The New York Giants got edge Kayvon Thibodaux and offensive tackle Evan Neal in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, then added WR Wan'Dale Robinson, guard Joshua Ezeudu, and CB Cordale Flott on Day 2.
Now, it's time for the Giants to complete their draft haul on Day 3, which they entered with six selections. Big Blue has two fourth-rounders, Nos. 112 and 114 overall, which were both acquired in trades, as well as three fifth-rounders - Nos. 146, 147, and 173 - and a final pick at No. 182 overall in the sixth round.
Check out capsule profiles of all of the Giants' Day 3 selections here:
No. 112 overall, Round 4 (from Chicago): TE Daniel Bellinger, San Diego State
Giants head coach Brian Daboll said Friday that the Giants evaluate tight ends based on what they can do overall, and in Bellinger, they’re getting a strong run blocker that NFL.com says has “an NFL build and adequate athletic ability, but a need to keep the motor running hot in order to maximize his potential as a run blocker. Additional technique work will improve success rate as both a zone and man blocker, but his consistency as a run blocker will determine whether he's a short-term backup or longer-term contributor.”
As a receiver, Bellinger had 31 catches for 357 yards and two touchdowns in 2021, and 68 grabs for 771 yards and five scores in four seasons for the Aztecs. NFL.com also says “he won't create any coverage mismatches, but he has reliable hands, can make contested catches and is fairly savvy working against zone.”
The NFL Draft guide gave Bellinger a 6.16 grade (good backup with the potential to become a starter), and he now joins a completely revamped Big Blue tight end room that has Ricky Seals-Jones as TE1 and just added Jordan Akins from Houston.
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No. 114 overall, Round 4 (from Atlanta): S Dane Belton, Iowa
The second DB selected by Big Blue in the Draft, Belton is a two-way safety who can excel in the box against the run, but is also a ballhawk who had five picks and seven breakups for the Hawkeyes last year.
For his three-year career as the hybrid “Cash” safety/linebacker in Iowa’s system, Belton had 112 tackles (6.5 for loss), one sack, five picks, and 10 passes defensed. He was an honorable mention All-Big Ten pick in 2020 and then First Team All-Conference in 2021 as he tied for fourth in FBS with his five picks.
The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder is labeled by NFL.com with a 5.86 grade (average backup or special teamer), but his scouting report says that Belton’s stats “might not be indicative of his NFL projection.” That said, “Belton has average size, but can line up over tight ends and excels in short-zone coverages, where his ball skills and anticipation bring him to the action, and has physical ability for run support.”
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No. 146 overall, Round 5 (from Jets): LB Micah McFadden, Indiana
McFadden was just a two-star recruit out of high school, but he ended his career at Indiana as a three-time All-Big Ten selection and two-time All-American.
The LB had a team-high 77 tackles (and 15.5 for loss), 6.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, five hurries, and three pass breakups as a senior in 2021, ranking first among linebackers in the Big Ten in TFL and grading out as the highest pass-rushing LB in the conference per Pro Football Focus.
NFL.com gave McFadden a 5.81 grade as an “average backup or special teamer,” and their scouting report says that he is “an undersized inside linebacker with adequate diagnose quickness and downhill trigger” and is “very average in the athleticism and speed departments but is well-prepared and exploits soft spots in blocking schemes to make impact tackles behind the line of scrimmage.”
The report projected him with “Day 3 value as a backup inside linebacker with core special teams potential.”
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No. 147 overall, Round 5: DT D.J. Davidson, Arizona State
A 6p-foot-5, 325-pound mauler in his graduate season at ASU, Davidson was fifth on the team with 57 total tackles in 2021, and finished his career with 137 tackles (16 for loss), five sacks, and one fumble recovery over four seasons.
Per PFF, he ranked as the 20th-highest overall defender in the Pac-12 (76.0 grade) and third-best interior lineman, and he was the best interior lineman and 15th overall in the league with a 77.7 run defense mark.
NFL.com gave him a 5.93 grade as an average backup or special teamer, and his scouting report says that he is “a gap-stuffing nose tackle who plays with good strength to disrupt blocking from guard to guard” but is “an early-down run defender only.” That said, Davidson “can be a handful to get blocked on those downs, as he plays on a bulky, powerful base that helps absorb double teams with relative success and he has the upper-body strength to beat a single block.”
No. 173 overall, Round 5 (from Kansas City via Baltimore): OL Marcus McKethan, North Carolina
The third lineman taken by the Giants in this draft, here is what NFL.com has to say about 6-foot-6, 340 pound McKethan: "He plays to his size with the ability to mash and move single blocks and double teams. He's best suited for gap and power schemes, but will struggle against moving fronts that force him to react quickly to action in his gaps. The pass protection is going to be a little leaky due to his lack of slide quickness and trouble versus twists. McKethan's blend of size and power should make him a Day 3 pick and future NFL backup."
No. 182 overall, Round 6: LB Darrian Beavers, Cincinnati
Big Blue wrapped up its 2022 draft class by going for defensive depth, taking the 6-foot-4, 237-pound Beavers. Here's NFL.com's scouting report: "Inside linebacker with throwback size but also throwback athleticism that fails to fit cleanly into today's brand of football. Beavers is a phone-booth linebacker who is well-schooled in taking on and slipping blocks between the tackles but can be overwhelmed by athletic opponents when forced to move and play in space. He plays too stiff-legged and with a lack of desired agility, which gets him tangled up in traffic more than teams might like. He'll need to lean into a role as a thumper to make a team, which will require improvement in consistently attacking and discarding blockers. Beavers has a challenging road ahead of him but his background as a core special-teamer helps."
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