Last week I talked about what the Jets could do, and what I think they should do, in the upcoming draft. Now it's time for my New York "football" Giants.
Much like the Jets, there are several names being linked to the Giants. And also like the Jets, the Giants brass isn't giving much indication as to whom they might pick. Oy vey. Let's go over what the experts are saying.
Before I get to that, let me first vent. I'm sure I'm not the only fan who thinks this, but it seems the Giants never get talked about. Unless it's local radio or local writers, New York is never a blip on the NFL radar. That makes me mad, especially since they've won 2 super bowls in the last 8 years. Hell, even when they won those super bowls, it went like this: "And the Giants have won the super bowl! Now on to anything else." So with that being the case, it's hard to find any in-depth details about what New York might be thinking or wanting to do in the draft.
The majority of experts have OL Brandon Scherff linked to the Giants. Offensive line is obviously a huge need, so this should be a good pick. I say "should" because most people believe he projects as a guard instead of a tackle, which is what New York needs most. A couple of years ago they drafted Justin Pugh. Pugh was also a college tackle who projected as an NFL guard, but the Giants played him at tackle anyway. Seeing as how he hasn't played very well in his first two seasons, maybe he really should have been moved to guard . Why in the world would New York draft a similar player, and possibly have similar headaches? They shouldn't. I don't care how much of a "mauler" Scherff might be. They need a true tackle who can eventually (sooner rather than later) supplant Will Beatty as the left tackle. I don't know if the 9th pick is too early to take a guy like Andrus Peat or Ereck Flowers, but they seem like better options to me.
Another name that's mentioned more often than not is DL Danny Shelton. He's a big boy (almost 340lbs) that could be a great run stopper at the next level. However, lately I've heard people saying that they fear his conditioning could be an issue. Sounds kind of funny talking about conditioning with a 340lb man, but it could really be a problem. I've also heard that he doesn't give his all on every play, sometimes disappearing when facing top quality linemen. Another problem. I don't love guys that can't get self-motivated. We'll see what happens with him. Some mock drafts have him in the top 10, while others have him slipping into the 20's.
It doesn't appear to be the case, but I wonder if the Giants have any interest in some of this year's pass rushers. There's a chance Vic Beasley or Shane Ray could be available at #9, but I don't think they'd fit New York's scheme. I wouldn't mind seeing a blitzing outside linebacker wearing blue again (we need another Lawrence Taylor), but I don't think any of these guys fit that mold. Beasley intrigues me, but apparently his run defense is on the poor side, and in a 4-3 defense, your linebackers have to be able to give run support.
I'm also curious where the Giants have the wide receivers ranked on their big boards. If by some crazy chance Amari Cooper were to slip to them, would they pull the trigger? I don't see how they wouldn't. What about Kevin White? He only had one really productive year, but has good size and speed. Would he be worth the pick? And what about the running backs? I really like Melvin Gordon and moderately like Todd Gurley, but think the 9th pick is too high for a running back. If they really want one of them, I'd hope they would trade back. I'm sure that won't happen, though, because Jerry Reese isn't very active during the draft, or really ever for that matter.
If I were the Giants, I would put in several phone calls to find out what it would cost to get into the top 3 or 4 picks in an attempt to land DE/LB Dante Fowler Jr. I think he's going to be a beast. Like I said, though, Reese doesn't usually make any moves, so I can just about guarantee that won't happen. What most likely will happen is New York grabs an offensive lineman. Which one? No idea. As I mentioned before, it'll hopefully be one of the true tackles like Peat or Flowers.
All I know is that I can't wait for tomorrow night. Bring it on!
Check back next week for my Jets and Giants draft recaps.
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