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David Yankey, Guard - Stanford

Is pretty much unanimously chosen as the top Guard in the draft. Would be too high for the Giants to take him at 12, but probably won't be around at #43. If they do trade down, he could be a good pick, as he could be Snee's replacement or you could move him to the left side and Schwartz to the right side after this year. Those of you who follow the draft in depth, what are your thoughts on him?

I like him alot. I'm actually thinking of him at Tackle...and surprisingly, I haven't seen much written on that with him; yet every report I read speaks highly of his footwork and athleticism. He has the size at 6'5 315 lbs.

Thoughts?
I am hoping they could land him  
beatrixkiddo : 2:14 pm : link
in 2nd, though I doubt he'd be there when we pick.

He would be exactly the type of OL this team needs, an beast of an OG, great at pulling and great footwork.

He has also played just about every position along the OL, which would provide much needed valuable depth and security along our front. He has played well at just about every position, though I think he is best at OG. He and Shwartz would be an excellent tandem in the middle. We would be able to run in b/w the tackles like we did in the prime days of Seubert and Snee with this kid.

But, yeah your right. I don't think he's acquirable unless barring a trade down. I just don't see him slipping to our second pick, but who knows.
You're right,  
bob in tx : 2:15 pm : link
Yankey--and Su'a Filo--are goners between 25-35. Both would start day 1. But, Z. Martin may be more versatile than Yankey as a more prepared starter at OT if Beatty isn't ready.
beattrix  
he actually reminds of the Snee pick in 2004...when the Giants took him in the 2nd round, although I think he's more athletic and better overall prospect than Snee was.
would not mind  
TommyWiseau : 2:32 pm : link
A move up in round 2 if he's still there around pick 34-36.
Yankey reminds me, in a sense, of Pugh....  
Pugh was thought to be taken too high by the Giants last year yet he proved to be the best of all the tackles taken even Fischer, Johnson and Joekel.

Yankey seems like the same...a safe pick, a guy who has proven himself. It wouldn't surprise me if the Giants traded down to a lower spot and picked him.

A lot of people including Pat Traina think the Giants may trade down this year.
At 12!  
PaulN : 2:34 pm : link
A guard, no way. If all playmakers are gone, then move down and grab a player that will help, because there are many players that would fit and help out, Lewan, Ebron, Evans, Mosley, Martin, and Lee would all be good picks, but if they are all there, then why not move down and add another 2nd or 3rd round pick, then you can add a guard there, there will be plenty of very good guards left in the 2nd and 3rd rounds.
Yankey has experience at left  
barens : 2:36 pm : link
Tackle, he's got that versatility as well. If by some chance Martin is gone as well, I scoop Yankey up at 12 without trading down.
I'd like him at 43  
jeff57 : 2:37 pm : link
But Xavier Su'a-Filo has generally been considered to have passed him as the top true guard. And could go late in the first.
If he's going to be  
Jerry in DC : 2:41 pm : link
a Snee-caliber player I wouldn't even mind if they took him at 12. I know all the "don't draft guards early" stuff. But a really good player is a really good player. It's not like he's a punter.

Take a look at the 04 draft and where Snee would go in a redraft. You've got the QBs and you've got a few guys who are a cut above (Wilfork, Fitz, maybe Sean Taylor). After that, Snee is right there in a tier of about 10 guys who would go in the next 10 picks (guys like Steven Jackson, Dunta Robinson, Dansby, Will Smith, Dockett, Randy Starks, Shaun Phillips).

Your mileage may vary on how to rank some of those guys (and a few of them were taken way later anyway), but you could make a really strong case that Snee would be one of the top 10 picks in a redraft conducted with nearly complete knowledge of the players careers.

I'm not necessarily advocating Yankey. I don't really advocate anybody these days after years of seeing how often all of us (including GMs) are wrong about the draft. But I'd support the pick if that's the way we decided to go.
Jerry on target.  
Big Blue '56 : 2:45 pm : link
As I've said many times before, Bill Polian believes if you have a strong conviction on a guy, you take him. You don't run the the risk of losing him
You don't worry about taking him later, that is  
Big Blue '56 : 2:46 pm : link
.
Trade down to around 20  
chris r : 2:51 pm : link
There's a slew of OL who will be available there and we certainly have plenty of holes to fill.
Yankey seems like a pure right guard  
Milton : 2:51 pm : link
And when just signed a pure right guard to a four year contract. Any other position and he will not look his best. And the consensus is that Su'a-Filo (who I'd much prefer) has passed him by as the top OG in the draft.

The Huddle Report has Yankey at #40 on their big board and CBS Sportsline has him at #37.

RE: I'd like him at 43  
yatqb : 2:53 pm : link
In comment 11574818 jeff57 said:
Quote:
But Xavier Su'a-Filo has generally been considered to have passed him as the top true guard. And could go late in the first.


I agree, Jeff. That 5.45 number at the Combine hurt him, and he's not nearly as fluid as S-F on pulling out and nailing his man. I agree that he's a good prospect, but S-F has clearly passed him and may well go near the end of the 1st round.

One of the reasons I'd love to trade down is to land him. A reason I'd be fine with staying put is to land Martin, as he may well bring the same talent for the OG position while also doing a better job if needed at OT (a position S-F played at UCLA at times also, but not as effectively, imo).
acceptable  
Phil in LA : 2:57 pm : link
Giant.
Su'a-Filo....  
....Is Starting To Receive Mention As The Best Guard In The Draft. Better Athlete And Nastier Than Yankey.
The combine number doesn't bother me that much  
jeff57 : 3:06 pm : link
Especially after I saw him almost single handily demolish Oregon's d-line.
I can't be the only one thought of this guy  
BestFeature : 3:14 pm : link
.
Daddy Yankee - ( New Window )
Would be nice at #43  
old man : 3:25 pm : link
I'm less pessimistic about his availability at 43; I expect a lot of jockeying in this draft by teams looking for their guy both early and late in rds 1&2;so he may be there. At the other end of that,if he and S-F are gone, is the #3 guy that far off talent wise for a rd 2 pick?
Hang on,enjoy the ride.
Jeff57 - I watched that game too  
Jimmy Googs : 3:54 pm : link
and Yankey was insanely good. They even knew the run was coming on every play and could not stop Stanford because of their superior O-line play.

Love the Yankey, but no way he lasts until our second round pick.

My guess is he goes end of Rd 1, unless someone has a hard on for a Guard.

If its the guy we want, in a position of need, then I say grab him  
PatersonPlank : 4:04 pm : link
If we are at #12, and he is going 20-32, then who cares? We have only one shot at him. Why does it matter if he is rated #22? The answer is it doesn't, look at Pugh. He was the same thing. He would have gone late first/early second, but he was the guy we wanted at #19. It makes no sense to pass on him, and pick someone else who we wanted less, when we could've had him.
Paterson  
Milton : 4:13 pm : link
What if we are at #12 and we reckon Yankey to go anywhere between 35 and 50?

Which reminds me of the 1997 draft when--with the 7th pick in the draft--there was a heated argument in the Giants "war room" over whether they should take Ike Hilliard or Tiki Barber. The Giants decided on Hilliard. What's surprising isn't that Tiki was still available at pick #36, but that the Giants didn't make any attempt to trade up for him after considering him with the seventh pick (although Fassel was nudging George Young to do so).
If somebody offers us a trade down scenario  
TMS : 5:00 pm : link
and we can get him in the 20s fine but not at #12. Know they did it for Pugh and came out smelling like roses so far. The 12th pick in a deep draft should get you a skill position player not a guard. Do not see it happening.
Since they changed the rookie salary structure  
Phil in LA : 5:04 pm : link
in the latest CBA, drafting a Guard in the first shouldn't be as taboo as it was previously. Snee was absolutely a first round value for us, and is a big reason why we have 2 more Lombardi's than we had. If you can get a Giant type OL (the kind we've always won with) in the first, and slot him in for 10 years, that's a great use of a first round pick.
after last years OL run early  
msh : 3/20/2014 7:50 am : link
they will be lucky to get Xsf or yankey at 12 they wont last till round 2 take one of them unless a trade offer comes in that gives them a high enough pick to consider a move back
i would say the first and 2nd/early 3rd anything less take the OL and look for the next pick in round

fixing this line 100% will be key to what the giants do this season,the defence is looking better than the #8 of last year thanks to the upgrades at secondry & LB

if b-mac runs the spread offence he deployed in green bay
then eli isnt as mobile/elusive as rogers so OL play will be more important as well XsF is the guy to solidify the line
2nd round  
George : 3/20/2014 8:36 am : link
I like David Yankey, Kelvin Benjamin, and Troy Niklas. Depending on our first round pick, of course.
Don't forget about Gabe Jackson...  
Milton : 3/20/2014 8:48 am : link
He's got the body of a right guard, but plays like a left guard. Multiple draftniks say he is surprisingly nimble and excels in pass-blocking. Rang compares him to Larry Warford and Boylhart speaks much more highly of him than he does David Yankey.

Boylhart, re: Gabe Jackson....
Quote:
Not many players with his size have the finesse to pass block the way he can and, if you can get him to concentrate on his run blocking like he has on his pass blocking, you will have yourself a Pro Bowl left guard who will play for you for the next ten years.
Please, no Australians.  
Klaatu : 3/20/2014 8:51 am : link
Thank you.
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