Giants' Team Needs to Fill in 2023 NFL Draft

The early stages of 2023 NFL free agency have passed, and the New York Giants were quite active.

They signed quarterback Daniel Jones to a four-year, $160 million contract extension and handed running back Saquon Barkley the franchise tag. It also traded for tight end Darren Waller and signed receivers Jamison Crowder and Parris Campbell.

The Giants offense—and specifically, Jones—should be poised to take positive steps in 2023. But New York still has needs that must be addressed in next month's draft. It has 10 total selections with which to address them, including the No. 25 overall pick.

Here, we'll dive into the Giants' top needs and potential targets for the 2023 NFL draft.

Interior Offensive Line

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Florida OL O'Cyrus Torrence

The Giants have their bookend tackles in Evan Neal and Andrew Thomas, but they could afford to bolster the interior of their line.

Centers Jon Feliciano and Nick Gates departed in free agency, and New York could use depth behind guards Mark Glowinski and Joshua Ezeudu.

A prospect such as TCU interior lineman Steve Avila would be an ideal early target for the franchise.

"Overall, Avila has the size, play strength and good enough movement skills to keep things in front of him, square up defenders and end reps quickly with proven versatility to play across the interior," Brandon Thorn of the Bleacher Report Scouting Department wrote. "He would fit best inside a scheme centered around inside zone, duo and power run concepts."

With the offense heavily centered around Barkley and the ground game, Florida's O'Cyrus Torrence—labeled by the B/R Scouting Department as the draft's interior best run-blocker—would be another enticing potential Day 1 target.

If the Giants don't target their line on opening night, potential Day 2 prospects like Ohio State's Luke Wypler, Wisconsin's John Michael Schmitz and North Dakota State's Cody Mauch should get plenty of consideration.

Cornerback

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Utah CB Clark Phillips III

Any team with aspirations of making a deep playoff run should want a top-tier coverage corner on its roster. With all due respect to Adoree' Jackson, Cordale Flott and Darnay Holmes, the Giants don't have that.

New York ranked a respectable 14th in passing yards allowed last season, but it also finished the season with a mere six interceptions. Adding a playmaking cornerback should be an early draft priority.

At No. 25, the Giants will probably be out of range for top prospects Joey Porter Jr. of Penn State and Christian Gonzalez of Oregon, but they might be able to land a player like Utah's Clark Phillips III or South Carolina's Cam Smith at the bottom of Round 1.

On Day 2, New York could also eye prospects such as Alabama's Eli Ricks and Georgia's Kelee Ringo.

The Giants did add former Detroit Lions starter Amani Oruwariye in free agency, but there's definitely room for another talented cornerback in their secondary. This is, after all, a team that will see talented receivers like CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson twice apiece in 2023.

Linebacker

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Clemson LB Trenton Simpson

The Giants could stand to add more receiver depth, even after re-signing Darius Slayton and adding Crowder and Campbell.

However, linebacker is a bigger early need. New York bolstered its front seven by adding linebacker Bobby Okereke and defensive tackle Rakeem Nuñez-Roches in free agency. The team should not stop improving its run defense there.

This past season, the Giants ranked 31st in yards per carry allowed (5.2). They surrendered a whopping 268 rushing yards to the Philadelphia Eagles in their divisional-round loss. Teams that run the ball well, like Philadelphia, the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys, are likely to dominate the NFC playoff picture next season.

A linebacker such as Clemson's Trenton Simpson would be a sensible target at the bottom of Round 1.

"Simpson has always played with his hair on fire and has been physical at the point of attack against the run," Matt Holder of the B/R Scouting Department wrote. "Wide receivers and tight ends working to the second level had trouble blocking him, and the added strength helped him hold his ground and get some extension versus offensive linemen."

Iowa's Jack Campbell is another logical first-round target, and the Giants could (should) consider linebackers like Arkansas' Drew Sanders and Noah Sewell of Oregon on Day 2.