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Giants Now: PFF mock draft has Giants taking EDGE, OL with Nos. 5 & 7

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Latest PFF mock draft has Giants taking EDGE, OL with Nos. 5 & 7

The Divisional Round of the 2021 playoffs is in the books, meaning the first 28 picks of this year's NFL Draft are now set.

Many draft pundits have begun to publish their early predictions for how the first round of the draft may play out.

The latest to release an updated mock draft is Pro Football Focus' Trevor Sikkema, who believes the Giants will address both the defensive and offensive line with their picks at No. 5 and No. 7.

Pick for No. 5: Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon

Analysis: "Thibodeaux coming off the board at No. 5 might feel like a "fall," given that he was the consensus No. 1 overall pick just a few months ago. But after learning more about the class, it makes more sense that his range falls between Pick 1 and Pick 5. He still could very well be the first player taken in the draft, but if he's not, there's no guarantee he's the next name after that. His natural gifts as a pass-rusher make him a top-five lock, but I'll give some hope to Giants fans because I do think it could play out like this, given the talent at the top of the class and the potential team needs in the top five." -- Sikkema

Thibodeaux played in 10 games for the Ducks this past season, picking up seven sacks to go with 12 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. His accolades include Unanimous All-American (2021), First-Team All-Pac-12 (2020, 2021), PFF Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year (2021) and Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year (2019). His 19.0 sacks in 31 career games is tied for seventh all-time at Oregon.

Pick for No. 7: Tyler Linderbaum, IOL, Iowa

Analysis: "Yeah, yeah, I know. "You don't take a center this high." However, I genuinely think this is where Linderbaum's range begins, and I also think there's a chance he could be the Giants' second selection. New general manager Joe Schoen comes over from Buffalo, where he served as assistant GM for five years. He was Brandon Beane's right-hand man, and with 20 years of a scouting background, his voice was likely a very important one in the war room. The Bills have honed in on the trenches in each of their last three drafts — all five of their first and second-round picks since 2019 were spent on either offensive line or defensive line. Here, they went with a dynamic, high-ceiling pass protector at No. 5, and I bet Schoen is one of those GMs who simply says, "we're going to draft great football players in the trenches." Linderbaum is one of them." -- Sikkema

After beginning his collegiate career as a defensive lineman, Linderbaum shifted to center prior to the 2019 season and never looked back. He started all 13 games in 2019 and was selected as an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention. He then started all eight games in 2020 and was named First-Team All-Big Ten, along with First-Team All-American by both PFF and The Athletic. Linderbaum truly shined during the 2021 campaign, once again being named First-Team All-Big Ten while also earning Unanimous All-American honors. He was the recipient of the Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year award, given to the Big Ten's top offensive lineman, and was also awarded the Rimington Trophy as the nation's top center.

View photos of the best players ever to be selected with the Nos. 5 and 7 picks in NFL draft history.

Bills' Brian Daboll has 2nd head coach interview with Giants

Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll became the first Giants head coach candidate to have a second interview for the position on Tuesday.

Daboll, 46, spent the day at the team's Quest Diagnostics Training Center and met with team president John Mara, chairman Steve Tisch, senior vice president of player personnel Chris Mara and Joe Schoen, who was hired last week as the Giants' new general manager. He also met with other members of the front office and toured the facility.

Daboll's first interview was Friday evening via video conference with John Mara, Tisch and Schoen.

Schoen and Daboll have worked together with the Bills for the last four seasons.

In 2021, Daboll's offense excelled as Buffalo won its second straight AFC East title with an 11-6 record. The Bills finished third in the NFL with 28.4 points a game and fifth with 381.9 yards a game. Quarterback Josh Allen finished sixth in the league with a franchise-record 409 completions, seventh with 36 touchdown passes and eighth with 4,407 yards. Allen's favorite target, wide receiver Stefon Diggs, caught 103 passes for 1,225 yards and 10 touchdowns.

This postseason, the Bills routed New England, 47-17, in a wild card playoff game and lost to the defending AFC champion Chiefs, 42-36 in overtime, on Sunday night in Kansas City in a divisional round game.

In 2020, Daboll was voted the AP's NFL Assistant Coach of the Year after the Bills finished 13-3 and unseated longtime powerhouse New England atop the division. Allen finished second in the NFL most valuable player voting after setting Buffalo single season franchise records with 4,544 yards, 37 touchdown passes, a 69.2 completion percentage and a 107.2 passer rating.

View photos from the coaching career of Brian Daboll.

1-on-1 with Leonard Williams: 'I'm always looking to get better'

Defensive lineman Leonard Williams has been an ironman since entering the NFL.

Williams has not missed a single game due to injury since he was drafted in 2015. In 2021, his second full season with the Giants, the veteran lineman registered a career-high 81 total tackles to go with 6.5 sacks and 14 quarterback hits.

The 27-year-old has now racked up 18 sacks in his two full seasons with the Giants after picking up 17.5 sacks in his first five NFL seasons.

Check out the video below to watch Williams' conversation with Giants.com's Madelyn Burke on his 2021 campaign.

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