NFL Draft Analyst Daniel Jeremiah: Giants Don't Need to Reach for O-linemen in Round 1

The Giants need to add to their offensive line this off-season, but, noted NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, they shouldn't force a pick if the value isn't there.

There's no question that the New York Giants need to address their offensive line, which finished 23rd in Pro Football Focus's pass-blocking efficiency rating (83.5) last season.  

But as far as addressing the offensive line in the first round of the NFL draft? Unless they have a chance at one of Alabama OT Evan Neal or North Carolina State OT Ikem Ekwonu, NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, on a video conference call with reporters Friday afternoon, suggested the Giants exercise patience and not force anything if either of those top two prospects are gone by the time the Giants are on the clock.

"It's easy to say, 'They need an offensive lineman; they're taking an offensive lineman. 'But if it doesn't fall that way, I don't necessarily know that they're gonna force it," Jeremiah said.

Jeremiah pointed out that the Buffalo Bills, with Brandon Beane and Joe Schoen, the latter being the current Giants general manager were running the Bills drafts during 2017-2021, they never drafted an offensive lineman in the first round.

Buffalo's highest draft picks devoted to offensive linemen over that period included Cody Ford (R2-2019) and Dion Dawkins (R2-2017). They also drafted guard Wyatt Teller in the fifth round of the 2018 draft.

The lack of a first-round draft pick on the offensive line hasn't hurt the Bills, who have been in the playoffs the last three years after posting double-digit wins.

"It kind of gets to the, to the philosophy on how you build an offensive line, which I think has changed," Jeremiah said. "I think it was just a few years ago when the Cowboys had the best offensive line in the league, and it was all these first-round picks and, 'Okay, you gotta dedicate all these resources and high value picks to your offensive line.'

"Now it's, 'Hey, your offensive line is as good as your worst player.' So you don't need five Tony Bosellis; you just can't have any tomato cans out there, and you can build that in the middle rounds. You can find really good offensive linemen in the second and third rounds."

View all of Nick Falato's draft prospect profiles right here / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

To further prove his point, Jeremiah researched the last five Super Bowl-winning offensive lines to see where their starters entered the NFL. He said, that three out of the 25 total players were first-round picks, four were Day 2 selections, seven were Day 3 picks, one was an undrafted free agent, and ten were veterans acquired in free agency or via trade.

"You can build an offensive line without using all your first-round picks to do it," Jeremiah said. "That's why I think the Giants are in an interesting spot. If those top two guys (Ekwonu and Neal) are gone, I don't know they necessarily need to force anything."

So who are some of the Day 2 values Jeremiah thinks can deliver the goods for a Giants offensive line rebuild? He listed several, including:

• OG Bernhard Raimann, Central Michigan. "He's a fun player to study. He's got tremendous strength and power. He's still raw. I thought the Senior Bowl was a little bit up and down for him. I think there's a good chance he goes in the middle to twenties in the first round, but we'll see. There's a chance he could slide out and be there in the second round."
• OT Max Mitchell, Louisiana, whom Jeremiah described as "athletic."
• OT Tyler Smith of Tulsa. "He's like my crush right now. I think he's going to end up going in the first round, but maybe there's a chance he's there in the second round. But he's one of the nastiest offensive linemen," Jeremiah said. "Just big-time explosive. He can bend and recover. He can uproot guys in the run game. He just plays pissed off."
• OT Sean Rhyan, UCLA. "I'd say probably mid-second round--maybe he gets even to the third round. He's a good player who's played tackle and could kick inside and play guard."
• OG Zion Johnson of Boston College. "He's just really smart, really tough. He can play any of those three interior spots. He'd be one I'd keep an eye on."

Jeremiah also mentioned IOL Luke Fortner of Kentucky and OL Joshua Ezeudu of North Carolina as a pair of Day 2 offensive line value picks.

When it's all said and done, Jeremiah thinks any offensive lineman the Giants do add, regardless if it's draft, free agency, oir trade, will all share the same core traits desired by Schoen.

"When you look at guys that can fit them, they're gonna value physicality--Joe's big on that," Jeremiah said. "Joe's really big on character and makeup, competitiveness, toughness." 

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