New York Giants Draft Prospect to Watch This Weekend – Sept. 16

The College Football and NFL seasons are now in full swing. We’ve had a chance to evaluate the New York Giants in a regular season game and see where they could look to improve in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Every Friday, we’ll be giving you a New York Giants draft prospect to watch on Saturday as you psych yourself up for Big Blue football on Sunday! Cause everybody knows, the weekends are for football (just don’t tell your girlfriend or wife).

New York Giants Biggest Need: Offensive Line

Just like last week, the offensive line is Big Blue’s biggest weakness.

Eli Manning’s protection struggled in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys and left the Giants offense helpless.

Bobby Hart allowed three pressures and ranked 16th among NFL tackles per Pro Football Focus. Despite grading out decently, he was thrown around by DeMarcus Lawrence.

Hopefully, Hart’s poor play was due to the ankle injury he suffered early in the game and once he’s healthy, he’ll get back to being the “best right tackle in the league”.

John Jerry and Ereck Flowers also struggled, combining to allow three sacks and three hurries. Flowers continued to grade out as New York’s worst offensive lineman, per PFF.

Related Story: Can New York Giants Do Anything About Their Offensive Line?

If Bobby Hart misses Week 2 against the Detroit Lions, we could see undrafted rookie Chad Wheeler at right tackle. As bad as Hart looked Sunday night, Wheeler would likely be a downgrade.

If Hart is inactive, D.J. Fluker should get an opportunity to suit up, which he did not against Dallas. The free agent acquisition could see playing time at right guard if John Jerry continues to disappoint.

The offensive line should be the top priority for the New York Giants both now and in the future. After watching Oklahoma’s Orlando Brown take on the multiple pass rushers of Ohio State last week, Giants fans should be taking a look at another offensive tackle this weekend.

Prospect to Watch: OT Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame (Projected top-15 pick)

Another mountain of a man, Mike McGlinchey stands 6’8″ and weighs in at 315 lb.

McGlinchey started all 13 games at right tackle in 2015, paired with 2016 sixth overall pick Ronnie Stanley at left tackle. He then took over for Stanley, starting all 12 games at left tackle in 2016 and earning third-team AP All-American.

McGlinchey could have been a first round pick had he entered the draft last year. Instead, McGlinchey decided to return to Notre Dame for a fifth year.

He was named second-team AP Preseason All-American this year and after serving as one of the team captains in 2016, McGlinchey was selected as one of Notre Dame’s team captains again for 2017.

Widely considered the top offensive tackle in his class, CBS Sports ranks Mike McGlinchey as the top tackle and 15th-best overall prospect in the 2018 NFL Draft.

McGlinchey’s pass blocking ability will be put to the test this Saturday as he goes up against Harold Landry of Boston College. Landry is CBS Sports’ third-best overall prospect and ranks only behind LSU’s Arden Key for the top pass rusher spot.

Harold Landry was a second-team AP All-American in 2016 after leading the nation with 16.5 sacks. The kid knows how to get after the quarterback.

More of the same is expected of Landry this year, as he was named first-team AP Preseason All-American for 2017 and he is a projected top-five pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

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Facing a premier pass rusher like Harold Landry will give Mike McGlinchey an opportunity to prove that he is the best offensive lineman in this year’s draft class.

Just like with watching Orlando Brown go up against Tyquan Lewis last week, the Mike McGlinchey-Harold Landry matchup is the best of the weekend and will give the New York Giants a chance to decide if McGlinchey is worth drafting in 2018.

A strong showing on Saturday could propel McGlinchey into top-ten consideration; a draft position the New York Giants do not hope to be in. However, if Big Blue’s offensive line continues to play like they did in Dallas, it could be hard for them to win a lot of games this year and they could be looking at a high draft pick in 2018.

Next: Is Eli Manning the Problem, or Is It the Pieces Around Him?

The real hope would be for the New York Giants to have a successful season that includes a deep playoff run and then potentially trade up to draft Mike McGlinchey in the 2018 NFL Draft. As the roster stands right now, the offensive line is the only major weakness for Big Blue and a trade up to fill that one hole is not out of the question.

However, in order for Jerry Reese to make such a move, Mike McGlinchey will have to have a clean game on Saturday against Harold Landry and the Boston College pass rush.

Where to Watch: Notre Dame at Boston College

Saturday, Sept. 16 – Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts – 3:30 pm ET on ESPN

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