The New York Giants Offseason
2022 Dream Draft Pick: Ikem Ekwonu
The New York Giants need offensive line help in the worst way and have needs both on the outside as well as in the interior and while they have the 5th and 7th overall pick and certainly are the most likely spot for offensive tackle Evan Neal, the offensive tackle that want to fall to them is Ikem Ekwonu. Ikem Ekwonu isn't just an elite offensive tackle prospect but he can also play guard at an elite level as well and the New York Giants sure could use that versatility on their offensive line as they continue to rebuild it.
The To-Do List
Fix the Offensive Line Daboll and Schoen!
The best offensive line combinations the Giants can get with picks #5 and #7
If you have been a New York Giants fan for almost the last decade you probably have been yelling the above title at you television at least every single week and this year the New York Giants have the draft capital to potentially fix the offensive line that features elite prospects throughout the 2022 Class and it is my belief that the New York Giants need to rebuild this unit from top to bottom if they wish steer this franchise back in the right direction. This team needs serious upgrades at all positions and with the #5 and #7 picks in the draft, the New York Giants could draft a offensive line duo that could dominate the NFL within their first few years, here some potential combos that could happen.
If the New York don't get one of these combinations in the draft to fix the offensive line under new head coach Brian Daboll and new general manager Joe Schoen then New York Giants fans should sell their season tickets for 2022 because this unit that the team has neglected for the last half decade has been the Achilles heel of the team and if they don't fix it with this litany of early first round picks in this offensive lineman call, expect them to be here next year with less hope of fixing this line.
- Ikem Ekwonu and Evan Neal: This is probably the least likely scenario for the New York Giants with Jacksonville's need for offensive line help just as much as they do but if Jacksonville can't help themselves and drafts one of the edge rushers in the NFL draft, this could be a potential possibility. Ikem Ekwonu is a beast at both guard and tackle and has the versatility to play every position on the line outside of the center position, all though I wouldn't doubt his ability their either. Evan Neal is the best pure offensive tackle prospect in this draft and if the Giants want to move 2020 1st round pick offensive tackle Andrew Thomas inside at guard in 2022 they can do so with the assurance that the aforementioned rookies can play at high enough level to make his transition a successful one.
- Evan Neal and Tyler Linderbaum: Evan Neal is the most likely tackle prospect to be available at #5 assuming Jacksonville follows my big board projections and rankings and takes Ekwonu at #1 and the Giants drafting Neal at #5 would solidify the blindside on the New York Giants offensive line and allow the New York Giants kick Andrew Thomas either to the other offensive tackle position as well inside at guard. Tyler Linderbaum is looked at by many as the best overall offensive lineman in the draft but because of the devalued position Linderbaum plays, Center, he's likely to fall in the draft a bit. Linderbaum would give the Giants one of the best interior lines in the NFL early in his career and would provide Daniel Jones, or whomever quarterbacks this team, an extremely intelligent presence at the center position that can help him decipher defenses as well insure elite level play in the interior.
- Ikem Ekwonu and Tyler Linderbaum: The Jacksonville Jaguars could also grab Evan Neal at #1 if they feel that they have trust in the left guard in Andrew Norwell and give him a good deal in the offseason. Ikem Ekwonu can play guard or tackle better than any play on the New York Giants roster and if they want Andrew Thomas to play somewhere else or stay where his , Ekwonu gives them that option. Tyler Linderbaum as mentioned before previously would solidify the center position.
- Evan Neal and Kenyon Green: Evan Neal would keep the blindside clean for the Giants but if they want to bring some nastiness to the interior of the offensive line Kenyon Green would be the perfect player to pick. Green is a big, powerful, athletic, brahma bull on the offensive line and will pancake and beatdown NFL defensive lineman on a regular basis and while he's not as skilled as Neal or Ekwonu, I think he brings an attitude and a playing style that others and feed off of.
- Ikem Ekwonu and Kenyon Green: If the Giants are fine with Andrew Thomas and want to give the middle of their line some juice, Ekwonu and Green could do that in Week 1 of the season. Both are similar as prospects as both have tackle and guard experience as well as a nasty playing style that will translate to the NFL successfully and both would give the offensive tackles and center the help they need almost like glue in the middle of the unit.
- Tyler Linderbaum and Kenyon Green: Worst case scenario if Neal and Ekwonu are off the board, Tyler Linderbaum and Kenyon Green would be solid picks at #5 and #7. Green would bring a big boost to the Giants run game at the very least and with Linderbaum manning the center position, the interior of the offensive line would be much improved in pass protection, run blocking, and overall demeanor and attitude and give the quarterback of this team assurance that his pocket won't collapse ever play.
If the New York don't get one of these combinations in the draft to fix the offensive line under new head coach Brian Daboll and new general manager Joe Schoen then New York Giants fans should sell their season tickets for 2022 because this unit that the team has neglected for the last half decade has been the Achilles heel of the team and if they don't fix it with this litany of early first round picks in this offensive lineman call, expect them to be here next year with less hope of fixing this line.
Should new Giants management consider a fire sale.
The New York Giants aren't a dumpster fire yet but the oily rags of bad contracts, bad draft picks, and poor performances by the previous coaching and front office regime are starting to smoke and heat up and although it could be a difficult task, the New York Giants new head coach in Brian Daboll and general manager in Joe Schoen might to want consider trading off assets and starting from scratch as they try to build this team in their image. There are at least five players I would consider trading or cutting from the roster in order to create cap space and rid themselves of the previous losing culture. The spending spree this team went in 2020-2022 yielded mediocre results at best based on their record in those years and trimming this roster down if not this year than next should be their first move as a tandem.
- Cornerback Logan Ryan: Logan Ryan is a decent cornerback at best and when the New York Giants signed a 3yr/$25,000,00 deal in 2020, it left many people scratching their heads and considering that the Giants pass defense was terrible the last few years it leaves many New York Giants fans with a bad taste in their mouth. Unless you can trade Logan Ryan for a late round draft pick, the Giants are going likely have to cut him loose and potentially eat his salary for this year unless they feel they can hold onto to him until 2023 when they have a buyout option. In all likelihood, he'll stay on the roster.
- Tight end Kyle Rudolph: Kyle Rudolph is getting up their in age and the New York Giants could save about $5,000,000 in cap space if he's let go in free agency and with Saquon Barkley's contact coming up, the Giants will need all the money they can get. His production doesn't match the price tag which isn't his fault considering Daniel Jones is his quarterback but no team is going to trade for a 32 year old tight coming off of his worst statistical season. He would be better served playing on a team with a more experienced quarterback that knows how to utilize his skillset.
- Linebacker Blake Martinez: Blake Martinez is an interesting player here because of the Giants big offseason contracts the last two years, his play standouts as the best in the group. He's proven to be highly reliable tackler and leader of the defense but an injury last year cost him his 2021 season. Cutting him would save the team roughly $9,000,000 in cap space which could be used for new free agents later but if Martinez rebounds in 2022 and team needs inside linebacker help in the season, the Giants would be wise to ship him out.
- Wide Receiver Sterling Shepard: Sterling Shepard has been a disappointment since his contract extension in 2020 as he's dealt with injuries and failed to live up to his price tag as an NFL receiver and unfortunately I don't much substance their to warrant a trade to team unless they can find a pattern willing to give a very late draft pick to take him off their hands. Cutting him this year would save the team about $4,500,000 in cap space which could put worth to other more desirable prospects.
- Cornerback James Bradberry: This is the most obvious player to either trade or let go of here in my opinion because despite his four interception season, Bradberry has looked average at best and on occasion mediocre. His cap hit in 2022 is over $21,000,000 and if the Giants cut him that would save around $11,000,000 in cap space. They could probably trade him for a mid-late round draft pick to team that either misses out in free agency or the draft as he still has some value as a starting cornerback but it's tough to see that happening.
Saquon Barkley: To Trade or not to Trade?
The New York Giants do have one player on the roster that teams would likely covet and that is New York Giants superstar running back Saquon Barkley whose one of the best running backs in the NFL despite his last two seasons for the team. Saquon Barkley is a 230 lbs. Barry Sanders who can short passes or cut back runs and make house calls but because his offensive line and coaching staff have been terrible the last two seasons, his overall production has slipped greatly and it would benefit both parties involved if Saquon were traded elsewhere. He's one of the best dual threat running backs in the NFL with his elite pass catching skills as well as his ability to run the football and a team with a young developing quarterback in need of a ball carrier that can pick up yards on short passes as well as work the clock would kill for a Barkley level player. There are teams in the NFL that are a good running game away from making a very deep playoff run like Buffalo, San Francisco, Baltimore, and Arizona all of which have somewhat of a running game but either don't have the right running back to make it work or utilize the quarterback in said system too much. The running trade market isn't what it used to be but Barkley is an elite back that needs a new home to get back to his former self and the rebuild that is going on in New York needs to start somewhere. I would bet that their are at least a few teams willing to give Day 1 draft selections and more for Saquon and the New York Giants would be very wise to offer him up for grabs in the coming months. The Daboll and Schoen regime will be going into the 2022 season in a total rebuild mode and shipping Barkley for draft capital solves two problems. 1). The Giants can get more pieces to fit the team the team they want to build. 2). Saquon has a contract coming up and the New York Giants would be stupid to play him until 5th year option and waste his remaining years before fans start demanding that he be resigned. It's very rare nowadays for running backs to be given such a price tag for teams, but Saquon is a as rare a running back as you'll find in the NFL and if Schoen and Daboll play their cards right, they reset this team and put themselves back on the map.