On Thursday, the New York Giants’ decision at No. 3 can make or break the Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll era.
Beyond the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, this organization has important matters to address on Day 2. The team will remain in the mud if it does not prepare for injuries and strengthen the interior defensive line.
New York can potentially accomplish both by selecting a player with promise and a vitally important skill. When listing favorite prospect-team fits, Pro Football Focus lead draft analyst Trevor Sikkema makes the case for Tennessee’s Omarr Norman-Lott.
“The Giants need someone to help Dexter Lawrence in the middle,” he wrote. “They’ve brought in plenty of edge rushers over the past few years but lack an impact interior presence beyond Lawrence, especially in pass rushing.”
“Norman-Lott might be one-dimensional right now as just a pass rusher, but that is exactly what the Giants should be looking for on Day 2. He earned an elite PFF pass-rush grade (81.6) against true pass sets and recorded an 18.7% pass-rush win rate in 2024.”
The 23-year-old defensive tackle spent three years at Arizona State before transferring to Knoxville before the 2023 campaign. He totaled 9.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss in 23 games with the Volunteers, serving a specialized yet key role for a team defined by its strong defensive pressure.
It was a limited sample size — Norman-Lott played only 225 snaps last season — but as long as he continues to pressure the quarterback, the NFL will make room for him. He could add more pop to a Giants’ pass-rushing attack that is already quite formidable.
However, New York is most vulnerable against the run, and that is not this talent’s strong suit. As Sikkema notes in his analysis, Norman-Lott lacks versatility and will primarily be utilized as a rotational pass-rusher until he broadens his repertoire. He posted a relatively underwhelming 68.1 run defense grade.
The Giants surrendered the sixth-most rushing yards per game during the 2024 campaign (136.2). They did not definitively upgrade that weakness in free agency, which means the draft could be their last chance to do so. Investing in Norman-Lott, someone who might not yet be equipped to suppress opposing running backs would be risky.
Adding to the drawbacks, the North Highlands, California native is undersized for a defensive lineman. He is 6-foot-2 inches and 291 pounds but compensates for his frame with 33 3/4-inch arms.
Schoen might accept the cons that come with Omarr Norman-Lott if he gets him at the right spot in the NFL Draft. Big Blue has two third-round picks, No. 65 and No. 99, which they can use to acquire this explosive and aggressive lineman.
Solving the quarterback conundrum is essential, but finding a serviceable 3-tech defensive tackle who could eventually become a trusted starter should also rank high on the priority list.
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