As I always say....I think it is foolish to head in to a draft with concrete "rules" regarding which positions to go after with specific picks. With the amount of holes on this roster, NYG will have the opportunity to really go after a BPA. If you think about it....they could really take a guy at ANY position. Here are 10 candidates...assuming they finish within top 10:
OT
Most will want a new OT brought in, preferably a LT or at least a prospect that will take over the LT spot once it makes financial sense to cut Beatty loose.
Andrus Peat - OT/Stanford
He's likely to finish as the top, or second best OT grade on my sheet. Love his size and length, a tough guy for speed rushers to get around. Very powerful when he wants to put, absolutely dominated some quality players in the UCLA game.
La'el Collins - OT/LSU
A top tier name that isn't discussed often enough. Former guard that made the move to LT last season, played well. But his performance in 2014 has been outstanding. Best run blocker in the class if you ask me.
Brandon Scherff - OT/Iowa
Still trying to figure his game out. He has a few really bad plays every game. Is there a concentration issue? Conditioning? Effort? A lot to consider here. I think he can be a good OT, but also a great G. Would NYG use such a high pick on a G? After watching the past two years....I would hope so. They can have a major impact in any offense.
DE
The days of having a threat at DE are long gone. The lack of presence out there has been arguably the biggest reason why this defense as a while has taken a step backward.
Shane Ray - DE/Missouri
Love the first step. He is as explosive as it gets and there is a lot of hustle to his game. Some say he is undersized for the 4-3....but I think he can hack it out there. There are quality DEs that played at his size in college. I wouldn't get too cute in evaluation here...Ray can get to the passer. NYG could really use that right now and especially if JPP leaves.
Randy Gregory - DE/Nebraska
Another slighter-than-wanted DE here (6'6/245) but has plenty of room on his frame. Gregory might be the best overall athlete of all the DE prospects. Really good pursuit speed and explosion out of his stance. Shows consistent effort and plays the game tough. Has been dinged up a few times in 2014, butt here is still plenty of admirable tape on him.
DT
Hankins has been a nice player so far, much better than I thought he would be. But the revolving door left since the departure of Linval Joseph is an issue. Any team that gives snaps to Markus Kuhn needs to upgrade the group.
Leonard Williams - DT/USC
The do-it-all defensive linemen might be one of the best 300 pound athletes you'll ever find. And he is more than an athletic freak, he has a lot of football skills. He can win one on one battles all day and there is a presence inside against the run and pass every time he's on the field. He demands a ton of attention.
Danny Shelton - DT/Washington
One look at him and he looks like strictly a 3-4 NT. Watch him a few times and you'll notice he is one of the most active DTs in this class. He makes a lot of plays away from the point of attack. Quality pass rusher. Doesn't get pushed around but can make his way to the ball carrier as well. A lot to like here.
WR
There are bigger needs, but there are still holes at WR a the roster currently stands. If Beckham is going to be as good as some think he can be, another playmaker should be brought in besides Cruz.
Amari Cooper - WR/Alabama
Might be the top grade I have given a WR since Calvin Johnson. His game screams Larry Fitzgerald with the way he plucks the ball out of the air and tracks the deep ball. Probably a better athlete than Fitzgerald was back in 2004. WR may not be the biggest need on the roster, but Cooper might be one of those guys you just don't pass on.
Jaelen Strong - WR/Arizona State
Many of you may not have seen this kid play yet...but he is the second best WR in this group behind the elite Cooper. Strong has the the size and speed to be a major factor downfield in any offense. But he shows, every week, the ability to factor underneath in traffic. Major matchup problem for a lot of defenses. Plays aggressive too, gotta love that out of a big WR. Little more raw than Cooper, but his upside is Brandon Marshall-esque.
QB
I don't want to deal with another Eli Manning debate. But my point remains...the next QB of NYG needs to be thought about whether its in 2015, 2016, or 2017.
Marcus Mariota - WB/Oregon
Mariota is the only guy in this class I would spend a top 10 pick on. He fits in to the new wave of QBs that play well in a spread/zone-read attack. Everyone knows about the speed, but he has evolved in to a high quality thrower. He has plenty of arm strength and might be the most accurate passer in the class. Can a running QB stay healthy with the frame of Mariota? Thats what scares me the most about it. Otherwise...he is a smart kid with a great head on his shoulders and an obscene amount of talent.
You absolutely pass on another overrated WR in Cooper and take the OL.
Anything else at this point is madness with the evidence on display weekly.
You absolutely pass on another overrated WR in Cooper and take the OL.
Anything else at this point is madness with the evidence on display weekly.
So you reach for need? Who is "another overrated WR"?
You can say all you want that Jernigan was a bust, and he probably sucked so bad that his deficiencies would have been exposed had he played more. But he did show some flashes when he got on the field, but he never could because we kept brining in more WR's.
I am no big fan of Randle, but he will get even less time if Cooper is brought in. Meanwhile you are hoping Brewer can develop into something decent after #%^}{ years in the league and have to scramble to find linemen with 10 healthy toes.
BPA is the way to go, but you have to have the big picture in mind.
You absolutely pass on another overrated WR in Cooper and take the OL.
Anything else at this point is madness with the evidence on display weekly.
The oline's main problem is in the interior. You draft left tackles in the top 10, our best lineman while still not fantastically brilliant is an LT, and we have 1st round pick at RT going into his 3rd year. You can always improve those positions but given the other gaping holes in the roster it's not exactly the best use of resources.
You can fix the interior of the line at the top of the 2nd round. That typically where the best guards go.
trade
down.
We have a top ten pick. Somebody is going to want that pick. We have a lot of holes. It is unfortunately very unlikely that Reese and Ross will be fired, so given their atrocious draft record, at least give them a few more chances to find decent players.
Sy, what do you think of Carl Davis, the DT from Iowa, and A.J. Cann, the guard from South Carolina? They are not top ten picks, but I’d like to snag these guys in the first and second round after a trade down.
I’d love to get Williams or Cooper, but don’t think we will, and don’t want to trade up to do so. As far as the other players listed, I’d take Collins over Peat and Scherff. I still think there is too much of a chance that Ray may have to transition to LB. He does have a little Von Miller in him, who is used I think as a SAM on run downs, and a rush LB on passing downs. But I just don’t like using such a high pick on a risk. I’d feel safer with Gregory because of his additional height, and a greater chance he can put on extra weight. I also like DE Eli Harold of UVA in the second or third.
No interest in Iupati.
Erving, who I loved last season, has not played particularly well this season and was recently moved to center.
trade
down.
We have a top ten pick. Somebody is going to want that pick. We have a lot of holes. It is unfortunately very unlikely that Reese and Ross will be fired, so given their atrocious draft record, at least give them a few more chances to find decent players.
Sy, what do you think of Carl Davis, the DT from Iowa, and A.J. Cann, the guard from South Carolina? They are not top ten picks, but I’d like to snag these guys in the first and second round after a trade down.
I’d love to get Williams or Cooper, but don’t think we will, and don’t want to trade up to do so. As far as the other players listed, I’d take Collins over Peat and Scherff. I still think there is too much of a chance that Ray may have to transition to LB. He does have a little Von Miller in him, who is used I think as a SAM on run downs, and a rush LB on passing downs. But I just don’t like using such a high pick on a risk. I’d feel safer with Gregory because of his additional height, and a greater chance he can put on extra weight. I also like DE Eli Harold of UVA in the second or third.
No interest in Iupati.
LOVE Carl Davis. He is one of the most dominant DTs in the nation right now. Might not be a huge stat guy, but his impact is felt every play.
Need to see more Cann....South Carolina simply hasn't been on my list much yet. Size/experience/strength/intangibles are all high grades though.
We'll talk plenty, don't worry. Already started to work on the Bowl Previews. The RB class is packed with talented kids that NYG could really use. TEs...not to much. Love the O'Leary kid from FSU
At left tackle? No. Drango is a gimmick LT from what I see, I never liked him as a 1st rounder. Back in Sept, I said Erving was an average LT prospect that could be a very good guard. His move to C was eye opening for me, I think he can thrive there. ROund 2 might be a tad early, but he could work his way up there for sure. But as an intetior guy, not LT.
Unofficially, right now
1 - Peat
2 - Cooper
3 - Collins
4 - Williams
5 - Ray
6 - Scherff
7 - Strong
8 - Shelton
9 - Gregory
He's far more polished than Watkins/Evans/Beckham. OBJ was the most polished out of the 3 but even OBJ didn't look nearly as pro ready as Cooper. But in terms of absolute ceiling, I think I might rank Cooper #4 in that group. He doesn't Wow me to the degree Watkins did, he isn't the physical monster Evans is, and he isn't as versatile as Beckham.
He's coming off an awesome game where he got open at will. And I wouldn't mind pairing him up with OBJ and forming what could be an amazing WR corps. But I'm just not quite as high on him as others like Sy, looks closer to the #10 pick than the #3 pick imo.
And let's draft more WR's because the lack of protection for the QB won't matter at all.
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In that order, for me
Think they'll have to be picking no lower than 4 to get Williams. Which, after yesterday, is certainly possible. I'm concerned about Gregory's bulk, or lack of same, but certainly wouldn't mind having him. Especially if they're picking 6 or lower. Collins is a no go. Predominantly an in the box safety.
I disagree on Collins. He's got good speed and is good in coverage and has a nose for the ball.
He's a player...loves the game...does all the little things right. No matter the play, O'Leary makes an impact whether you notice it or not. He has some of the best hands in the nation among TEs...catches everything. Sure, a tad undersized and lacks elite speed, but he can run himself open consistently and has shown the ability to twist and turn his body to make difficult catches in traffic. Never have I watched an FSU game without thinking he is gonna be a Dallas Clark level TE in the league.
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In comment 12011434 Greg from LI said:
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Sign Iupati and draft an interior lineman in the second.
I would LOVE THIS. This would go a LONG way towards fixing this team.
The line would be:
Pugh - Iupati - Richburg - Draft Pick - Beatty.
Yes, Beatty will need to be upgraded down the line, but NOW we're talking about a serious line. Of course we'll need to sign some depth to play behind them, since it's evident that all OL we draft after Rd 3 suck (the point that I'd consider someone a late rd pick).
On top of that, our skill positions would be Cruz, OBJ, Cooper, Eli, Donnell, Jennings, and Williams.
If we can add a TE or RB with potential later in the draft, we'd be golden.
In your scenario, I'd like for them to go DL in rd 3 and then RB/TE in rd 4 (unless theres a good OG who has also fallen that far who presents a good value - in that case, scoop him up).
I think the line would be Beatty-Iapati-Richburg-Schwartz-Pugh with the pick at guard as depth.... But yeah...
We're in no position to be drafting depth in the first 2 rounds, IMO
I know you're higher on Cooper than I am, but do you disagree with my thoughts on his ceiling vs the Watkins/Evans/Beckham trio? I'd expect you to considering you called him your favorite since Calvin and thought he'd be better as a pro than Julio.
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Looking at the top of the 2nd round do you think someone like Spencer Drango of Baylor or Cameron Erving of FSU would be an upgrade over Beatty?
Erving, who I loved last season, has not played particularly well this season and was recently moved to center.
versatility something nyg love in there lineman
Exactly this. If Cooper is unavailable when we pick and another team wants Winston/Hundley badly, we should trade down for a bounty
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Sign Iupati and draft an interior lineman in the second.
Exactly this. If Cooper is unavailable when we pick and another team wants Winston/Hundley badly, we should trade down for a bounty
I agree with this. If we can get an RG III haul, you do it. Abso-fucking-lutely.
Tell me David, how has that philosophy you espouse which is the one Reese uses, has worked out for us lately?
The definition of Madness is repeat the exact same process over and over again, hoping for a different result.
Tell me David, how has that philosophy you espouse which is the one Reese uses, has worked out for us lately?
The definition of Madness is repeat the exact same process over and over again, hoping for a different result.
"David the Fool" is correct. You draft the BPA. End of story.
Sy has Cooper rated higher than Calvin Johnson?
Even if that's the case how many 1st round WRs helped Seattle win last year? Green Bay? Baltimore when they won?
Time to stop pretending FF stats correlate to winning Super Bowls.
You see how different our offense looks when Beckham is on the field versus the sideline? That's with one true starting caliber WR on this team, imagine if we had two, or even better, three with Cruz returning (and hopefully near full strength).
We need OL help, but more cap space is coming back next year. If they extend Eli, we'll have even more. Pugh and Richburg have looked good, Beatty's been inconsistent but he's been reliable in the past, get a couple of solid FAs and that offense can scream again.
Sy has Cooper rated higher than Calvin Johnson?
Even if that's the case how many 1st round WRs helped Seattle win last year? Green Bay? Baltimore when they won?
Time to stop pretending FF stats correlate to winning Super Bowls.
Except if you already have a QB, you draft the BPA regardless of position. Giants have so many needs that it makes no sense to take a lesser rated player simple because of position.
Agree. And if Beatty is still here, you can play him at LG or RT. He has the flexibility that others, like Peat, won't have.
But his spirit still lives on. I'd still expect them to take a QB.
Wouldn't that help us?
Tell me David, how has that philosophy you espouse which is the one Reese uses, has worked out for us lately?
The definition of Madness is repeat the exact same process over and over again, hoping for a different result.
"David the Fool" must have taken you hours to come up with on your own. I laid out well thought out reasons why going Cooper in favor of reaching for an interior OL is not a good idea, and that's all you come up with.
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seen some speculation the Raiders would give up their pick for Harbaugh? #1 overall for a coach with 0 rings no less? Please don't be true.
Wouldn't that help us?
We would be helped by a talented niners team having the first overall pick in the draft? How so?
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In comment 12013644 DanMetroMan said:
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seen some speculation the Raiders would give up their pick for Harbaugh? #1 overall for a coach with 0 rings no less? Please don't be true.
Wouldn't that help us?
We would be helped by a talented niners team having the first overall pick in the draft? How so?
My fault. Brain fart.