New York Giants: 3-Round 2019 mock draft in late December

Round 3: Max Scharping, OL, Northern Illinois

No team can succeed without a solid offensive line. Not everyone up front needs to be a superstar, but the unit has to work together and play effectively. On the left side of the Giants current offensive line, Nate Solder protects Manning’s blindside along with rookie guard Will Hernandez.

Unfortunately, the entire right side of the New York Giants offensive line is weak, to say the least. Right guard Jamon Brown and right tackle Chad Wheeler haven’t been very good, leading to a unit that has been quite bad for Big Blue this season.

Despite the putrid performances by the offensive line this season, the offense as a whole has consistently shown promise. Barkley made the Pro Bowl, but too often had to make a man miss behind the line of scrimmage. What’s more, Manning spent more time picking grass from his helmet than completing passes. So, the Giants must make improving their offensive line a priority — especially with a young quarterback who could come in and start.

A combo guard/tackle is exactly what the New York Giants need. Someone who comes in and takes leadership of the offensive line. Scharping’s experience as a four-year starter at Northern Illinois makes him NFL ready. In fact, he ranked inside the Pro Football Focus’ top five offensive linemen in the 2019 draft class.

As an athlete, he’s decent enough to play right tackle. He’s strong with good hands and does a great job locking on controlling his man. With Barkley being the feature back, Scharping’s skill-set would work well in Shurmur’s run-heavy offense.