Giants Address This Glaring Need in NFL.com’s Latest Mock Draft

The New York Giants have been fairly active since free agency began, gaining depth on the receiver and defense on the run.

But they’ve also lost depth, especially in the middle. Nick Gates has signed a three-year deal with division rivals Washington, and Jon Feliciano is moving to San Francisco on a one-year deal.

This keeps the Giants’ depth extremely shallow in the middle, even if Ben Bredeson, who played primarily as a left guard last season, gets a chance to build on the 30 snaps he played in the middle last year.

The Giants will likely sign a veteran for competitive and depth reasons, but NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah believes the Giants should and did address their vacancy at center with their first-round pick Joe Tippmann of Wisconsin goes to the Giants in 25th place in his latest mock draft.

Tippmann is a former tackle who switched to center. At 6ft 6, he is a larger prospect in center but can still flex effectively and drive off defenders.

Tippmann started all 12 games at the center last season and 11 games in the 2021 season. The former Wisconsin Badger finished with a production score of 78 NFL Scouting Combine (second among centers) and an overall score of 87 (first among centers).

One of the most important things about Tippmann’s game is his high football IQ and ability to make decisions and make adjustments, a skill that will surely come in handy in this offense and against stunts and turns displayed by opposing defence becomes.

Tippmann is a sporting center that is always looking for someone to block. He is exceptional by the time he reaches the second level and is keen on picking up speed cameras in the middle. The main problem with him is that he sometimes leads with his helmet, allowing defenders to put his block down easily. Tippman is NFL Draft Bible’s peak centernoting, “Tippmann is an athletic, powerful center who excels at framing blocks and climbing to the second level, but there is room to improve his footwork and leverage.”

NFL Draft Bible currently has Tippman as a Day 2-3 pick, but with the benefit of being a solid starter in the league. The Giants must decide whether to devote another first-round pick to the offensive line after drafting left tackle Andrew Thomas in 2020 and right tackle Evan Neal last year.

Given their investment in quarterback Daniel Jones, such a move might be worth it.