With the fifth and seventh overall picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Giants must feel some pressure to hit big on these two prospects.
Couple the two Top 10 picks with a completely new and revamped front office this year, and a team that has grossly underperformed for the past 10 seasons, New York not only needs to hit big it needs to knock it out of the park.
Which is why GM Joe Schoen doesn’t appear to be using one of his swings on Oregon’s edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux. According to reports, Schoen and the rest of the front office have concerns about Thibodeaux’s character.
“It would be a surprise if the Giants draft Thibodeaux because some members of the front office have been turned off by his personality, according to a source,” writes The Athletic’s Dan Duggan. “But Schoen will make the final call, so it’s impossible to say with certainty what he’ll do if Thibodeaux is available when the Giants are on the clock.”
“It weighs heavy,” Schoen said on a player’s attitude and commitment. “If it’s a guy that we don’t think fits from a character standpoint, we’ll just take him off the board. He goes on and has a really good career somewhere else, that’s fine. We’ve just got to get it right for what we want in our building.”
It’s worth noting that these comments are likely directed towards Thibodeaux since he is the only Top 10 worthy pick that has questions about his commitment and attitude.
However, according to SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano, there are people in Thibodeaux’s camp who are convinced that he’s the Giants’ guy at No. 5.
But if the G-Men don’t pick Thibodeaux, a talented edge rusher that would certainly fill a need for them, they could go with either an offensive tackle, a cornerback or even a different edge rusher, depending on who is still available.
And because the Giants have both the fifth and seventh picks, they can still get two players who they love and who don’t have personality worries — players like Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, Georgia edge rusher Travon Walker and/or Mississippi State offensive tackle Charles Cross.
Whoever the Giants choose, they must do so wisely because it’s the bottom of the ninth and they’re still down a few runs.