Stephen Lebitsch’s 7-Round New York Giants Only Mock Draft

Up next in the Giants Country Mock Draft series is Stephen Lebitsch's seven-round, Giants only mock.

It has come to that time of the NFL calendar year again when the dust settles on the culminating achievement of one franchise’s football journey the season before, and all 32 teams turn towards restocking their rosters in the spring for the year ahead.

Free agency and its accompanying “legal tampering window” tend to be the first phase of each club’s offseason adjustments. The New York Giants were quite active in that regard, re-signing and recruiting talented additions at several positions of need. 

Now, the attention turns to the 2023 NFL Draft in Kansas City, where the next generation of collegiate stars will make their professional football dreams a reality on one of the biggest stages in sports.

In the meantime, there is only one thing for football enthusiasts everywhere to bask in until their team makes their ultimate selections. That is a month-long barrage of mock drafts.

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OTHER MOCK DRAFTS FROM GIANTS COUNTRY

Tim Lindsey | Quinn Slaven

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Compared to the 2022 draft, the Giants are entering the latest festivities in a much-improved salary cap predicament that has allowed them to retool certain areas of their roster in free agency and focus most of their draft capital on a select group of positions. 

After a recent trade with the Raiders to acquire tight end Darren Waller, New York has ten draft picks–six of which come in the last three rounds. They will look to fill their remaining holes on the offensive line, wide receiver, linebacker, and defensive secondary.

For my mock draft, I used Pro Football Focus’s simulator. I invested my selections in the evaluations, statistics, and prospect rankings in their 2023 NFL Draft Guide, NFL.com, and The Draft Network’s scouting reports.

If these prospects come out of the draft as new members of the Giants, the organization may not be repeating history with a class of flashy, high-value talent. Still, they will welcome serviceable players who could compete for starting roles, fill them, or add much-needed depth to the more barren parts of the team’s 2023 roster.

R1, No. 25: OC Luke Wypler

Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 303 lbs. | Class: Junior | College: Ohio State

Off the Board: WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, CB Christian Gonzalez, CB Devon Witherspoon, WR Quentin Johnson, DB Brian Branch, WR Jordan Addison, CB Joey Porter Jr. and WR Zay Flowers.

The Giants enter the 2023 draft with four major needs—offensive line (specifically center), wide receiver, linebacker, and safety. The common expectation has been for them to use the 25th overall pick on either one of the premier interior blockers or pass catchers at the top of the board.

However, the latter position did not fall into their laps in my mock draft, as four of the top wide receiver prospects were taken off the board in the first 24 selections, including Jaxon Smith Njigba (No. 9 to Bears) and Zay Flowers (No. 23 to Vikings). The Giants also spent on the wide receivers during the free agency window, re-signing three of their in-house players and adding a few more on the open market.

With that in mind, I elected to tackle the next important need on the docket and draft one of the available centers late in the first round. It was a tough selection between two prospects, but I ultimately went with Luke Wypler out of Ohio State, who ranked at No. 1 on PFF’s list for the position.

Wypler stepped in as Ohio State's starting center at the start of the 2021 season, making 13 starts and allowing zero sacks that year while giving up just one hit and seven hurries surrendered on 516 pass-blocking snaps. He retained his starting job for 2022, allowing just one sack and seven hurries in 449 pass-blocking snaps.

While he had a quiet freshmen season with the Buckeyes and is criticized for lacking a larger frame, Wypler is a true center prospect who, after getting some extra work in anchoring in training camp, could jump into the starting role and not leave the Giants to forcing guards to play in the middle.

The junior has received some professional comparisons to David Andrews despite being considered less of an NFL-ready prospect than his fellow prospects in Joe Tippman (Wisconsin) and John Michael Schmitz (Minnesota). Still, the Giants will benefit from Wypler’s ability to establish leverage with strong hands, ride out blocks to the bitter end, and react with agility and athleticism to shifts on the line of scrimmage.

Wypler is well beyond his year from a technical standpoint, meaning it’ll just take some roughing out the edges to help him compete with larger defensive linemen in the NFL.

Round 2, No. 57: WR Nathaniel "Tank" Dell

Height: 5-foot-8 | Weight: 165 lbs. | Class: Junior | College: Houston

Off the Board: CB Deonte Banks, WR Josh Downs, LB Jack Campbell, CB Cam Smith, WR Jalin Hyatt, LB Drew Sanders, CB Tyrique Stevenson, LB Trenton Simpson, and LB Daiyan Henley

After locking up a center in the first round, the Giants had their choice of a handful of valuable wide receivers still available. Going down the big board for the best-hidden talent, the name that landed on the team’s draft card was Houston receiver Nathaniel "Tank" Dell.

While his small size and stature could make other teams pass on him for a more all-around prospect, Dell is a second-round gem that could provide the Giants with a dangerous short-range and vertical threat from the outside spot or inside the hash marks.

Dell started his college career at Alabama A&M before spending a season at Independence Community College and ultimately transferring to Houston ahead of the 2020 season. Once at Houston, he led the team in catches in all three seasons with the Cougars.

He posted back-to-back seasons with 1,300-plus yards and recorded 29 touchdown catches over the past two years. His size might scare some teams off, but he was productive enough in college.

He is a stringy athlete with great speed and separation ability. He ran a 4.49 40-yard and a 1.49 10-yard split, moving across the field with little wasted motion.

Earning comparisons to Darnell Mooney, the 23-year-old could see a massive role in the pre-snap motion game, where he can make opposing defenses commit to containing his speed and athleticism and then take off vertically once he has a separation advantage.

In the short field, Dell could line up on the outside numbers and push a lot of different crossing, slant, and comeback routes that convert first downs or turn into larger gains with his 53.9% contested catch rate and 4.9 average yards after the catch.

Beyond his size being the smallest ever for an NFL wide receiver prospect, the only other concerns for Dell are his inclination to drop easy passes by looking upfield early and his bad habit of exaggerating his release into his routes. Yet, he did bring that drop number down to 8.3% in 2022.

R3, No. 89: LB Dorian Williams

Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 228 lbs. | Class: Senior | College: Tulane

Off the Board: S Antonio Johnson, C John Michael Schmitz, C Joe Tippmann, WR A.T. Perry, CB Eli Ricks, WR Rashee Rice, S Sydney Brown, WR Tyler Scott, S Jordan Battle, WR Michael Wilson and CB Jaylon Jones

In the third round, I shifted the Giants’ focus to the defensive side of the ball and honed in on the available linebacker and safety prospects on the big board.

Many of the top names from the latter position were taken in between the 57th and 89th picks, including Antonio Johnson and Jordan Battle, who were high on New York’s board for safeties. I also felt the team had more proven depth in the deep secondary despite losing Julian Love in free agency.

Thus, the sound choice was to address the need at the linebacker position, and one of the under-the-radar players still there was Tulane's Dorian Williams. A projected third-round selection and sixth-best prospect in the group, he is a lengthy linebacker with an adept zone coverage skill set that can eat up opposing passing attacks and “make quarterbacks think twice about throwing his way.”

Throughout his junior season with the Green Wave, Williams played most of his snaps from inside the box but was highly active at all three levels of the defense. His eyes are constantly reading the entire field, and he is quick to dart between threats and attack the football with physicality and sharp hands. Williams allowed just 19 of 27 targets to be completed against him all year and ranked top-15 in forced incompletions and stops.

While he had a significant amount of run defense snaps in college, Williams will be more of a weak side linebacker in those schemes as he struggles to work around blockers at the second level, and his 228-pound size doesn’t bode well against stronger ball carriers in the trenches. If he can get some pressure in the backfield, he has a better chance at blowing up running plays and forcing the game back into the passing attack, where he thrives.

Williams was a big reason for Tulane's success this season. He finished with 97 tackles (seventh in the FBS), six sacks, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions. He was also one of the best linebackers in coverage, giving up only 161 yards while holding opposing quarterbacks to a 67.1 NFL passer rating last year.

R4, No. 128: SAF Ronnie Hickman

Height: 6-foot | Weight: 203 lbs. | Class: Senior | College: Ohio State

Off the Board: S Jammie Robinson, S Christopher Smith, WR Trey Palmer, WR Parker Washington, S JL Skinner, WR Kayshon Boutte, WR Jayden Reed, LB Noah Sewell, S Ji’Ayir Brown, LB Ivan Pace Jr., and LB Henry To’o To’o.

I used the Giants’ fourth-round selection to pick up Ohio State product and ninth-best safety prospect, Ohio State's Ronnie Hickman. The selection came after three more well-rounded players were drafted in between their picks. Still, the Giants will salvage their need and further bolster the deep secondary with a junior player regarded as one of the most improved and versatile safeties in the 2023 class.

Hickman was one of the country's most improved safeties this season, which makes sense given how much Ohio State’s secondary struggled in 2021. Hickman raised his PFF coverage grade by nearly 20 points to 88.9 this year.

His numbers in coverage are literally a night-and-day difference from 2021 and 2022, as he allowed only 13 catches for 107 yards this past season while holding opposing quarterbacks to a 39.2 NFL passer rating.

The only stat that Hickman didn't improve was total tackles. But like we always say for defensive backs, more tackles likely means you’re giving up more yards.

Despite not participating in any measurable drills at the NFL Combine, the tape shows Hickman boasting a long, advantageous build that can make splash plays from practically anywhere on the field. His body type and skillset allow him to be deployed in several different roles across the defense, including the box (707 career snaps), deep field (464), and the inside slot hole (303).

Per PFF, his notable skill sets are a plus burst and short-area quicks that allow him to change direction on a dime and crash down on underneath routes in the first or second level. Hickman can also line up with tight ends either in the slot or along the line of scrimmage and lock them up in man coverage to remove the threat of an extra weapon from an opposing offense.

With an ability to make plays on the ball in man or zone coverage, Hickman holds one of the best stats in the class in forced incompletions and incompletion percentage. Yet, he sometimes takes rounded angles to the ball carriers, which can result in being out of position and using poor form to make tackles.

R5, No. 160: DT Jonah Tavai

Height: 6-foot | Weight: 290 lbs. | Class: Senior | College: San Diego State

Off the Board: DI Kobie Turner, DI Jalen Redmond, Edge K.J. Henry, DI, Keondre Coburn, LB Cam Jones, CB Mekhi Blackmon, and S Brandon Joseph

Having at least one prospect off the board to fulfill each of the Giants’ four needs, I felt there was room for the team to beef up its defensive interior. Of course, the Giants have their big pieces in Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence, but it doesn’t hurt to bolster the front rush with a young depth player who can equally bring the heat to an opposing offensive line and has roots in creating havoc for the backfield.

At the 160th overall pick, I went with San Diego State defensive tackle and senior Jonah Tavai. The first intriguing thing about the 290-lb. bull rusher is that he comes from a background not only of a high school rugby player but of a family of four brothers that have played at the Division 1 level of collegiate football. His brother Jahlani was drafted in 2019 by the Detroit Lions, and another sibling, Justus, is also on the docket for NFL consideration.

Tavai has a stout, compact frame with a low center of gravity. He springs from his hips and shoots his hand underneath the opponent’s pads. His pad level is not a concern due to natural low gravity. He generates quick power to drive blockers backward and reset the line of scrimmage.

Tavai plays like his hair is on fire. In limited reps, he engages with pop out of a two-point stance. His arm length forces him to box inside, and his powerful hands are an advantage.

Despite being projected by some as a seventh-round-selection or even an undrafted free agent, Tavai finished his senior season as one of three SDSU players that made Mountain West All-First Team and ranked Top-15 in both league and FBS defensive statistics and grades, notably sack yards, total sacks, tackles for loss (with yardage), quarterback pressures and pass rush grade.

Tavai may not serve as the Giants’ full-time nose tackle anytime soon, but he can be deployed in a few different schemes and isn’t afraid to bring the versatile bull rushes to any offensive line regardless of size and talent. Heart and physically is what the Wink Martindale defense has and will continue building itself on.

R5, No. 172: IOL Juice Scruggs

Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 301 lbs. | Class: Redshirt Senior | College: Penn State

Off the Board: Edge Yasir Abdullah, S Trey Dean III, C Ricky Stromberg, T Connor Galvin, DI, Jerrod Clark, DI Brodric Martin, and T Ryan Hayes

Returning to the key theme of “depth” in the late fifth round, I returned to the interior offensive line and picked up another interior offensive lineman, Penn State product Juice Scruggs.

A two-year starter with center/guard versatility, Scruggs is dependable and consistent in carrying out his assignment to the best of his ability. He is difficult to push back or knock off-balance, but he’s more of a neutralizer than a road grader. 

He plays with solid technique and possesses the play strength to hold his own in the middle. The lack of foot quickness shows up with athletic defenders leaking around his edges, and that issue could be exacerbated if teams play him at guard.  

Scruggs is more than just a true center at the professional level, as he earned experience rotating to the guard spot on occasion during his collegiate upbringing in Happy Valley. While the Giants’ are looking to solidify their offensive line with “true” pieces and not players converted into secondary roles, you can’t discount the value of versatility and dependability late in the season when injuries typically start to compile on NFL rosters.

One thing the Giants would need to work on with Scruggs is his physical quickness off the line of scrimmage and his lateral movement and mobility, as they could pose problems with more agile, athletic defenders. Yet, once he gets his hands on the defender, he has good technique and physicality to stick with most rush tactics and keeps his head on a swivel in search of additional danger in pass-off situations.

R6, No. 209: LB Aubrey Miller Jr.

Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 225 lbs. | Class: Senior | College: Jackson State

Off the Board: G Jaxson Kirkland, OT Carter Warren, DI Jacob Slade, OT Luke Haggard, LB Ventrell Miller, OT Trevor Reid, S Quindell Johnson, G Atonio Mafi, Edge DJ Johnson, and CB Cameron Brown

In choosing where to go in the sixth round, the big board showed some late-round, serviceable linebackers still available. One of them caught my eye for multiple reasons: Jackson State linebacker Aubrey Miller Jr.

Miller started his collegiate career with Missouri, but he earned scouts' attention following his transfer to Jackson State in 2020, where he became a staple in Deion Sanders’s defense and earned the SWAC Defensive Player of the Year award in 2022.

Projected by The Draft Network to hold fifth-round value, Miller could be a steal in the sixth round because the physicality, athleticism, and leadership ability he displayed at Jackson State is perfect for the Giants' defensive scheme.

A fluid and smooth athlete who plays behind his pads, Miller has no issue punishing opposing ball carriers when he can. At the next level, I see Miller being valued as a special teams savant and potential pressure package or third-down linebacker.

Given Martindale likes to go bold with his play calling, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Miller earn reps in the box or hook zone area and contribute to making coverage stops on backs that are sent out for wheel or other delayed routes.

He has the speed and will to do anything; it’ll just take some extra sharpening of his tackling technique and run-game IQ to mold him into a serviceable linebacker that can wreak havoc every week.

R7, No. 240: OT John Ojukwu

Height: 6-foot-6 | Weight: 309 lbs. | Class: Graduate | College: Boise State

Off the Board: OT Asim Richards, DI Cameron Young, OT T.J. Bass, LB Mohamoud Diabate, and OT Richard Gouraige

Once we get into the seventh round, where the Giants hold three of their ten picks, it's all about finding the few diamonds in the rough that may start as developmental pieces but soon become occasional contributors to the offense or defense down the line.

If there’s any system that can take underlooked talent in stars, we saw that it's the Giants, and the first selection of the seventh-round trio is Boise State offensive tackle John Ojukwu.

Ojukwu has the prototypical height and weight for an NFL-level offensive lineman and carries hefty experience (over 3,500 snaps in college) that will suit him well in knowing different types of competitors’ rushing styles.

He also has an efficient get-off burst that will open eyeballs and lateral movement, making life difficult for the defender, and he excels at pulling plays in space.

Physicality, athleticism, and competitiveness have been Ojukwu’s calling cards at Boise State. It will take time for him to overcome some minor technical and mental issues, but once he has the consistency down, he can serve as a backup/swing tackle on either side of the ball.

Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal have the starting tackle spots locked up, but who knows if the Giants will ever need Ojukwu’s services late in the year or in the future?

Round 7, No. 243: WR Antoine Green

Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 199 lbs. | Class: Senior | College: North Carolina

Off the Board: WR Jadon Haselwood

With the second to last pick for the Giants in the 2023 draft, why not take the opportunity to grab one extra wide receiver to add to the rotation or stock up reserves on the practice squad? Digging through the best available, one of them was North Carolina’s Antoine Green.

A fifth-year senior from Rockledge, Florida, Green is coming off his best season with the Tar Heels, where he posted 43 receptions for 798 yards and seven touchdowns after three campaigns with less than ten receptions on his resume. That line earned him Third-Team All-ACC, which was heavily influenced by his dominance in the vertical game, where he averaged nearly 19 yards per reception.

Questions are lingering about the health of certain receivers on the roster, notably Sterling Shepard and Wan’Dale Robinson, who are both rehabbing from ACL tears during the 2022 season.

Free agency might have relieved those concerns, but Green could compete for a depth spot in camp and provide the Giants with another weapon to stretch the field until the two aforementioned players return to the active roster.

R7, No. 254: QB Max Duggan

Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 207 lbs. | Class: Senior | College: TCU

As my mock draft arrives at the last pick for the Giants this year, I know exactly what you’re thinking when you read the name and position I’ve chosen. Yes, it’s a quarterback named Max Duggan out of TCU at the 254th overall pick.

Mere weeks after the Giants signed quarterback Daniel Jones to a hefty four-year, $160 million contract extension that retains his starting services through the 2026 season, the idea of the team drafting another player in the position may seem absurd. On the contrary, it wouldn't be much of an odd move given when it’s happening and what New York could do with the senior Horned Frog.

The Giants are currently rostering two quarterbacks before the start of organized team activities this spring in Jones and Tyrod Taylor. Their former teammate, Davis Webb, left the team after the season to become a quarterback coach with the Denver Broncos, leaving a hole open on the depth chart for a potential gunslinger to fill as the third option.

Even if Duggan doesn’t see the field for some years beyond any work in the preseason, the Giants could treat him as a developmental quarterback in their Daboll-Kafka system and help him improve his passing intangibles that scouts didn’t feel were ready for the NFL level. The only guarantee is his toughness and leadership attitude, both of which helped him guide TCU to the brink of a national championship.

Last fall, Duggan completed 267 passes (63.7%) for 3,698 yards, 32 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He also ran 137 times for 423 yards and nine scores to bolster his career-best campaign.

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