Giants 4-Round Mock Draft: What Will New York Do With Its 2 Top-10 Picks?

The New York Giants put themselves in a power position in this draft when the Dexter Lawrence trade got them a second pick in the top 10. It’s a familiar position, too, since this will be the second time in five years that the Giants have two top 10 picks. This time, they just have to do better than they did when they took tackle Evan Neal (No. 7) and edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux (No. 5) in 2022. So what will the Giants do with the first picks of the John Harbaugh era? And can they find a suitable replacement for Lawrence with an early pick? Here’s one look at how the first four rounds might go for them: Round 1 (No. 5 overall): Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State One of Harbaugh’s top priorities was fixing the second-worst run defense in the NFL, and now he’s got a 340-pound (or more) hole to fill in the middle of it. He can’t fill all of it, but adding the athletic, speedy Sonny Styles up the middle would be a great way to start. The 6-foot-5, 244-pounder, who would be the first linebacker taken in the first round by the Giants since Carl Banks in 1984, would slide right in next to new addition Tremaine Edmunds, making a weakness into a sudden strength. He’s a sure tackler with good instincts and strong coverage skills (he’s a former safety). And he’d be the Giants’ best sideline-to-sideline pursuit linebacker since Antonio Pierce. Styles is a player of high character, too, and is considered future captain material, which will be huge as Harbaugh tries to rebuild a decaying culture. He almost certainly won’t last until 10 (the Commanders are eying him at pick No. 7 and the Cowboys might try to move up for him), so if Harbaugh wants him, 5 is the spot. Round 1 (No. 10 overall): Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State The Giants already have a star-in-the-making in Malik Nabers, when he’s healthy, but it’s the No. 2 receiver that can really turn an offense into one that’s dynamic. And Jordyn Tyson would be the perfect complement — a strong, quick, 6-2, 203-pounder who can make the tough catches and draw the defense away from Nabers. Tyson does have a very long injury history, though, which is why it’s hard to get a read on his evaluation. An NFL scout told me he was the most underrated player in the draft and that he’s “going to have a lot of 1,000-yard seasons in the league if he stays healthy.” It’s that “if,” though, that makes his valuation difficult. It’s why a few weeks ago, he was considered a mid-first pick, then suddenly looked like he might go in the top-five, and now he’s dropping again (at least in media mocks). Giants general manager Joe Schoen spent a lot of time with him in Arizona, including a post-pro day dinner. That could be a tell. There’s no doubt they’d like to get a second weapon for quarterback Jaxson Dart and a little insurance in case it takes Nabers, who is recovering from a torn ACL, some time to regain his form. [NFL Confidential: How is Dexter Lawrence Trade Impacting Draft? Execs, Scouts Weigh in] Round 2 (No. 37 overall): Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State They can’t go too long without trying to plug the Lawrence-sized hole directly, even if they do have a bunch of NFL veterans ready to step in at defensive tackle for now. They need some youth at that position too, which is why it feels like a lock they’ll take the top tackle on their board early in the second round. This 6-2, 326-pounder should be the top defensive tackle on everyone’s board, though there are enough concerns to possibly drop him out of the first round. He’s a strong run defender, but hasn’t developed yet as a pass rusher. As a one-year starter, he also has limited experience. But the Giants would have enough around him to give him limited snaps in a rotation and let him develop from there. He could go late in the first round if a team needs a defensive tackle enough. And if not, it’s possible someone will try to jump above the Giants for him early on Day 2. If that happens, keep an eye on Georgia’s Christen Miller (6-3, 328), or maybe Florida’s Caleb Banks (6-6, 327) if they’re convinced his broken foot will be OK. Round 4 (No. 105 overall): Jude Bowry, OT, Boston College For the moment, the Giants are pretty set at tackle with Andrew Thomas on the left and Jermaine Eluemunor on the right. But Eluemunor is 31 and Thomas missed 22 games with injuries over the last three years. The Giants have veteran depth, but they’re lacking in young players to develop, outside of maybe Marcus Mbow, their fifth-rounder last year. The 6-5, 314-pound Bowry was primarily a left tackle in college, but he’s still raw and has enough blocking power that he could move inside to guard, where the Giants have even less young depth. He was also a team captain for Bill O’Brien’s Eagles. And even though the Giants’ regime has undergone some changes, their Boston College ties still run pretty deep.​The Giants created a big hole in their defense when they traded Dexter Lawrence. They have two first-round picks and an early second-rounder to try to fill it.