand]

Deal down from 36 I like it, Vikes got PAID to move down just now, it's a great time to not be in love

[QuikSand]

Down again, just racking up middle round picks to clear room for that punter pick baby

[QuikSand]

...on deck at 43, I necessarily like another trade down, but I'd take DT Travis Jones or LB Nakobe Dean here.

[QuikSand]

oh dear

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

oh dear

FO metrics love him, but that picks seems like just a smaller version of the guy they picked last year.

[QuikSand]

okay, shake it off... we have a shot to take a stab at a QB way better than expected in the early 3rd... but some other awfully intriguing guys sliding too

DT Jones, LB Dean, LB Chenal, LB Muma

but hell I think i'd just take the top QB you have rated there... right?

[GrantDawg]

Have to think Dean think has a medical situation that hasn't been made public.

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

[QuikSand]

reach lineman, right

[bhlloy]

Gone a bit off the rails here based on my read. When you aren’t a good team you shouldn’t be making reaches on guys who fit very specific roles, but who knows what other teams rated these guys at I guess

[bhlloy]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

Have to think Dean think has a medical situation that hasn't been made public.

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

Or a very recent “character issue” that hasn’t leaked

[JPhillips]

I've read that Dean has concussion issues, but I don't know if that's true.

[QuikSand]

From here...



The shot at QB seems like a no brainer at this point... and getting one of the top remaining TE likewise.

After my obligatory punter, the rest are darts. Lots of intriguing RBs out there, enough to carry through the whole draft, per usual. Just missed on Kennedy Brooks, my favorite of the likely late-late-rounders.

[QuikSand]

pick 146 is up guys, you know what to do

[QuikSand]

ok, no punt god but LB McFadden is a heck of a blitzing LB, good fit for what Wink usually wants to do in his system

[Pyser]

not mad they didnt go for a qb. this year is all about jones, and if he's not the guy you have to go qb next year. nightmare scenario is thinking the guy you got in round 4 could get it done, but he gets no time rookie year and you wasted a 4th this year on someone who contributed zero. especially on a team with so little talent as the giants right now.

[stevew]

Bradbury cut to free up cap space for draft picks.

[albionmoonlight]

Bradbury's pretty good for a May cut. I expect he'll get something surprisingly decent from a team with cap space.

[bhlloy]

Saw multiple draftniks pick the Wandale Robinson pick as their least favorite in the entire draft fwiw. Seemed like a strange one with multiple more conventional impact WR still on the board, and doesn’t look like it’s getting any better with time.

[stevew]

‘You’re (expletive) fired’: How Giants found the ‘Scottish Hammer,’ their new punter with a funny backstory - nj.com

[QuikSand]

So, side item... all the chatter here has me convinced that I want to play a NYG career in Madden '23 this fall, and fiddle around with some house rule saying I need to re-sign all the young guys they actually took in this draft, something like that. They didn't draft "what I wanted" after the first tier of picks, but it seems like it will be kinda fun after bandying about this thread for a while.

[QuikSand]

New York Giants 2022 NFL Draft - Giants Draft Picks - Giants.com

[QuikSand]

Just a moment...

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

Also chatter about them moving on from WR Toney after one injury-plagued year, citing "fit" concerns but suffering a major cap hit and actual loss of cap space this year if they do so. Some team willing to take on a project (KC? NE?) should surely knock on that door, right?

Love digging back into this thread...

[QuikSand]

Several mentions in this thread, in our various mock drafts, of grabbing guys who have turned out to be hidden gems in the real life draft... LB Malcolm Rodriguez, TE Isaiah Likely jump out but surely more than that.

NICE JOB TEAM GMEN

[QuikSand]

I will note that I was tossing a late round NYG pick to Khalil Pimpleton in most of my later mock drafts when we were doing this, and I have gathered that he might get a call-up from the NYG practice squad to play in this week's game. His skill set is fairly similar to Wan'Dale Robinson's and with him out, there could be a role for him.

I think KP could do well in a hybrid receiving-back slot-back role in this offense, but we'll see. No idea if he can help in pass protection, he may be too slight to do that I suppose.

[SirFozzie]

So, how bout them Giants?

[QuikSand]

BANG UP JOB FOFC, BEST WORK SINCE OUR AIRCRAFT CARRIER I RECKON

[QuikSand]

Hey guys, two guys we discussed here had major effects on the Superbowl, yay!