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The New York Giants have concluded what many may call a banner weekend for the proud organization. In a pivotal three days for general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll, they managed to secure multiple steals and a few surprise picks many wouldn’t have expected going into Thursday night. Today, Giants Fare takes a deep dive into all seven of the G-Men’s newest roster members, and what their presence means for the future.
Round 1, No. 3: Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State
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Let’s be honest, we all knew this was coming. With the Cleveland Browns re-signing Myles Garrett to a massive contract, the Browns were unlikely to prioritize their defensive line. Even following the trade with Jacksonville, the odds were still unlikely. Carter brings the strength you wish to see from a top EDGE prospect as well as surprising speed and agility that will keep even top scrambler quarterbacks in a backfield panic. Asking for number 56 from the great Lawrence Taylor right away was a bit of an eye raiser, but nothing to worry about as of right now.
Grade: A+
Round 1, No. 25: Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss (via Houston Texans)
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No one could’ve predicted this one. With Shedeur Sanders quickly falling out of favor with a large number of teams right before the draft, the general consensus was that he was still going to find a home by the end of Thursday. Quite the opposite happened. With the Rams potentially looking for their next franchise QB as a replacement for the aging Matthew Stafford. Many fans weren’t happy with this selection immediately following it, but with Sanders falling into day 3 as well as the Rams trading away their 26th pick soon after it was announced, it’s looking like a great call in hindsight. Dart played against top level competition in the SEC at Ole Miss, and although his ability and throwing mechanics may need some slight tweaking before he’s ready to relieve Russell Wilson, his sneaky speed and fearlessness in throwing the deep ball could work wonders for the Giants if he takes time to sit and learn this season.
Grade: B+
Round 3, No. 65: Darius Alexander, DT, Toledo
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Well, Schoen did say he wanted to prioritize stopping the run on defense, and not many could do that better in college than this young man. Alexander has forced tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage on designed runs 26 times since the start of the 2023 season, which is good for the fifth most in the FBS. Although there’s still some pass rushing skills that he needs to add to his repertoire, not to mention coming out of one of the smaller FBS programs, Alexander should be a key addition alongside Dexter Lawrence in what may be one of the greatest defensive front sevens this franchise has ever seen, and unless you’ve been living under a rock since the early 80’s, you know that’s saying something.
Grade: B+
Round 4, No. 105: Cam Skattebo, RB, Arizona State
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Of all the picks the Giants made this weekend, this one was the biggest steal by far. The former Sun Devil had a stellar 2024 season that was unfortunately lost in the shuffle during a great year for college running backs. Skattebo however, is an utter unit with the ball in his hand, with a skill trait reminiscent of a prime Peyton Hillis along with Christian McCaffrey-like receiving ability. “Skat” has the potential just like so many other running backs this year to be the best in his class. It may take time to prove though, as he should be immediately placed into a high-profile duo with Tyrone Tracy Jr. although it’s believed by some at Giants Fare that Tracy may not be the long term solution at the running back position, so only time will tell when Skattebo will get the lone spotlight.
Grade: A+
Round 5, No. 154 (via Seattle Seahawks): Marcus Mbow, G, Purdue
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It’s surprising that the Giants decided to wait this long to attempt (once again) to fix their chronic issues at the offensive line. Tyrone Tracy Jr. will be happy to reunite with his Purdue teammate as he’ll be thrown into a starting guard battle with Joshua Ezeudu, the position changing Evan Neal, and Jake Kubas to play alongside current starter Greg Van Roten. Although Big Blue was busy filling other team needs, they’ve consistently failed to develop an offensive line that can catapult back into the top half of the NFL in protection, and starting to look for answers in the fifth round can be viewed as counter productive.
Grade: B-
Round 7 Selections: Thomas Fidone II (No. 219, TE, Nebraska) & Korie Black (No. 246, CB, Oklahoma State)
These picks more or less felt like filler really, although it’s for some dire position needs so we’ll see if either of these two pan out. Fidoen was the top TE prospect ahead of Brock Bowers coming out of high school but injuries have limited him significantly since. Hopefully he can bounce back at the next level.
-Jack Barber
Works Cited
https://utrockets.com/sports/football/roster/darius-alexander/9177
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