What the New York Giants’ ideal NFL Draft would look like

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA – OCTOBER 07: Drake Maye #10 of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after throwing for a touchdown against the Syracuse Orange during the second half of their game at Kenan Memorial Stadium on October 07, 2023 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The Tar Heels won 40-7. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen clearly read my ideal draft proposal last year, as he followed my recommendation to take Maryland cornerback Deonte Banks in the first round and Minnesota center John Michael Schmitz in the second round. We’ll see whether Schoen sticks to my script again.

It’s important to note this isn’t a mock draft. I adhered to Dane Brugler’s player rankings to keep the targets realistic with each pick, but this is how I hope things would play out if I were running the Giants’ draft.

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There’s a twist with this year’s exercise running on two tracks, so it will read like a choose-your-own adventure based on whether a trade-up for a quarterback in the first round is