Giants picks and buzz from Day 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft

Here is the latest on the Giants' picks from the 2023 NFL Draft and buzz surrounding the team...

DAY 3

Round 5, Pick 172

In the fifth round (No. 172 pick), the Giants selected RB Eric Gray from Oklahoma.

Gray played in 12 games, all starts, in his senior year with the Sooners. He rushed for 1,336 yards on 213 rushes with 11 touchdowns. He also caught 33 passes for 229 yards.

The 210-pound back earned first-team All-Big 12 honors from PFF and second-team honors by league coaches and AP.

NFL.com: Decisive, creative runner with the size and skill set for three-down consideration on the pro level. Gray won’t be a home run hitter in the open field, but his short-area burst and oily hips open access to the entire field, with cuts coming suddenly and at unpredictable angles. He’s a less powerful finisher than his size might indicate and needs to keep from spilling runs wide unnecessarily.

NFL Comp: Miles Sanders

Round 6, Pick 209 (From KC)

With the 209th pick, the Giants have added more depth to their secondary, selecting cornerback Tre Hawkins from Old Dominion.

Big Blue was one of many teams Hawkins met with prior to the draft. He started all 12 games last season and recorded 57 tackles, two interceptions, and six passes defended.

Pro Football Network: Nice-sized corner coming off a disappointing season. Aggressive, stays with assignments, and gives a lot of effort defending the run. Quick flipping his hips in transition, fluid moving around the field, and has a burst to the ball out of his plant. Effective facing the action and quickly locates the ball or action.

Round 7, Pick 243

With the 243rd pick, the Giants bolstered the defensive line with the selection of defensive tackle Jordon Riley out of Oregon.

Riley, who was listed at 6-foot-5 and 338 pounds, played all 13 games for the Ducks his senior season and tallied 21 total tackles (1.5 for loss) and half a sack. He began his collegiate career at North Carolina for two seasons before spending one season at Garden City Community College (Kansas), before spending 2020-21 at Nebraska. He earned academic All-Big Ten team honors in 2021.

Round 7, Pick 254

With the 254th overall pick, their final of the 2023 draft, the Giants selected Gervarrius Owens, safety out of Houston.

Owens, 6-foot, 195 pounds, was a team captain for the Cougars his Senior season, in which he started 12 games at free safety and led the team with 54 solo tackles. He also had two forced fumbles, one recovery, one interception and eight pass breakups on the year.

NFL.com: Owens has the physical ingredients to play safety. The mistakes he put on tape should be a concern, though. His cornerback background shows with the way he matches route breaks from man coverage, but he lacks the field vision and instincts to become a consistent playmaker from man or zone. Owens is a willing and physical hitter, but he takes suspect angles to the football and has too many missed tackles after the catch and in run support. He has draftable traits, but the issues might be a difficult fix.

DAY 2

Round 3, Pick 73

The Giants, originally scheduled to pick 89th overall, moved up 16 spots in the third round to select Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt.

Big Blue traded picks 89 and 128 to move up to 73 and get Daniel Jones another weapon.

At 6-foot, 176 pounds, Hyatt is a burner, clocking in with a 4.4 40-yard dash.

As a junior with the Volunteers, he was one of the most explosive players in the country this past season, catching 67 passes for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns, which ranked tied for the second most in the nation.

Thanks to his top-end speed, Hyatt has drawn comparisons to DeSean Jackson.

Round 2, Pick 57

The Giants selected center John Michael Schmitz with the No. 57 overall pick.

Listed at 6-foot-3, 301 pounds, Schmitz comes to New York from Minnesota. With quarterback Daniel Jones under contract for the foreseeable future, the Giants will look to protect him, and it's easy to do with this highly-touted center. His versatility and athleticism, strength and leverage impressed many at the combine.

Schmitz has also shown resilience and reliability. He's started every game in 2021 and 2022 for Minnesota.

The Giants decided to shore up their offensive line with their second-round pick, which was a different story in the first round.

On Thursday, the G-Men selected CB Deonte Banks with the No. 24 overall pick.