The New York Giants' first-round pick could go in several directions. There are a few different Giants draft needs the team can address at pick No. 25, including wide receiver, defensive tackle, or offensive line. If the team does try and go in one of these directions, here are three sneaky options for the No. 25 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
In this draft, the Giants face a dilemma at No. 25. There aren’t any surefire, can’t-miss prospects at the premium positions that match the biggest Giants draft needs. There will be high-level prospects available, but they will either be at positions of strength for the G Men or at non-premium positions.
With that in mind, Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll will have to grit their teeth and take a prospect who may not be a perfect first-round pick but could be perfect for the Giants. These sneaky-good options include Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers, Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Breese, and Wisconsin center Joe Tippmann
WR Zay Flowers, Boston College
Just because a team has made similar mistakes in the past doesn’t mean that they should pass up on a top prospect just because he plays the same position or shares a similar profile.
The best example of this is the Detroit Lions in the early 2000s. Detroit inexplicably picked WRs in the first round in three consecutive years with Charles Rodgers (No. 2, 2003), Roy Williams (No. 7, 2004), and Mike Williams (No. 10, 2005).
In 2007, the Lions could have passed on Calvin Johnson with their history, but they took him and he became a Hall of Famer.
The Giants have made two questionable picks on small wideouts in the last two drafts with Wan’Dale Robinson and Kadarius Toney. In the 2023 NFL draft, 5-foot-9, 182-pound pass-catcher Zay Flowers could be the best WR. He may be small, but he has the athleticism, the skills, and the mentality to blossom into a true No. 1, ala Steve Smith Sr.
If Flowers is there at No. 25, with the Giants' draft needs at wideout, they should pick him.
DT Bryan Breese, Clemson
Bryan Breese is a polarizing process who would likely go in the top 10 of the 2023 NFL Draft in a vacuum. However, Breese’s college career at Clemson has been a rollercoaster ride, and teams don’t quite know what to do with him.
Breese is a 6-foot-5 ½, 298-pound DT with 9.0 career sacks and 15 tackles for a loss in three years with the Tigers. However, he missed time with a torn ACL, a kidney infection, and due to the tragic death of his younger sister from cancer.
If Breese can stay healthy and gain more experience, he can be a difference-maker in the NFL.
The issue for New York is that DT isn’t among the top Giants draft needs in the first round. The team has Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams as starters, although they could use some death behind them. Plus, they are both in the final year of their contracts and will count for a combined $44.6 million against the cap next season.
Breese could be the best player available when the Giants pick at No. 25 and address a long-term need, making him too good to pass up.
C Joe Tippmann, Wisconsin
Drafting a center in the first round is a bold move to make. Center is not a premium position in the NFL, but the right man in the middle of the offensive line can be worth his weight in gold.
The 2023 NFL Draft is a deep one at the center position. There are at least four players at the position who could be Week 1 starters (and 10-year starters) for the teams that take them. And the most interesting of the bunch is Wisconsin center Joe Tippmann.
Tippmann is a unicorn at the position. He is built like an offensive tackle at 6-foot-6, 313 pounds but has all the athleticism you want in a ball snapper.
Taking Joe Tippman with the Giants' first-round pick would be a move that could work out huge for New York by filling a major Giants draft need and solidifying the line for years to come. If Tippmann becomes a star at the position, that means the team will have two tackles in Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal and a center who could be together for the next decade.
That would be huge for Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley (or whoever fills the QB and RB roles in the future).
A center isn’t the sexiest Giants' first-round draft pick, but it might be the smartest one.
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