Dane Brugler's new 7-round mock draft
The 2022 NFL Draft is right around the corner.
With this year's festivities kicking off in just 10 days, mock draft season is heating up.
Dane Brugler is the NFL Draft analyst for The Athletic. Last month, Brugler released his mock draft 3.0, projecting the first 64 picks of the draft. With the Giants' three picks in the first two rounds, the draft expert predicted Cincinnati CB Ahmad Gardner at No. 5, Mississippi State OT Charles Cross at No. 7 and Minnesota EDGE Boye Mafe at No. 36.
Brugler came out with his latest mock draft just a couple of weeks ago, projecting all seven rounds and 262 picks.
Here are Brugler's latest picks for all nine of the Giants' selections.
Pick for No. 5: Evan Neal, OT, Alabama
"Regardless of what happens with the first four picks, the organization and first-year general manager Joe Schoen have to feel good about what will be left for them at No. 5. Neal offers outstanding flexibility, both as a 340-pound blocker and with his versatility to play right tackle or guard."
Pick for No. 7: Sauce Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
"If the Giants are unable to trade back and add draft assets for next year, a plug-and-play blocker at No. 5 and shut down corner at No. 7 feels like the ideal scenario for Schoen and the Giants. Gardner has the length, speed and confidence that should translate well to the pro game."
Pick for No. 36: Arnold Ebiketie, EDGE, Penn State
Pick for No. 67: Dylan Parham, IOL, Memphis
Pick for No. 81: John Metchie, WR, Alabama
Pick for No. 112: James Cook, RB, Georgia
"The Giants met with James Cook at the combine and at his pro day and then brought him to the facility for a more personal visit. Dalvin's younger brother can make plays with his legs, but teams are most intrigued by his hands as a pass catcher and his versatility running routes."
Pick for No. 147: Dane Belton, S, Iowa
Pick for No. 173: Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina
Pick for No. 182: Jeremiah Gemmel, LB, North Carolina
Charles Davis' favorite prospects
Let's take a break from the mock drafts for a second.
NFL Network's Charles Davis recently released his list of prospects he would pound the table for.
Let's not waste any time. Here are Davis' favorite prospects in the 2022 draft class.
Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon
"From a pure pass-rushing perspective off the edge, Thibodeaux is at the top of this year's class. His athleticism is unquestioned. He battled back from injury last year to help his team."
Joshua Paschal, DE, Kentucky
"Paschal knows what it means to overcome. He was diagnosed with malignant melanoma in July 2018 and redshirted that year as he underwent three surgeries and monthly immunotherapy treatments. When he returned, he became the first player in school history to be elected team captain in three straight seasons, and he also started each year, earning second-team All-SEC honors in 2021."
Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin
"f you want a big linebacker (6-2, 261) who tackles everything that moves, Chenal is your guy. He missed the first two games of last season after testing positive for COVID-19 but still led the Badgers with 114 tackles, including 17.5 for loss (he ranked second in the FBS with 1.6 TFL per game)."
Tariq Carpenter, LB, Georgia Tech
"Carpenter is making the transition from college safety to NFL linebacker, and based on what I saw from him at the Reese's Senior Bowl (where he lined up at LB), I believe he is up to the challenge. His name kept coming up when I talked to scouts in Mobile."
Damarri Mathis, CB, Pittsburgh
"We know Mathis is an amazing tester. He posted a 43.5-inch vertical and 11-foot-1 broad jump at his pro day (the best vertical at this year's combine was 42 inches). He was well coached by Pat Narduzzi in Pitt's press-quarters defense, too."
Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor
"Every year there's a player who just really stands out to me above his fellow prospects, and this year that player is Pitre. I saw him in person for the first time at the Senior Bowl. Every time he was on the field, I just had to follow him and he would lead me to where the play was being made. We sometimes overuse the term "ball magnet", but the label fits for this young man."
Will Adams, S, Virginia State
"He tested very well at the HBCU Combine in January, too. Don't let his limited college production (five interceptions, nine pass breakups) fool you. He can play."
NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah released his final edition of the top 50 prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft.
No. 50 Logan Hall, DT, Houston
No. 49 David Ojabo, EDGE, Michigan
No. 48 Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina
No. 47 Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida
No. 46 Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State
No. 45 Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan
No. 44 Nik Bonitto, EDGE, Oklahoma
No. 43 Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan
No. 42 Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa
No. 41 Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor
No. 40 Matt Corral, QB, Mississippi
No. 39 Lewis Cine, S, Georgia
No. 38 Christian Harris, LB, Alabama
No. 37 Travis Jones, DT, Connecticut
No. 36 Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M
No. 35 Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington
No. 34 Arnold Ebiketie, EDGE, Penn State
No. 33 Kenneth Walker III, RB, Michigan State
No. 32 Andrew Booth Jr., CB, Clemson
No. 31 Boye Mafe, EDGE, Minnesota
No. 30 Zion Johnson, IOL, Boston College
No. 29 Quay Walker, LB, Georgia
No. 28 Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State
No. 27 Tyler Linderbaum, IOL, Iowa
No. 26 Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
No. 25 Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State
No. 24 Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh
No. 23 Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia
No. 22 Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State
No. 21 Dax Hill, S, Michigan
No. 20 Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa
No. 19 Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
No. 18 George Karlaftis, EDGE, Purdue
No. 17 Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia
No. 16 Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
No. 15 Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State
No. 14 Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington
No. 13 Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah
No. 12 Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU
No. 11 Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia
No. 10 Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon
No. 9 Jermaine Johnson II, EDGE, Florida State
No. 8 Evan Neal, OT, Alabama
No. 7 Drake London, WR, Southern California
No. 6 Travon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
No. 5 Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame
No. 4 Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
No. 3 Ickey Ekwonu, OT, North Carolina State
No. 2 Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
No. 1 Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Michigan
Matt Corral, QB, Mississippi
"Corral is my favorite quarterback in this year's draft. I love how he has progressed throughout his career, and it all came together for him in 2021, when he was the personification of skill, toughness and moxie. With an extremely quick release and the ability to make plays with his legs, I view his skill set as a great fit for today's NFL."
Pierre Strong, RB, South Dakota State
"Strong was prolific at the FCS level, finishing with a career average of 7.1 yards per carry, and he had a great showing at the NFL Scouting Combine, tying for the fastest 40-yard dash among running backs (4.37 seconds)."
David Bell, WR, Purdue
"Bell's testing numbers won't wow you, but he has a big frame (6-2, 205), excellent hands, toughness and can work from the slot or out wide. There's always a place for guys like that in the NFL."
Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State
"The team that drafts Kolar will be getting a two-time finalist for the John Mackey Award (nation's top tight end) and the 2021 winner of the William V. Campbell Trophy, which is also known as the academic Heisman."
Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa
"I believe Linderbaum could make the same kind of impact that Creed Humphrey -- a member of this list last year -- did for the Chiefs in 2021. The former Hawkeye was the best center in college football last year, and he was coached by Kirk Ferentz, an offensive line genius. He absolutely crushed his pro day earlier this week after not working out at the combine while recovering from a foot injury suffered in the Citrus Bowl."
Sean Rhyan, OL, UCLA
"Rhyan was the Bruins' starting left tackle for the past three seasons. He's a big, strong, physical guy who's built a lot like a guard. I believe he could move inside and be an immediate starter. I like his athleticism and agility, especially when it comes to making blocks on the move. Whether he plays tackle or guard, he'll be starting before long."
Giants Huddle | Pre-draft NFC East Roundtable
In a pre-draft NFC East roundtable, John Schmeelk is joined by Dallas Cowboys writer and podcaster David Helman, Washington Commanders play-by-play man Bram Weinstein and Philadelphia Eagles X's and O's and draft analyst Fran Duffy to discuss what the NFC East might do on draft day.
:58 Team needs for each NFC East Team
11:16 Potential of teams trading up or down
15:41* How the nature of the linebacker position is changing
22:56 Approach to filling out the wide receiver position
31:33* How will the top of the draft go
34:25 How many quarterbacks in the first round?
38:00 Who will be involved in a draft day trade?
41:22 Predictions
Giants Draft Party: Claim your free tickets now
Join Giants fans at MetLife Stadium to watch the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 28.
