Draft Aftermath

The podium has been removed from the stage. The football helmet phones have all been disconnected. Radio City is no longer filled with drunk and angry Jets’ fans. Mel Kiper has found his way back into the coffin until next February. Jon Gruden is looking for homes to buy in the Cleveland area so he can be closer to Johnny Manziel. The NFL Draft must be over.

"Ping Pong! Because when I'm not singing, I'm swinging!"

For the most part, I like what the Giants have done in this draft. However, I’m not going to give it a letter grade, it’s useless. It would be like reviewing a movie before it even begins filming. It’s impossible to accurately grade a team’s draft until at least two years after the draft has happened, otherwise you’re just grading someone’s opinion and the player’s highlight reel as absolute truth. You cannot judge a player by showing his “best of” mix tape. If you’d give me over fifty hours of Stevie Wonder playing ping pong, I can edit those hours to make him look like Forrest Gump for a two minute clip. But after having said all of that, I will discuss each of the draft picks and what Giants’ fans should expect from them.

Round 1: Odell Beckham Jr - WR - LSU - Odell Beckham Jr, or OBJ, was the 2013 recipient of the Paul Hornung Award, which is the award given to college’s most versatile player. He was also a team leader of the LSU Tigers. I thought that the Giants would have drafted an offensive or defensive lineman, but they instead went with a receiver that can be as explosive as a Michael Bay movie. Even though he won’t be blocking for Eli, his presence will definitely help Eli out.

Michael Bay: Because who needs a plot when you have explosions?

I already trust him more than any other Giants’ receiver (besides Cruz). How can I say that of a rookie receiver? Because Eli and Odell have history. He went to the same high school as the brother’s Manning, and he was the only 1,000 yard receiver at the school since, you guessed it, Cooper Manning. Also, OBJ worked at the Manning Passing Academy, and Eli always requested to play with him.
Eli already having chemistry with a rookie that was considered to be the most versatile player in college can jump start the resurgence of a great passing game.

Round 2: Weston Richburg - C - Colorado State - With their second pick, the Giants address their awful offensive line with a smart, tough center. The center position especially has been a rough mix of injuries and incompetence over the past couple of seasons. Richburg, a team captain, displayed his talents as a great pull blocker in college. That means he can run to the outside to create holes for screen plays or tosses to the outside.
He may not be able to step right into the starting role, but he’s smart enough to dictate the blocking scheme to the rest of the line, which used to be Eli’s job, but that will probably change with the new offensive coordinator.

Round 3: Jay Bromley - DT - Syracuse - Picking Bromley in the third round is a risky pick. He may not be “NFL ready” just yet, but what prevents him from being a starting defensive tackle can be developed. He was a team captain at ‘Cuse, so he’s got a good work ethic and a good head on his shoulders. He’s got very good size and a longer reach than Aaron Donald, which is fitting because many people thought this pick was a reach.
If he can hone his skills, this Jamaica, Queens native could be a disruptive force for the depleted defensive line.

Round 4: Andre Williams - RB - Boston College - His college teammates called him “Edgar”, because of affinity for poetry and his talents in writing. He’s a team captain, a teacher’s assistant, and he’s even in the middle of writing a novel. It’s not just his academia that’s impressive, he’s an absolute monster on the field. He was a Heisman finalist. The first Heisman finalist from BC since Doug Flutie in ‘84. In other words, the last time an Eagle was a finalist, movies like The Terminator and Beverly Hills Cop were in theaters!

30 years ago this movie came out, and a tiny quarterback from BC won the Heisman.

He was able to get the nomination because of his ability to get huge stats on a sub-par team. In 2013, he accumulated 2,102 rushing yards, averaged 6.4 yards per carry, and score seventeen touchdowns. Those are very good numbers, but when you factor in that BC was ranked 113th in passing in 2013, it shows that Williams was able to get those numbers when every opponent was stacking the line against him.
Even though he isn’t a versatile back, and the Giants’ backfield already crowded, he’ll be perfect for the Giants. He’s as tough as Edgar Allen Poe is morbid. This warrior poet might be the smartest bruiser running back out there. I can see him being a more effective, and more reliable Andre Brown. He won’t break off many long touchdown runs, but he can eat up yards, and clock like Pac Man eats up white dots.

Round 5: Nat Burhe - S - San Diego State - I have to be honest I know very little of the draft picks from here on out, but I’ll try my best to seem like I know what I’m talking about. Nat was a team captain at San Diego State where he collected ninety-four tackles his junior year and ninety-nine tackles his senior year. Apparently, this guy was also a team captain.
With Antrel Rolle holding it down at safety, and Stevie Brown coming back from injury, it looks like this pick was made for depth purposes. Especially since the only safety that will be under contract after 2014 is last year’s fifth rounder Cooper Taylor.

Round 5: Devon Kennard - OLB - USC - Kennard is kind of in between an outside linebacker and a defensive end. But just like many of the other player that were drafted, he was a team captain. Unfortunately, he also has an injury history. Following the 2010 season, he had hip and thumb surgeries, and tore a pectoral muscle before the 2012 season.
He won’t be lining up behind the defensive line any time soon, but if he makes plays on special teams, and develops his skills, we could eventually see him as a starter.

Round 6: Bennett Jackson - CB - Notre Dame - Jackson is another team captain drafted by the Giants. Besides that he doesn’t have much to offer. He’s just a depth pick that might be able to contribute on special teams.

The Giants didn’t have a seventh round pick because of the trade for Jon Beason.

In addition to these seven picks, the Giants signed several undrafted free agents. Here’s a list of the more notable UFAs:
Xavier Grimble - TE - USC
Kerry Wynn - DE - Richmond
Kelcy Quarles - DT - South Carolina
Emmanuel Dieke - DE - Georgia Tech
Dan Fox - LB - Notre Dame
Eathyn Manumaleuna - DT - Utah
Justin Anderson - LB - Louisiana Lafayette
Thomas Gordon - S - Michigan
C.J. Barnett - S - Ohio State
Jordan Stanton - DT - James Madison

Will any of these guys make a huge impact for the Giants? Who knows? I don’t know if anybody really expected Victor Cruz to come out of free agency to be a top receiver in the league, either.

So what have I learned?

Ok, maybe I could review this movie before it was even made.

I wouldn’t say that the Giants killed this draft. But they made some solid picks that can improve the team for years to come. The evaluation of the 2014 really rests in the hands in Odell Beckham Jr. If he can prove to be a high caliber player, it will be considered a good draft, if he turns out to be the wide receiver equivalent of Blended, Reese is in trouble.

With a number of team captains being drafted, it looks like the Giants put a premium on high-character players that could eventually work their way up to be starters. Most rookies need work to develop their skills, but the Giants hope that these more mature draftees will need little mental development which will hopefully lead to an easier transition from college to the pros.
Jerry Reese didn’t risk any draft picks on physical specimens that might not be mature enough, or mentally NFL ready. Instead, he went with players that aren’t all that sexy, but are smart, have a great work ethic, and stay out of trouble. Kind of like Edward Norton.

The face of the Giants' 2014 Draft. Doesn't look like much, but you can't argue with success.

2014 Draft

"The Jets select, the clone of Jim Brown! Wait. Why are you booing?"

The NFL Draft is only a few days away, which means one thing; no, not a bunch of drunk Jets’ fans booing whatever name Commish Goddell announces as the newest member of Gang Green. Although, that will happen too. I’m actually talking about the kickoff of the NFL Preseason.

With the twelfth pick of this year’s draft, the Giants look to continue their daunting task of a quick rebuild of their team. Jerry Reese and Company have been very busy, signing sixteen new arrivals including running back Rashad Jennings, corner back Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and a familiar face with receiver Mario Manningham. They also re-signed eight of their players, most notably linebacker Jon Beason and safety Stevie Brown. But, unfortunately, all of this comes at a cost as the Giants lose Justin Tuck, Hakeem Nicks, Andre Brown, and Linval Joseph.

It’s been a while since the Giants have had a pick this early in the draft. 2006 was the last time they earned the twelfth pick, but that was traded to the Chargers. Since then, the Giants’ have picked in the top half of the draft only once. That was in 2010. 

But if there’s a year that the Giants need an early draft pick, it’s this one. Big Blue’s roster has more holes in it than Sonny at the tollbooth. Reese’s draft philosophy of taking the best player available will certainly be useful in the reconstruction of the roster especially since the best available player will most likely be a major need for the Giants.

"Let's go to pick number one, HA HA, two, HA HA, three..."

But who will the Giants take? What player will be the G-Men’s first round pick, and the cornerstone of this year’s draft? Don’t worry, the drafts experts from ESPN and NFL media shine some light on who the Giants might take. I’ve heard names like C.J. Mosley (‘Bama linebacker), Eric Ebron (UNC tight end), Aaron Donald (Pitt defensive tackle), and Zack Martin (Notre Dame offensive tackle) being thrown around. To be honest, I’d be happy with any of those picks. They are high caliber players and they all play a position of great need.

The truth is that nobody really knows what will happen in this draft. Not even the Count Von Count of ESPN draft coverage, Mel Kiper Jr., knows what player is going where. It doesn’t matter if you analyze hours of game footage, talk to every GM, or look like a Muppet vampire with an obsession with numbers. It’s impossible to nail every pick.

Now obviously I don’t have the resources of ESPN, or all of the NFL media outlets, so I won’t even try to predict what the Giants will do. I’ll just talk about what positions really need to be focused on during this draft. Maybe I’ll even throw in a few names of players that I think would be a good fit for the Giants.

One of the main reasons for the Giants’ success over the last few years has been their strong defensive line. And now with the loss of Justin Tuck, their best lineman is JPP. The problem is that he was banged up all of last season. Hopefully he can be the Haitian of Domination that we all know he can be. But even if he turns himself around, he’s only one man in a four man line. The Giants will need some playmakers.
Who they should/could draft:
Aaron Donald - DT - Pittsburgh or Scott Crichton - DE - Oregon State

Staying on the same side of the ball, the linebackers have been a perennial need for the Giants. The resigning of Beason was essential to make the linebacking core somewhat decent. Unfortunately, the two stud linebackers in this draft, Jadeveon Clowney and Khalil Mack, will be taken before the Giants have a chance to draft them. They will have to pick up a linebacker in the later rounds.
Who they should/could draft:
Demarcus Lawrence - LB - Boise State

The Giants’ secondary was also in disarray last year. Aside from Antrel Rolle and Prince Amukamara, there weren’t too many playmakers in the pass defense. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was a necessary pick up for Big Blue. Also, Stevie Brown will be coming back from an injury, which is good because Giants’ burn-out of a safety, Will Hill, is facing yet another suspension due to a failed drug test. And with the sub-par play of the defensive line, it’s safe to say that the Giants need help at cornerback.

"What's up Coach?! You got any weed?"

Who they should/could draft:
Lamarcus Joyner - CB - Florida State or Stanley Jean-Baptiste - CB - Nebraska

Other than all of that, the defense is in ship shape. Now onto talking about the holes in offense.

There are some things that you can't unsee.

In 2013, the Giants offensive line was just that... offensive. Like an unearthed sex tape of Mama June Shannon kind of offensive. Holes weren’t opening for the running game and the opposing front sevens would tear through them as if they were powered up by a Super Mario Super Star. Last year’s first round pick, Justin Pugh, was effective as a rookie lineman. The Giants should look into drafting a lineman that can make an immediate impact on their team. It’s almost a guarantee that the two best lineman, Greg Robinson and Jake Matthews, won’t drop to twelve, but there will be others that can make a difference in the upcoming season.
Who they should/could draft:
Taylor Lewan - OT - Michigan or Zack Martin - OT - Notre Dame

Another need that the G-Men have this year are receivers. With Hakeem Nicks gone, the two weapons in the passing game are Victor Cruz and Rueben Randle. But it’s okay, because they got Mario Manningham back! Please hold your applause.
A lot went wrong for the passing game last year. A lot of picks were thrown. Some were awful throws, some could be blamed on the receivers not running the correct route. I thought that last year’s addition of Brandon Myers was going to be very good for Eli. But he wasn’t the reliable target I thought he was going to be.
The main problem with the passing game last year really boiled down to two things; the complicated option routes schemed by Kevin Gilbride, and that Eli never adapted to his receivers by “dumbing down” his reads to be on the same page as them. But the late emergence of Jerrel Jernigan is a positive sign of things to come.
Who they should/could draft:
Eric Ebron - TE - North Carolina

So what have I learned?

This is the draft of Jerry Reese’s life. His past draft accuracy has been very disappointing lately. Let’s just say if played Goldeneye like he drafts, he’d achieve the “Mostly Harmless” award. If he wants to earn the trust of Giants‘ fans, he’s gotta crush this draft.    

See you at the Facility, Jerry.

The Giants have a ton of options to better their team. With as many needs as the Giants have, the best scenario is a draft that’s loaded with talent. Just as long as they don’t draft another damn quarterback.