W
e are in the heat of Mock Draft Season, and no one dominates this time of year more than ESPN’s Mel Kiper. Since the mid-1980s, Kiper has been analyzing the NFL Draft and is widely considered the premier voice on the annual event.
With the actual draft two weeks away, Kiper came out with a two-round mock draft on Wednesday. And with the fifth-overall pick in that mock, he has the New York Giants selecting offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu out of North Carolina State.
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In his write-up, Kiper says Ekwonu is his No. 1 offensive tackle over Alabama’s Evan Neal:
If the board shakes out this way, the Giants would have to be thrilled to get their pick of the top two offensive tackles. I have Ekwonu just slightly over Evan Neal, but it’s tough to go wrong with either — they are my Nos. 2 and 3 prospects in this class. Ekwonu answered every question about his pass-protection ability last season. If left tackle Andrew Thomas keeps improving, these two could form one of the NFL’s best bookend pairings.
Yes, you read that right. The most popular draft analyst in the world thinks the Giants could be a pick away from “one of the NFL’s best bookend pairings” at offensive tackle. For anyone who has watched this team for the past decade, that would be a welcome development.
We also know that Ekwonu admires at least one current Giant. In an interview with Pro Football Focus on Wednesday, he revealed that he’s a big fan of Saquon Barkley and recently had the opportunity to meet the star running back.
“He’s one of the best running backs in the game,” Ekwonu told PFF’s Ari Meirov.
If the draft shakes out the way Kiper sees it in his latest mock, Ekwonu could soon be clearing paths for Barkley out of the Giants’ backfield.
Kiper Mocks a Pass-Rusher To The Giants at Pick No. 7
Also armed with the No. 7 overall pick, the Giants can address needs on both sides of the ball in the first round of this year’s draft. And that’s exactly what Kiper has them doing.
Kiper’s pick for the Giants at No. 7 is defensive end Jermaine Johnson II out of Florida State. He describes Johnson as a versatile pass-rusher with the potential to be an “instant starter.”
The Giants can get their tackle at No. 5 and then focus on their defense, which allowed 4.7 yards per play last season (31st in the NFL). Johnson had 12 sacks last season and was one of the most impressive prospects at the Senior Bowl in January. He already has a few veteran pass-rush moves and can be an instant starter. He also played a lot of outside linebacker for the Seminoles, so he will have some versatility in Don Martindale’s defense. And if you’re keeping track, this makes four edge rushers in the top seven picks.
Two seasons ago, the Giants’ defense wasn’t bad. They ranked ninth in the NFL in terms of points allowed per game and 12th in yards allowed per game. Last season, however, they slipped to 23rd in points allowed and 21st in yards allowed.
How did this happen?
Part of the reason is they didn’t have a double-digit sack artist in 2021. Azeez Ojulari, a second-round rookie last season, ended up leading the team with 8.0 sacks. Adding a complementary pass rusher like Johnson could open things up for Ojulari and have a similar “bookend” effect on defense — like the one Kiper imagines between Thomas and Ekwonu at offensive tackle.
Giants Go Safety in 2nd Round of Kiper’s Mock Draft
To round out the Giants’ selections in Kiper’s latest two-round mock draft, the ESPN analyst has New York taking safety Jalen Pitre out of Baylor. This would address a major need for the Giants since they lost a starting safety in Jabrill Peppers to the New England Patriots in free agency and they lack depth at the position.
Kiper also thinks it’s possible that the Giants get an offensive weapon with this pick.
“The Giants could target a wide receiver here, depending on how the board falls,” Kiper wrote for ESPN. “The 6-foot-3 George Pickens (Georgia) could make sense.”
The Giants have already made significant investments at wide receiver. It would probably be wiser to address a more pressing need, like the safety position, with this pick.
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ESPN’s Mel Kiper Has Giants Taking His No. 1 OT, More in 2-Round Mock Draft