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The New York Giants might buck a few draft experts with their 25th overall pick.
In fact, they could be feeling downright Rebel-ious.
Big Blue is showing serious draft interest in Ole Miss Rebel receiver Jonathan Mingo, according to ESPN team insider Jordan Raanan. The team could even select Mingo with their first-round pick during the 2023 NFL draft on April 27.
“(He’s) a guy they’ve done a lot of (scouting) work on — and I’ve heard they’re pretty high on (him),” Raanan said on his Breaking Big Blue podcast. “So maybe he’s a sleeper for 25 (overall pick).”
The Giants are certainly scouting receiving prospects this offseason. And Mingo’s draft stock is currently at an all-time high.
Mingo landed on NFL scouting radars after a 247-yard performance against Vanderbilt on Oct. 8. More scouts took notice after star turns at both the 2023 Senior Bowl and NFL Combine earlier this year.
But the same experts who praised Mingo’s game haven’t propped his grade up to a first-round level. NFL Media draft expert Daniel Jeremiah didn’t include the second-team All-SEC wideout on his most recent top 50 prospects list.
The Giants must see something in Mingo that mock drafts don’t. Here’s what you need to know about their “sleeper” candidate for the first round and his fit in New York.
Jonathan Mingo Could Be ‘Mini Deebo Samuel’ for Giants
Among incoming rookie receivers, Mingo is a rarity in his own draft class.
He’s 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds — noticeably larger and heavier than even the highest-regarded receiving prospects like Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Boston College’s Zay Flowers, and USC’s Jordan Addison.
Scarcity could drive the market for big-bodied receivers like Mingo up, according to Jeremiah.
Demand could be higher for Mingo’s frame from a team like the Giants.
Fellow Ole Miss alum Darius Slayton is listed at 6-foot-1. Isaiah Hodgins is 6-foot-3. Injured pass-catcher Collin Johnson is 6-foot-6. The rest of New York’s receiving corps comes in at 6 feet and under.
Mingo adds some versatility, both in size and skill set. Per NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zeirlein, he’s an “above-average blocker.” And his after-the-catch and running back abilities earned him a comparison to 49ers Pro Bowler Deebo Samuel from Raanan.
“(Mingo) can be used all over the place, in the backfield, in the slot, outside,” Raanan said. “Think: a mini Deebo (Samuel)-type. If you think about it, that’s what fits the profile of the kind of guy the Giants like — guys who can move around the formation, can be used in different ways, can carry the ball if you need him to out of the backfield. You’re not afraid to give it to him on the jet sweep. You want to get the ball in their hands.”
Would the Giants Pick Jonathan Mingo in Round 1?
Mingo is certainly talented enough to merit discussion for a high draft selection.
Whether the Giants would pick him at No. 25 overall is another discussion.
Zeirlein’s scouting report called Mingo’s collegiate production “ordinary.” It also said he “lacks juice out of breaks to separate from tight man (coverage).” Both of those opinions might be used in New York’s draft room to make a case against drafting Mingo first.
But a second-round Mingo pick could be more palatable, especially with the success of Ole Miss second-rounders like A.J. Brown and DK Metcalf in 2019 and Elijah Moore in 2021.
The Giants could maneuver around the second round to lock Mingo in, according to Raanan.
“(Mingo is) the kind of guy who ranges from about pick 25 to 40ish,” Raanan said. “So maybe he’s a sleeper for 25 (overall pick), but more than that, maybe they trade back into the early second round or trade up to get an earlier second round pick.”
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