After three rounds, the New York Giants’ 2023 rookie class is already impressive.
Let’s see if it can go from impressive to great.
General manager Joe Schoen will try to unearth late-round gems on the third and final day of the 2023 NFL draft, adding fifth, sixth, and two seventh-round picks to a haul that includes cornerback Deonte Banks, center John Michael Schmitz, and receiver Jalin Hyatt.
New York doesn’t currently own a fourth-round selection after trading No. 128 overall to move up for Hyatt. They do own a solid chance of finding another impact rookie or two, though.
Tight end Daniel Bellinger, safety Dane Belton, and linebacker Micah McFadden made contributions as Day 3 rookies in Schoen’s first Giants rookie class. And judging by the pool of prospects left this year, more impact rookies could be found in rounds four, five, six, and seven.
Here are five of the best fits remaining for Big Blue when the draft concludes on April 29 in Kansas City:
Northwestern DL Adetomiwa Adebawore
No need to stop building up the defensive trenches.
Adebawore can join free-agent pickups A’Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nunez-Roches, deepening the rotation of big bodies on New York’s defensive front.
He can also provide the Giants with a more cost-effective heir to star lineman Leonard Williams and his fourth-highest-in-football cap hit this season.
Adebawore wasn’t supposed to drop this far in the draft. But if he continues to fall — and if his medical background checks out — he could make sense in the fifth round for the Giants.
Here’s NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zeirlein’s scouting report on Adebawore:
“He’s a powerful man who wins with force over fluidity. He will need better play recognition in the future, but his explosive first contact and ability to play under his opponent’s pads could earn him a spot as a base end with sub-package rush ability or simply as a rotational interior defender.”
Cincinnati WR Tyler Scott
New York already took the speedy receiving option in Hyatt.
Scott would help them double down, adding a wideout Zierlein compares favorably to former Colts and Cowboys playmaker T.Y. Hilton in this scouting report:
“Scott is a similar player (to Hilton) in body type, speed and versatility. With just two seasons of starting experience at receiver, his route running and ball skills are almost certain to continue to improve and become less of an issue for him in the future. He has the speed and shiftiness to uncover on all three levels. Also, he offers jet sweep and receiver screen value.”
Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka runs a system heavy in jet sweeps and motion. The Giants view Scott a natural fit, according to The New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard and Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline.
“I was told that the Giants like Tyler Scott,” Pauline said Leonard’s Talking Ball podcast. “He’s an explosive downfield receiver, great pass-catching hands, and also helps as a return specialist.”
Army DE Andre Carter II
Carter II is far from a finished product after years at West Point. But he is a prospect Big Blue has had its eyes on during the pre-draft process.
Scouts went up the Hudson River to watch Carter II’s pro day on March 17, per Pauline. Giants defensive assistant Ben Burress even put Carter II through position drills.
Carter II’s size (6-foot-7) and freakish athleticism would make him a good late-round bet, according to a scouting report by The Draft Network’s Kyle Crabbs:
“Carter II is ultimately a developmental prospect who has some clear tools to work with (that) cannot be coached. That floor as a prospect affords him demand in the draft—he’ll be a commodity for the potential of what he can become, even though I do believe he is not close to realizing that potential any time soon.”
North Carolina State OG Chandler Zavala
So far, Schoen has spent four draft picks on offensive linemen in his two years in New York.
He shouldn’t hesitate to spend a fifth on a player like Zavala. According to Bleacher Report scout Brandon Thorn’s report, the 6-foot-3 guard could start for his next team with a few years of seasoning.
“Zavala is an older guard prospect who needs technical refinement on his hand use and angles on the move. But he has a stout, wide-bodied frame and build with starter-level play strength, a quick anchor and good spatial awareness, all of which should allow him to earn a backup guard role with starting potential within his first contract.”
Zavala would be another big body next to Schmitz on the Giants’ line. After both the Eagles and Cowboys took first-round defensive tackles this year, blocking reinforcements might be necessary in New York.
Alabama LB Henry To’oTo’o
The Giants seriously considered Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell at No. 25 overall, according to Walter Football’s Charlie Campbell.
The Lions took Campbell seven picks earlier. But New York can get a Campbell-like player at a discount by taking Alabama’s To’oTo’o later in the draft.
It’s certainly a fit from a scheme standpoint. The Draft Network’s Jack McKessy named Big Blue as one of To’oTo’o’s four best professional landing spots:
“(He’s) a guy with high potential as a blitzer, which fits perfectly into (defensive coordinator Wink) Martindale’s style of defense. Building a needy front seven over the next four years around a 26-year-old (Bobby) Okereke and the 22-year-old To’oTo’o up the middle is a vision that makes plenty of sense for New York.”
Coach Brian Daboll was once on Alabama coach Nick Saban’s staff in Tuscaloosa. He’d have a direct line to Saban for the inside scoop on To’oTo’o if he needed it in round five or later.
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5 Best Remaining Players for Giants on Day 3 of NFL Draft