New York Giants Can Completely Transform Their Future in 2022 NFL Draft

In the NFL, undergoing a rebuild is often viewed through the lens of failure. A rebuild means a potential franchise quarterback didn't pan out. Or a coaching change halted progress installing a system. Or maybe star players became too expensive to retain.

But in the rights hands, a rebuild can be rife with optimism. The New York Giants, a team that hasn't posted a winning record since 2016, could sure use something to look forward to.

The Giants have nine selections in the 2022 NFL draft; five of them in the top 81. This is a defining moment for a franchise looking to reclaim some of its former glory, 10 years removed from its last Super Bowl win.

And its shepherd, new general manager Joe Schoen, who was hired in January after serving as the Buffalo Bills' assistant GM, is heading into the team's offseason with the right mentality.

"I would say where we are right now, as many at-bats as you can get, as many swings as you can get, I think that's important where we are as a team," he said, per the team's website.

Adding that he doesn't believe any team is ever "one player away," Schoen's plan of attack heading into April's draft is to move up or move back to get the right player, as long as he can "sleep good at night" with the decisions he makes.

Big Blue made some savvy moves in the 2021 NFL draft to put themselves in this enviable position. They traded the No. 11 selection in last year's draft to the Chicago Bears, netting them an extra 2022 first- and fourth-round pick. In the second round, they picked up another 2022 third-rounder when they traded with the Miami Dolphins to move back from No. 42 to No. 50.

But the 2021 draft wasn't just about stockpiling selections. The Giants also added to their talent pool with first-round wideout Kadarius Toney and second-round edge-rusher Azeez Ojulari.

In mid-October, Toney whipped Giants Nation into a frenzy with a 10-reception, 189-yard performance, showing what he is capable of when healthy. When the book closed on the 2021 season, Toney had missed seven games because of injury, finishing with 39 receptions for 420 yards.

But the team can build around Toney in 2022, regardless of who's starting under center. Even before diving into the draft, the first order of business for Schoen and new coach Brian Daboll is deciding how quarterback Daniel Jones factors into the team's future.

If he remains the starter, this would be Jones' third head coach in four years, which is never the best situation for a young quarterback to prove himself.

What Schoen and Daboll need to do, whether it's for Jones or any other signal-caller, is beef up the Giants' O-line. According to ESPN Analytics, the Giants' pass-block win rate (defined as "the rate linemen can sustain their blocks for 2.5 seconds or longer") was 54 percent in 2021, 28th in the league.

Adding talent on the offensive line and receivers room will give the Giants the building blocks they need to jump over .500 in 2022.

It will also give Jones the best chance he's ever had to prove he can be the guy in a make-or-break fourth season.

A new B/R three-round mock draft released today takes a look at how the Giants can best use their first five draft selections to transform their future. And it's no surprise that with the No. 5 overall pick, the Giants select NC State offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu (scouting report).

Boasting an "unbelievable combination of size, power and athletic ability," B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn grades Ekwonu the top offensive tackle prospect in the class. Even if the Giants add Ekwonu and his 6'4", 320-pound frame, it's worth noting that the only positive on the Giants' O-line in 2021 was left tackle Andrew Thomas improving in his second season.

The Giants could slot Ekwonu at right tackle opposite Thomas, they could opt to put him next to Thomas at left guard. Either way, he immediately upgrades an offensive line in serious need of it.

With the Giants' second selection at No. 7—the pick they received from Chicago (truly an embarrassment of riches!)—they bring in more firepower on offense with USC wide receiver Drake London (scouting report).

With a grade of 9.0 from B/R NFL Scout Nate Tice, London is a Day 1 X receiver. Per Tice, London "shows the ability to consistently create yards after the catch because of his good burst and ability to get north with the ball in his hands on underneath throws. That makes him a valid option for routes at all three levels."

That kind of versatility and every-down potential could completely transform the Giants offense in 2022. Tice praises London's spatial awareness both when working against zone coverage or on scramble drills, which allow him to "stay friendly to the quarterback"; crucial whether it's Jones or someone else throwing him the ball.

With their third pick in the top 36 selections, the Giants continue to add support along the offensive line with IOL Kenyon Green (scouting report) out of Texas A&M.

If you're keeping track, that means the Giants have so far netted the top offensive tackle prospect and the No. 3 interior lineman prospect. Not too shabby.

Thorn writes that Green has "key foundational traits to become a longtime, high-quality starting guard in the NFL," though "he needs to clean up some bad habits and polish up his footwork and hands before reaching his potential."

Green could prove instrumental for the Giants' run and pass games. His "core strength, girth and wide base," argues Thorn, help him set an anchor against the bull rush, while his size aids his run-blocking by both covering up defenders and overwhelming linebackers at the second level.

With their fourth selection at No. 67 overall, the Giants select UCLA tight end Greg Dulcich (notice a trend?).

Some Big Blue fans might think that drafting a wideout and a tight end within the first three rounds is overkill for a team that also made pass-catchers a priority in free agency last year. However, those free-agent additions didn't immediately pay off. John Ross III will become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and Kenny Golladay hasn't lived up to his four-year, $72 million contract ($40 million guaranteed).

The fact is that adding London and Dulcich, who was a semifinalist for the John Mackey Award given to the nation's top tight end, will free up Toney and Golladay to be productive and avoid double teams.

Dulcich is a downfield threat who can open up the Giants' offense; in 2021, he was No. 2 among all the tight ends in the nation with 17.3 yards per catch.

With their fifth selection and 81st overall, the Giants finally address the defense with South Carolina edge rusher Kingsley Enagbare (scouting report).

In 2021, the Giants' pass-rush win rate ("how often a pass-rusher is able to beat his block within 2.5 seconds") was 34 percent, which ranked 30th in the league. That's right; the Giants' pass rush was just as bad as its pass blocking. Enagbare, per B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen, possesses "the length, motor and explosion to be a functional starter in the NFL," with "above-average explosiveness."

The truth is that following the 2021 NFL season, the Giants needed improvement in almost every area. But the results Schoen and Daboll were able to achieve in Buffalo should earn the trust of fans wanting to see New York climb out of the NFC East basement in 2022.