A year later here is where the Giants’ 2023 draft class stands
The New York Giants have concluded the 2023 NFL season, and it’s time to assess the performance of their draft class after a full season of play.
NFL.com writers Eric Edholm and Chad Reuter ranked each team’s rookie class from 2023 and analyzed each team’s notable selections.
Coming at 27th on the list was the Giants. The front office, under the leadership of General Manager Joe Schoen, made seven draft picks last year, with three allocated to the offense, four to the defense, and nine UDFA signings.
The Giants selected cornerback Deonte Banks out of Maryland with the 24th overall pick of last year’s draft. Banks appeared in 15 games as a rookie and totaled 64 tackles, 11 pass breakups, and two interceptions. Banks showed plenty of promise as a cover corner, bringing size, speed, and athleticism to the secondary.
With Adoree’ Jackson set to hit free agency, the Giants hope to see a year two jump forward, with the now second-year player likely being the number one corner for the defense.
The Giants flipped to offense in the second round, drafting University of Minnesota center John Michael Schmitz. Schmitz earned the starting job in week one as a rookie but battled through injuries for most of his first season, including a shoulder injury that caused him to miss a month. In January, Joe Schoen emphasized that the Giants hold his “intangibles” and “leadership potential” in high regard.
Adding another weapon was a top priority for the offense. The Giants went with Jalin Hyatt out of Tennessee in the third round. Hyatt finished his rookie season with 19 receptions for 343 yards and no scores. The highlight of his rookie season was when Hyatt won the NFL’s Pepsi Offensive Rookie of the Week in week 12 vs. the Patriots, finishing the game with 109 receiving yards.
The issues, however, stemmed from having to adjust to multiple quarterbacks, and the Giants struggled to get Hyatt the ball with just 40 targets on the season.
The remainder of the draft class consisted of (RB) Eric Gray, who played a small role on offense and was primarily used as a kick returner, (CB) Tre Hawkins III, who was a training camp standout that earned first-team reps but saw his role diminish following early season struggles, (NT) Jordan Riley, and (S) Gervarrius Owens both appeared in a combined 11 games.
Highlighting the Giant’s rookie class was a hometown kid in quarterback Tommy DeVito, who went undrafted in 2023. DeVito impressed the coaches enough to earn a spot on the practice squad. After injuries to Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor, the former Don Bosco Prep star was forced into action. After a rough first career start against Dallas in week 11, Devito led the Giants on a three-game winning streak against the Commanders, Patriots, and Packers.
While the Giants hope to strike on multiple players for the 2024 draft, names like Banks, Schmitz, and Hyatt will look to step up more in year two as they take on more pivotal roles for the 2024 season.
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