The 2023 NFL Draft is officially in the rearview mirror. The Giants entered this event with 10 picks at their disposal. New York ended up using seven for themselves, which led to the following players hearing their names called:
- Round 1: Deonte Banks
- Round 2: John Michael Schmitz
- Round 3: Jalin Hyatt
- Round 5: Eric Gray
- Round 6: Tre Hawkins III
- Round 7: Jordon Riley
- Round 7: Gervarrius Owens
Now that the draft is done and NFL Draft experts can’t share their mocks anymore, they’ve shifted to giving each team a grade for their picks. For the most part, it seems like the Giants’ 2023 NFL Draft haul has been well-received among experts.
NFL.com’s Giants NFL Draft Grade: A-
Chad Reuter of NFL.com was the man to give the Giants this grade. He broke down his grades into each of the three days of this event before averaging them together. New York got a B+ after Round 1, but then an A for each of Day 2 and Day 3.
USA Today’s Giants NFL Draft Grade: C-
Nate Davis of USA Today thought that New York’s selections of Banks and Schmitz were good. However, he didn’t like Big Blue taking Hyatt in Round 3 and would’ve preferred general manager Joe Schoen to get a bigger wide receiver for quarterback Daniel Jones.
Out of the 32 NFL teams, Davis’ Giants Draft grade put them at 26th overall (and right next to the Dallas Cowboys).
Pro Football Focus’ Giants NFL Draft Grade: A+
Among these four grades, PFF came in with the highest one for Schoen and Co.’s work. On the flip side of Davis, they saw the positive in that Hyatt selection:
Hyatt won the Biletnikoff Award as the top wide receiver in college football, averaging 18.9 yards per reception and scoring 15 touchdowns. He is a burner on the outside that needs some refinement but has all the athletic ability necessary to excel at the next level. Hyatt’s 40-yard dash, vertical and broad jump were all above the 85th percentile. The Giants add a much-needed outside weapon for QB Daniel Jones.
Mel Kiper Jr.’s Giants NFL Draft Grade: A-
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. had plenty of great things to say about the Giants and their NFL Draft haul. And, more specifically, he was impressed with what New York did toward the beginning of the event:
I mentioned this Friday night, but the Giants landed three of my top 45 prospects in the first two days of the draft. That’s impressive stuff from general manager Joe Schoen.
So, generally speaking, it seems like the NFL Draft experts like what the Giants did with their picks over the past few days in Kansas City. Of course, these grades and opinions can only go so far. These dudes have to go out and perform once it’s time to do so.
But, in the midst of what is a pivotal offseason for Big Blue, it seems like they’ve helped the areas of their roster that needed it most.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
