The early returns are in and Joe Schoen is doing great within the exit polls.
Praises are coming fast and furious.
The Giants leading into the draft had fairly significant needs at cornerback, wide receiver, center and, wouldn’t it, Schoen filled every one in all ’em before the weekend rolled around.
A trade up Thursday night to get cornerback Deonte Banks in the primary round. A middle, John Michael Schmitz, within the second round Friday night, followed by a large receiver, via one other trade up — this one 16 spots — to get receiver Jalin Hyatt within the third round.
Try the draft grades getting assigned, often barely minutes after the seventh round was complete. The Giants are scoring well, receiving a bunch of A’s, lauded for his or her boldness moving up so as to add value and talent with Banks and Hyatt.
The fans prefer it, as do the draft analysts.
By all accounts, Joe Schoen — in the favored parlance — “killed it’’ on this draft.
Does he agree?
He smiled.
“That lasts about two days,’’ Schoen said. “You don’t win games in April. The social media rankings and every thing like that, , it’s about what we do that fall and the way we go on the market and compete when it matters and the way we proceed to construct this offseason and get greater, faster, stronger, through our strength program after which how we prepare and execute in August, I believe there’s a process.
“And do I like a number of the guys we drafted? Yeah. But still, every yr is different, and the team has got to gel, and we have now got to construct chemistry. We have now to remain healthy. There’s lots that goes into it.”
Yeah, there’s lots that goes into it.
There isn’t any doubt Schoen checked the boxes that needed to be checked.
Cornerback was a glaring concern and Banks, by all accounts, has the products to ease that concern. Taking corners in the primary round is dangerous business, though. The last two the Giants chosen, Eli Apple and Deandre Baker, were washouts (though Apple has reclaimed his profession with the Bengals). Not way back, Jeff Okudah was the No. 3 overall selection within the 2020 draft by the Lions out of Ohio State, widely considered one in all the safest and solid picks in years, just about a “can’t miss’’ prospect. He missed, beset by uninspiring performance and injuries and two weeks ago was traded to the Falcons.
This is just not an indictment of the collection of Banks. Let the teen chart his own path.
Meet up with your complete list of Giants picks from the 2023 NFL Draft, including round-by-round evaluation.
The last time the Giants went with a middle within the second round was in 2014, once they used pick No. 43 on Weston Richburg out of Colorado State. They mistakenly began him at guard for a season before moving him to his natural spot, where he played well before injuries hit. The Giants had no real interest in keeping him. Richburg signed with the 49ers, tore up his knee, returned, needed hip surgery and retired.
This is just not an indictment of the collection of Schmitz. Let the teen chart his own path.
The last time the Giants went with a receiver within the third round was 2011 once they decided speedy, shifty and small Jerrel Jernigan out of Troy may very well be a weapon within the NFL. It didn’t work out that way. Jernigan had 38 catches and two touchdowns in 4 seasons and was promptly out of the league.
This is just not an indictment of the collection of Hyatt. Let the teen chart his own path.
Perhaps Schoen going with a running back, Eric Gray from Oklahoma, within the fifth round was a prescient decision based on the trend to stock that position with mid-round picks, a move that enables Saquon Barkley’s workload to ease up, keeping him more energizing longer.
There isn’t any doubt Schoen has an actual understanding of tips on how to maneuver up and down the draft board and that his relationships along with his counterparts within the league — on this case, Trent Baalke of the Jaguars with the first-round trade up — are reasons for the Giants to feel confident with their football leadership on the very top.
Schoen could have “killed it’’ on this draft, but he’ll get back to you on that — much later.
“I believe it’s three or 4 years whenever you look back, you take a look at the play time,’’ he said. “But you’re never — you may’t get complacent on this business, ever. You’ll have lots of trouble in case you try this.’’
