New York Giants Mock Draft Roundup 4.0

Isaiah Hodgins opened eyes late in the season, and Wan'Dale Robinson will be back from a torn ACL, but adding a lengthy playmaker with burst and 50-50 skills makes sense.

With a host of injuries and underperformance, the New York Giants patched their receiver corps together in 2022, but a more stable situation is ideal. Adding a presence like Jaxon Smith-Njigba to go with the emerging Isaiah Hodgins would allow for the Giants' offense to stabilize and take off in year two under Brian Daboll.

The Giants have better wide receiver talent than it might seem, but they don't have a big-time No. 1 to make defenses worry. The wide receivers will be too tempting to pass up in the mid-to-late part of the first round.

Some big question marks lie ahead for the G-Men with free agents like Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley, but Smith-Njigba would at least give them a nice target to build around in the passing game with his sure hands and ability to find the open spaces.

Receiver remains a bigger need for the Giants, and it's not impossible that they walk out of pick 25 with Addison or Johnston. If both of those receivers are gone (as they are here), Torrence would be the best pure guard on the board. He had an outstanding year blocking in front of Richardson at Florida, and he'd be ready to roll for a team that doesn't need to wait around anymore.

Wide receiver is certainly one of the needs in New York.

The signing of Kenny Golladay has yet to pay off, as the high-priced free agent has just one more touchdown than you do, dear reader, over his two years with the Giants. Saquon Barkley led the team in targets last season, and the Giants need to rebuild this position group.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba is one of the more puzzling prospects this draft cycle. Entering 2022 he looked like a lock for the first round, but injuries have seen his stock crater in the media space. But opinions are varied. For example, ESPN's Todd McShay has made the case that Smith-Njigba is not a first-round pick, while his colleague Mel Kiper Jr. has him inside the top 15 in his first mock draft.

Here, we split the difference somewhat. Smith-Njigba can carve out a role in the slot for the Giants, giving Brian Daboll and Daniel Jones another option in the passing game.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba barely saw the field during the 2022 season because of injuries, but he's still one of the top wideouts in the class. And with Daniel Jones about to get paid, the Giants might as well get him some more weapons.

Though the Giants would love to get their hands on a go-to outside wide receiver, they simply need better all-around receiving talent. Smith-Njigba didn't play much this past season due to a hamstring injury, but as a sophomore in 2021, he recorded an 91.2 elite receiving grade with more than 1,600 yards receiving. And that's with Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave also on the team. He feels like a slot exclusive player, as more than 85% of his snaps came from the slot over the past two years, but he's one of the savviest receivers and best route runners in the class.

Here's another team that took a big jump in 2022, as quarterback Daniel Jones took care of the football and the defense played just well enough to keep the Giants in games. Jones' breakout came with one of the least impressive wide receiver corps in the league, especially as Kenny Golladay has not lived up to his massive free agent contract. Can general manager Joe Schoen get Jones -- a free agent who is likely to return -- a No. 1 wideout?

Addison put up huge numbers at Pitt in 2021 before dealing with some injuries at USC, and he has the versatility to play outside or in the slot. He just knows how to get open. New York also will get back rookie second-rounder Wan'Dale Robinson, who flashed before tearing an ACL. I like what the Giants are building, but they have to give Jones some help.

The Giants could open their checkbook and re-sign Daniel Jones after the quarterback played his best football in 2022. Giving Danny Dimes a bona fide No. 1 wideout could help him take his game to another level in 2023.

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