Jets and Giants 1st Round Recap

Well, round 1 of the NFL draft is in the books, and for the most part it was fairly straight forward.  No monster trades like a lot of people predicted.  As usual, most of the talk revolved around the two quarterbacks, which has been the case for all of the shows leading up to the draft.  I'm sure they'll still somehow be the topic of conversation tonight.  But before I go off on a tangent, let me get to the reason for this article: the Jets and Giants picks from last night.

First the Jets.  They were able to snag, who some believe to be the best prospect in the entire draft in Leonard Williams.  Even though the Jets didn't need another defensive lineman, his value and upside were too good to pass up.  I'm sure New York was just as surprised as I was when Williams fell into their laps at pick #6.  This could be fate, though, because Muhammad Wilkerson is looking for a new contract, and a hefty one at that.  There was talk even before last night about the Jets possibly trading him.  I think that would be a mistake, but since he's already choosing not to show up for voluntary workouts, this could prove to be a viable option if he continues to be difficult.  Assuming he doesn't get traded, the Jets, who already had one of the best d-lines in the NFL, just got even stronger.  Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson, Damon Harrison and now Leonard Williams.  Wow.  They're going to be nightmares for offensive linemen.

I'm extremely curious to know who the Jets would've selected had Williams not been there.  Maybe WR Kevin White or OLB Vic Beasley?  We'll most likely never know.  In today's 2nd and 3rd rounds, the Jets can still grab a WR or OLB or even both.  Someone I wrote about in my Jets draft preview, OLB Randy Gregory, is still available.  Yes, he had the marijuana incident, but in round 2 he could be a steal.  Gregory could be the pure pass rusher the Jets have been desperate for.  Or if it's a receiver they're after, guys like Jaelen Strong and Devin Smith are still around.  Plenty of talent to be had. 

As for my New York Giants, they went with the very unsexy pick of Ereck Flowers.  It felt like crickets were chirping when the selection was announced.  Maybe that's just me.  The first thing I'll say is that this felt like a big reach.  They could have easily moved back 5 spots and still grabbed him.  Then again, maybe they couldn't find a trade partner.  Who knows.  I read every article I could find on Flowers when they drafted him, and have to say that most of it was positive.  He sounds like a mammoth of a human being, who has a passion for the game, and a mean streak to finish off defenders.  The only knock on him is that he's still a bit raw.  His technique and footwork can be sloppy at times.  That seems fixable, though, with a little NFL coaching.  It sounds like the Giants drafted him to be their left tackle, but I doubt that will happen right away.  What I'm hoping will happen, is he can step in at right tackle immediately, moving Justin Pugh inside to guard.  If that's the case, this line has the potential to be dramatically improved in a matter of a year.

As for today, there's still a guy available that I think the Giants must get, and that's safety Landon Collins.  He was a guy linked to New York in the 1st round in some mock drafts, so to get him in the 2nd would be a huge coup.  Safety is a big position of need for the G-men, so grabbing Collins would be a need and value pick.  Another name out there that's been mentioned with the Giants is DL Eddie Goldman.  He seems to be a staunch run defender who would pair up with Jonathan Hankins and help lower the 4.9 yards per rush New York allowed last season (worst in franchise history).

Can't wait for tonight.  Let's see which players end up in New York.