With Many Gaps to Fill, the Giants Pose a First
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Since last year's N.F.L. draft, the Giants suffered through a humiliating 0-6 start to the 2013 season, missed the playoffs, lost their starting running back to a serious neck injury and watched as a big-name receiver and two of the team's most productive defensive linemen left via free agency.
Oh, and the franchise quarterback still has a protective boot on his left ankle for an injury sustained more than four months ago.
It was only a year ago at the draft that the Giants thought they were just trying to plug a few holes in a veteran lineup. People expected them to be conservative and take an offensive lineman, and they did with the first-round selection of Justin Pugh, who started every game in 2013. But with the team having many needs at this year's draft, the Giants' intentions are less obvious.
Losing teams move up in the draft order, and with the 12th selection Thursday in the first round of the draft, the 7-9 Giants could possibly have multiple worthwhile choices. The hard part may be deciding among a highly regarded tight end, offensive lineman or wide receiver.
Adding to the intrigue for the Giants is that they have added 16 free agents in the off-season. No other team matched the Giants' winter shopping spree. The Giants acquired several defensive backs, most notably Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and a new running back, Rashad Jennings. They signed four offensive linemen, a backup quarterback in Josh Freeman and a top kick returner in Trindon Holliday. Mario Manningham, the wide receiver and Giants Super Bowl hero in 2012, has returned.
But several weak spots remain. The Giants do not have an experienced, pass-catching tight end, having let Brandon Myers, a one-year experiment that failed, leave as a free agent. Despite the considerable added depth, it is highly likely they will try to bolster the offensive line further.
Victor Cruz, the new No. 1 receiver, said he thought the team needed another game-breaking outside receiver now that Hakeem Nicks has joined the Indianapolis Colts. The defensive line has youth and potential, but it may need another big body in the middle, a commodity the Giants always seem to value.
Giants General Manager Jerry Reese revealed little Thursday about his thinking because it only assists teams picking ahead of the Giants - teams he may also be negotiating with to move up in the draft..
'We should want to do better than we've done in the past, in the last few drafts, in the middle and late-round picks,' was as far as Reese would go.
While the Giants have seven picks in the first six rounds, as usual, the focus will be on the first selection. Of the four likely positions the Giants will focus on, here are some first-round candidates:
Offensive Line
Zack Martin of Notre Dame, at 6 feet 4 inches and 308 pounds, is a Giants kind of lineman, as he could play guard or tackle. He also may not be available when the Giants pick.
The Giants have added several players on the line, but some are coming off injuries, as are two of the returning starters, so question marks abound. Someone like Michigan's Taylor Lewan, a 6-7, 309-pound tackle, is in the picture even though he has some off-the-field issues.
Tight End
This may be the most predictable selection, and there is a clear front-runner: North Carolina's Eric Ebron. At 6-4 and 250 pounds, he is the kind of big-target tight end that quarterback Eli Manning prefers, but the Giants insist that their tight ends be adept at blocking, too, and that does not appear to be an Ebron strength.
Strategically, it may be difficult for the Giants to ignore Ebron if he is available. But Reese said that the Giants already had 'a couple of young tight ends that have been here for a couple of years that we want to develop.' None of those players have logged substantial playing time, so Reese could have been posturing so as not to tip off his thinking. Or he may not believe in using a 12th overall pick on a tight end.
Wide Receiver
Cruz indicated that the Giants needed another top-line receiver. When asked how much Cruz's opinion would influence his draft-day choices, Reese replied, 'Zero.'
Still, should Mike Evans of Texas A&M, who is 6-5 and 231 pounds and has the speed to stretch the field, be unclaimed when the Giants pick, it would be hard to ignore him. But few think Evans will be around then.
Defensive Line
With Linval Joseph and Justin Tuck gone, and because other teams might be looking at positions besides the defensive line, it would not be a surprise if the Giants saw the most first-round value in a defensive tackle. But the choices are limited - Pittsburgh's Aaron Donald is perhaps the top-rated - and the Giants selected two defensive linemen last year, Damontre Moore and Johnathan Hankins.
It would not be a complete surprise if the Giants wanted another safety, as safety Will Hill may be suspended for a third time for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. Hill's uncertain future must be weighing on the team.
The same might apply to the running back position, where David Wilson, last year's starter, is trying to come back from neck surgery. While Reese said the team was expecting Wilson back, he also said that Wilson's return would be 'really kind of a bonus for us.'
In the end, predicting the N.F.L. draft is a guessing game, something that the principals admit. As Reese said of the Giants' draft class of 2014: 'I'm not sure if there's great receivers or great running backs or great linemen. I just think there will be seven good players for us.'
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