Preliminary Grades for Giants' 2023 Draft Haul

In three years, we'll know for sure if the Giants truly hit it out of the park when it comes to their 2023 draft class. But on paper, this sure looks like one of their best classes in a while.

The 2023 NFL Draft has wrapped up, and despite many publicly saying that this was a weak draft class, the New York Giants walked away with one of the top team classes.

Of course, that praise is coming well before any of these players take a snap in the NFL. But there's no arguing that in terms of value, general manager Joe Schoen did a fantastic job addressing roster holes while at the same time resisting reaching for talent.

Please keep in mind while reading this that these grades are relative. An “A” grade in round one is way more important than an “A” in round seven, and a “D” in round seven isn’t nearly as negative as a “D” in round one.

Here are my grades for the Giants' Class of 2023

Round 1, 24th Overall: Maryland CB Deonte Banks

Projected Role in 2023: Starting outside cornerback

Deonte Banks wasn’t the best cornerback in the 2023 NFL Draft, but it’s possible he was the best cornerback for the Giants. The Giants continue to draft great athletes that are a fit with the organization both on and off the field, and Banks sure does appear to fit this mold.

Banks excels operating close to the line of scrimmage in press-man, and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale was probably salivating as Banks slipped past the Ravens at 22. The Giants traded up one slot to secure Banks as their guy on Thursday night, and it should be worth it, as he's likely a Day 1 starter on the outside. Grade: A

Round 2, 57th Overall: Minnesota IOL John Michael Schmitz

Projected Role in 2023: Starting center

Schmitz isn’t the sexy pick, but he’s as consistent and intelligent as you could want in a center. I had Schmitz as the best center in the entire draft class and was comfortable with him being the selection at 25, although that wasn’t the preference.

Daniel Jones has had a different starting center every year of his NFL career, but if Schmitz can stay healthy, that shouldn’t be an issue moving forward. While a little older (24) for a rookie, Schmitz is Day 1-ready. Grade: A+

Round 3, 73rd Overall: Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt

Projected Role in 2023: Rotational receiver/deep threat specialist

I’m sorry to say this, Giants fan, but this was my comparison before the draft--and I can’t change it just because of the landing spot. Jalin Hyatt reminds me of DeSean Jackson.

But that's a good thing. Hyatt is a fantastic vertical route runner that can create space like it’s nobody's business with his elite speed.

Two big projections with Hyatt worry me a bit: size and translating to the NFL. Being 6-foot tall isn’t an issue, but Hyatt played at about 175 pounds, which is in the fifth percentile for receivers. He’s said he’s added about 10 pounds and wants to add more weight, but I’m curious to see how he carries that weight and if it affects his speed.

Playing in that Tennessee offense, he spent a lot of time running vertically and facing off coverage, so it will be interesting to see how he operates with an expanded route tree and more press coverage. This isn’t to say that he’s got the deck stacked against him, but he does have some question marks at the next level. Grade: B

Round 5, 172nd Overall: Oklahoma RB Eric Gray

Projected Role in 2023: Running back 2-3/passing-down specialist

Gray may never become a quality-starting running back in the NFL, but he brings a skill set that allows him to contribute immediately and be a part of the long-term plan.

It’s clear that the Giants drafted him because of what he can be when he gets the opportunity to operate in space. As a runner and receiver, Gray is reliable, and the expectation is that he’s going to make a defender miss if they’re matched up in open space.

Pass protection is an area where Gray falls into the “willing” area where his size will give him issues in pass pro in the NFL, but he’s also not going to be a complete liability.

I would suspect it was Mike Kafka who was pushing for Gray to be the pick here to give him yet another playmaker and someone that Kafka get in space out wide, where Gray prefers to run since he can make some plays in open space. Grade: B+

Round 6, 209th Overall: Old Dominion CB Tre Hawkins III

Projected Role in 2023: Depth outside corner and special teams

This is the first selection of the draft from the Giants that I think was made with more of a long-term developmental plan in place. At 6-foot-3 with elite athleticism, Hawkins has the potential to become a legitimate contributor on the outside with refinement.

In 2023, the hope and expectation should be that Hawkins works on his game while contributing, as asked, as a special teams player. Grade: C+

Round 7, 243rd Overall: Oregon DT Jordon Riley

Projected Role in 2023: Bottom of roster defensive tackle/practice squad

Late Day 3 appears to be when the Giants are trying to add depth players who could eventually become contributors. While Riley is thought of more as a space-eating nose tackle than anything else, he’s shown some flashes that indicate he might be able to become a bit of a pocket pusher as a pass-rusher.

I’m not a huge fan of this selection, and I know D+ for a seventh-round pick seems silly. Riley has a relatively low floor and an average ceiling at best. It might take a few years, but he could eventually become a rotational player on the inside that can play anywhere along the interior. Grade: D+

Round 7, 254th Overall: Houston S Gervarrius Owens

Projected Role in 2023: Depth safety/practice squad

Developmental pieces keep on coming in on Day 3, but this one is a pick I’m a fan of. Owens is someone that I would expect to operate mostly as a box safety and may need to add a bit of weight, but his frame looks like he could carry it well.

Owens should’ve gone considerably earlier than he did, given his skill set and experience working as a cornerback, deep safety, box safety, and nickel defender. Still, instead, he’s someone that could work his way into the rotation in a defensive system that fits his style. It might not be this year, but Owens has rotational defender potential, and finding that on Day 3 is a massive win. Grade: B+

Overall Class Grade: B+

The Giants added impact players with their most important picks and spent the seventh round adding developmental talent throughout, making this easily one of the best draft classes in the NFL for 2023.

(And yes, I did use a weighted GPA calculator to get the overall grade because I am, indeed, a nerd.

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