This weekend the college football all-star circuit concluded with the Reese’s Senior Bowl, which has become the preeminent off-season scouting opportunity ahead of the NFL Draft. We covered some of the Giants’ top potential targets before the game kicked off, so now it’s time to check in and see if the game action changed anything.
Below are seven players who fit positions of need for the Giants who saw their NFL Draft stock rise due to their performance at the Senior Bowl. While these are certainly not all of the risers from the week in Mobile, they are some that Giants fans could become far more familiar with as we inch toward NFL Draft night.
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CLAIM NOWMichael Wilson – WR, Stanford
Michael Wilson wasn’t really on the radar of many casual football fans because he has a pretty lengthy injury history and played on one of the worst offenses in college football this past season, but he did everything he could to increase his draft stock last week. He started out by measuring at 6’2″, 216 pounds, which proved his NFL-ready frame, and then he ran such precise and dynamic routes all week that he left defenders grasping at air. He was explosive in and out of his breaks and made a sensational catch early in the game. If the Giants don’t go wide receiver early or want to take two, Wilson could be a good name for them.
Jayden Reed, WR Michigan State
Richie James was a surprise asset for the Giants this season with so many injuries in the receiver room. However, the slot receiver is a free agent, and New York could be looking to find a shifty interior receiver who can give them what James did. Jayden Reed would fit that bill.
Ar 5’11” and 191 pounds, Reed can play inside and out, but his strength is that he creates yards after the catch with blistering speed as one of the fastest players at the Senior Bowl. He also looked good as a returner, and that added special teams value could be huge for his NFL Draft stock. He’s another prospect who played in a poor offense and had a bad quarterback situation, so Reed is now getting to show what he can do.
Other WR options we covered earlier: Rashee Rice, Jonathan Mingo, Tank Dell, Andrei Iosivas
Steve Avila, IOL, TCU
The Giants have invested a lot in their offensive tackles, but it’s time to add some interior line punch as well. Steve Avila was one of the top interior offensive line prospects at the Senior Bowl when practices began, but he certainly cemented that during the week. He has great versatility on the interior and showed good mobility during the one-on-ones. He was a problem for defensive tackles all week and is a pretty strong blocker with the type of punch to knock linemen back.
O’Cyrus Torrence, IOL Florida
Like Avila, O’Cyrus Torrence was already a top prospect, and likely a first-rounder, but he may have improved his stock to the point where he’s not an option for the Giants anymore. However, if he is somehow there at 25th overall, he could be the top option for New York.
At 6’5″ and 337 pounds, Torrence was dominated for three years at Louisiana and then transferred to Florida where he didn’t even allow a single quarterback hit while playing in the daunting SEC. He is a massive human who showed good mobility and athleticism and has the strength to simply devour defensive linemen.
Other IOL options we covered earlier: Cody Mauch, John Michael Schmitz
Derrick Hall, EDGE Auburn
While Hall wasn’t the most-discussed name at the Senior Bowl, he had a really strong week. He’s another powerful player with heavy hands that won him rep after rep in practices. However, he also showed some variation in his pass-rush moves which makes it seem like he won’t simply be a power rusher. He’s not the most athletic pass rusher, but the Giants have one of those in Kayvon Thibodeaux, so a power complement on the other side could be a great fit.
Other EDGE options we covered earlier: Will McDonald IV
Daiyan Henley, LB, Washington State
We’ve written a good bit about Daiyan Henley, but he does seem like he’d be a great fit in New York. At 6’1″ and 230 pounds with 33″ arms, he has the perfect frame for an off-ball linebacker. In Mobile, he also showed good explosion and the elements of being a “twitchy” athlete. He was also much stronger in coverage than many expected and showed that he could be a true three-down linebacker at the next level.
Daiyan Henley at it again with another forced incompletion, this time against Illinois RB Chase Brown pic.twitter.com/XzEhDGt2mw
— Jack Brentnall (@Jack_Brentnall) February 2, 2023
Darius Rush, CB, South Carolina
Joe Schoen comes from the Buffalo Bills where they loved to draft big, physical cornerbacks, so Darius Rush measuring in at 6’2″ and 196 pounds would likely have piqued his interest. He used that size to smother wide receivers all week. Rush showed tremendous hip fluidity and foot speed for his size, and while he struggled a bit against the run, he has the makings of a truly strong cover corner. Since South Carolina plays mainly zone, there were some concerns that Rush would be exposed in man coverage, but that just didn’t happen.
Other CB options we covered earlier: Riley Moss, Kyu Blu Kelly
For more Giants coverage, like this Senior Bowl article, visit amNY Sports
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