NFL.com, CBS Sports Unimpressed by Giants 2023 Draft Class

The New York Giants Class of 2023 didn't make enough of an impact for the taste of two separate analysts who took to grading/ranking all 32 draft classes from last year.

It's only been one season of play for the New York Giants 2023 draft class, but so far, the New York Giants Class of 2023 has received an underwhelming reception from NFL.com and CBS Sports.

NFL.com's Eric Edholm assigned a grade of C to the Giants 2023 seven-member draft haul, while CBS Sports's Chris Trapasso, in taking a different approach to grading by ranking all 32 draft classes from worst to first, had the Giants' draft class ranked 22nd out of 32 teams .

For reference, the Giants' Class of 2023 consisted of cornerback Deonte Banks (R1:24), center John Michael Schmitz (R2:57), receiver Jalin Hyatt (R3:73), running back Eric Gray (R5:172), cornerback Tre Hawkins (R6:209), defensive lineman Jordon Riley (R7:243), and defensive back Gervarrius Owens (R7:254).

(Edholm also included quarterback Tommy DeVito as a notable free-agent signing in his assessment.)

The Giants' grade on NFL.com is the second-best in the NFC East, behind the B+ earned by the Philadelphia Eagles. (The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders both earned grades of D+.)

Edholm reserved most of his commentary for the Giants' first two picks, Banks and Schmitz.

Of Banks, he said, “Banks worked through some early struggles and established himself as one of the more reliable Giants cornerbacks. He intercepted two passes and logged 11 passes defensed, displaying a willingness to tackle and take on tough coverage assignments, before being waylaid by a late-season shoulder injury.”

Of Schmitz, who had an up-and-down rookie season, Edholm said the former Minnesota offensive lineman had “snapping issues” down the stretch that hindered his pass blocking.

As for the C- grade, it seems fair considering the class’ output. Banks and Schitz were both Day 1 starters who heavily contributed to their sides of the ball, each of whom missed games due to injuries.

Per Pro Football Focus, Banks finished with 11 pass deflections, two interceptions, and a 55.2% completion rate when targeted. Schmitz was charged with allowing five sacks as he tried to navigate through the inconsistencies of having different guards next to him seemingly weekly.

Trapasso listed Hyatt and Banks as the Year 1 hits in his assessment, reiterating Edholm's assessment. Of Hyatt, he added, that while the rookie wasn't deployed as much in the offense, he did average over 16 yards per reception as a rookie.

Hyatt still has some things to work on, but it’s hard to ignore his ability to easily get open. He had four games with zero targets, which shouldn’t have happened, considering he was one of the few players capable of creating explosive plays. Eric Gray was forced into a kick/punt return role that he wasn’t prepared for and didn’t get many opportunities on offense.

Again, it's only been one year, which is too soon to draft any definite conclusions on any draft class. The real test will be how much the individual players progress throughout their respetive rookie deals.

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