With less than three weeks until the NFL Draft, speculation and rumors have been running rampant as to what direction the New York Giants will go with the 25th overall pick.
Despite adding several significant pieces to the roster this offseason, they’re still several holes the team needs to fill. Such as cornerback, interior offensive line, and a true number-one receiver.
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Obviously, the New York Giants can’t fill all these needs in the first round, and you have to find players on days two and three that can produce at a high level in order to have sustained success. Let’s take a look at three players projected to be taken outside of the first round that should be on New York’s radar.
Luke Wypler, C Ohio State
With Jon Feliciano leaving via free agency and signing with the San Francisco 49ers, Big Blue is in need of a new starting center. General manager Joe Schoen signed former Pittsburgh Steeler J.C. Hassenauer on Thursday, but he has just seven starts in his three-year career.
If the New York Giants don’t acquire Minnesota’s John Michael Schmitz or Wisconsin’s Joe Tippmann in round one, then getting Ohio State’s Luke Wypler in round two (57th overall) is a viable option. The 6-foot-3, 300-pound Wypler was a two-year starter for the Buckeyes’ explosive offense and received Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors last season. His most impressive feat last year was that he only allowed one sack.
He is athletic and technically sound and will help create holes for Saquon Barkley and keep Daniel Jones upright. He has excellent strength as demonstrated by his bench press showing at the combine where he did 29 reps. The one concern about him is that by NFL standards he has short arms.
Cedric Tillman, WR Tennessee
Tillman might be seen as the other Tennessee Volunteer wideout in this draft class, as his former teammate Jalin Hyatt is expected to be one of the first receivers taken. But Tillman has shown that he can be just as productive as Hyatt.
In 2021, caught 64 passes for 1,081 yards and 12 touchdowns, and became the first Tennessee receiver to have over 1,000 receiving yards since Justin Hunter in 2012. Unfortunately for Tillman an ankle injury that would require surgery limited him to just six games in 2022 where he had 37 receptions for 417 yards, and three touchdowns.
The New York Giants are in need of a wideout with the size to come up with contested balls and be a red-zone target to complement Darren Waller. At 6-foot-3, 213 pounds, Tillman would definitely fill that role. If not for his ankle injury last season, Tillman would have likely been projected to be taken in the first round. So getting him outside round one could wind up being a steal.
Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, CB TCU
Hodges Tomlinson plays much bigger than his 5-foot-9, 177-pound frame would indicate. In his last two seasons at TCU, he registered 91 tackles, was credited with 22 passes defended, and had five interceptions. In TCU’s 51-45 upset win over Michigan in the National Semi-Final, he had three tackles and broke up three passes.
According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed just a 34.6% completion rate last season in passes he was targeted. This is why he was a First-Team All-American in 2022.
Not only is he excellent in pass coverage, but he’s feisty and is good in run support. His aggressive nature seems like an ideal fit in defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s scheme. There will be obvious concerns when he’s lined up against tall receivers, but there’s no denying his talent.
The New York Giants are very thin at the cornerback position and being to get a player the caliber of Tomlinson in the third round (89th overall) would give the secondary a much-needed boost.