New York Giants Mock Draft: Final 7-Round Predictions

After months of anticipation, film study, rumors and buildup, the 32 NFL teams have their draft boards ready to go for the start of Thursday’s three-day selection event extravaganza.

So who’s it going to be? Offensive lineman? Defensive lineman? Cornerback? Safety?

The possibilities are endless, as are the scenarios, which could easily be affected by a trade or two that upsets how teams are predicting the flow of the draft.

Still, that’s all part of the intrigue and fun that is the NFL draft—expecting the unexpected. And while not everyone will be happy with the picks made by the Giants, the thing to remember is to wait and see how these players begin to fit into the overall big picture.

As we count down these final few hours until the New York Giants go on the clock, here, after countless cases for certain players, multiple big boards, thorough needs analyses and endless film study covering these last few months, is my final seven-round mock draft.

Mock away!

Round 1

9. Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa

Considered by the majority of draft analysts as the “safe pick” for the Giants at No. 9, Iowa offensive tackle Brandon Scherff (6'5", 319 lbs) is, according to NFL Draft Scout, the top-ranked offensive tackle prospect, even if there is some question as to what his best position might be at the next level.

Therein lies the beauty of Scherff as the first pick for the Giants and why he gets the nod over Andrus Peat of Stanford.

The Giants, who typically like versatility in their offensive linemen, can begin experimenting right away with figuring out what Scherff’s best position will be, just as they can experiment with moving right tackle Justin Pugh inside to left guard.

Scherff’s size and strength are too good to pass up, as is the fact that he is the type of road-grading run-blocker this team really hasn’t had in quite some time.

Hailed by CBSSports.com's Rob Rang as “the best blocker in the draft,” the Giants might have to hold their breath in waiting to see how the draft board unfolds, but there appears to be little question that Scherff is worthy of a top-10 pick and that he will be able to excel at guard or tackle at the next level.

Meanwhile, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com lists Scherff as one of the safest picks in the draft—perfect for a team such as the Giants who really can't afford to gamble in a "win or else" season. 

Zierlein's report on Scherff is as follows:

"

Scherff has some issues in pass protection that would be a concern if he were going to be playing left tackle in the NFL, but those issues are coachable. Scherff's final destination will likely be at right tackle or inside at guard, and his focus is expected to be on mashing as a run blocker, which is his strength. Scherff has been well-schooled as a technician, and has the play strength and footwork that make him an immediate starter who should make an early impact in his team's running game.

"

With head coach Tom Coughlin wanting balance in his offense, the Giants need to complete their offensive line’s renovation project as soon as possible.

If they can do that with a guy who affords them the luxury of trying different combinations in order to finally fix that unit once and for all, even better.  

That missing piece is Scherff, whose ability as a run-blocker should help last year's 23rd-ranked rushing offense develop that attitude and mean streak that has been missing since the days of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw.  

Round 2

40. CB Eric Rowe, Utah 

In this round, I have the Giants selecting Utah defensive back Eric Rowe, projected as a late-first/early-second-round prospect.

Besides having ideal size—he’s listed as 6’1”, 205 pounds—Rowe projects at either cornerback or free safety, two positions that happen to be needs for the Giants.

Let’s start with cornerback.

While the Giants are set with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Prince Amukamara, it remains to be seen what the Giants plan to do with Amukamara, who will probably play out this final year of his contract and not get an extension.

More importantly though, the Giants don’t really have a long-term third cornerback or slot cornerback, which is a glaring problem considering the pass-happy nature of the NFL.

Trumaine McBride, in the final year of his contract, is projected to play that role, and he’s performed well in the past.

However, McBride stands at 5’9” and the majority of receivers he will probably face could tower above him, creating a potential disadvantage.

Rowe is a physical player who, per Rob Rang of NFL Draft Scout, does a good job of jamming receivers to disrupt the timing, something that New York hasn’t had much success doing lately.

Rowe is also a physical tackler who wraps his man up and drives through the ball-carrier with his shoulder, another thing the Giants defensive secondary hasn't seen enough of these last few years.

Now let’s look at free safety. The Giants lost out on re-signing veteran Stevie Brown, who agreed to terms with Houston. 

That means the only veteran safety with starting experience who is projected to be the free safety starter is Josh Gordy, signed as a free agent earlier this month to a one-year contract.

If Gordy doesn't work out long term, that means New York would be right back to looking for a starting free safety again next year, unless it addresses that position in the draft.

Rowe could solve both problems. He could realistically begin his NFL career as a nickel cornerback and then, if the Giants can replace that spot, Rowe could move to free safety full time next year. 

Want another reason to like Rowe? He can contribute on special teams. Last season, he blocked a kick and was a key contributor on the return units. 

If he is sitting there at No. 40, Rowe offers much too much value to ignore.

Round 3

74. Stephone Anthony, ILB, Clemson

Sticking with the defensive side of the ball, which needs a lot of help, the Giants need to add another player or two who can help improve last year’s 30th-ranked run defense.

Getting some of the players they lost last year to injury will help, most notably inside linebacker Jon Beason, who finished the 2013 season—his most complete season in terms of games played since 2010, by the way—with a solid 1.3 grade against the run, per Pro Football Focus.

The problem, as Giants fans know, is that given Beason’s injury history—he missed most of 2014 with a toe injury—it's a risk to count on him being there for 16 games.

If Beason ends up on injured reserve again, there could be a good chance that he won’t get the opportunity to finish the final year of his contract, though that’s a topic for another day.

If Beason goes down, who fills in for him in the middle? The likely answer is Jameel McClain, who did so last year, or the Giants could try moving projected strong-side starter Devon Kennard to the middle and plugging McClain in at the strong side.

Well, here’s a novel idea. How about they put an end to what seems like an endless parade of middle linebacker candidates picked up via free agency as short-term solutions and draft a guy who can be a monster against the run and be effective in coverage for the long term?

A solid candidate capable of doing both is Clemson’s Stephone Anthony, a physical run-stuffing inside linebacker who led the Tigers in tackles the past two seasons.  

Standing 6’3”, 245 pounds, Anthony actually has the ideal size and overall body type for a prototypical inside NFL linebackers.

He also offers several intangibles that should have teams in search of an inside linebacker drooling.

Those traits, per Derek Stephens and Rob Rang of NFL Draft Scout, include instincts, which of course can’t be taught, and the natural instincts to sniff out what’s coming.

You want to talk about production, Anthony has delivered, both against the run and against the pass.

In four seasons, Anthony has 255 tackles, 33.5 of which are for a loss, and six forced fumbles. According to Pro Football Focus, Anthony, who rarely misses tackles, posted a 14.6 tackling efficiency, the 12th-best mark among draft-eligible linebackers.

In passing situations, Anthony has posted 9.5 sacks, three interceptions and nine passes defensed. 

As a pass-rusher, Anthony posted PFF’s fourth-best pass-rushing productivity (PRP) score (20.6 in 388 pass-rushing snaps).

Want one more reason to love Anthony, a team captain, as a prospective third-round value?

He is durable and is the type of player you can leave on the field for every down.

Anthony is projected by NFL Draft Scout to go somewhere between the second and third rounds. If he's there waiting when the Giants pick in the third round, his value would be hard to pass up. 

Round 4

108. Tyeler Davison, DT, Fresno State 

On paper, the Giants should be good to go this year at defensive tackle. Still, that doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t start thinking ahead and addressing the position now, if they can find the right prospect.

The bigger need at defensive tackle appears to be a guy who can tie up multiple blockers—a plugger—similar to what the Giants are hoping Kenrick Ellis will be able to do. 

A potential college prospect who could fit that plugger role is Fresno State’s Tyeler Davison (6’2”, 316 lbs).

Davison appears to have some interesting tools with which to work, including long arms that he uses well in disengaging and knocking down passes.

He also possesses a good quick first step off the snap and has proven to be a load to block when he plays with the proper pad level, and has shown an ability to penetrate into the offensive backfield.  

In his four-year college career, Davison racked up 161 tackles, 28.5 for a loss, with 14.5 sacks, three passes defensed and three forced fumbles.

With the Giants having Cullen Jenkins and Ellis to play that plugger role this year, a young player drafted for this position would likely be afforded the luxury of developing his craft before he is thrown into the fire. 

Round 5

144. Nick Boyle, TE, Delaware

It’s do-or-die time for the Giants’ tight ends.

Larry Donnell, last year’s starter, started out with a bang but fizzled toward the end. Donnell needs to show that he can do a better job with ball security and, perhaps just as importantly, do a better job in run blocking.

Daniel Fells, the best of the Giants’ three tight ends last year according to Pro Football Focus, will be 32 in September. It would be surprising if the Giants view him as a long-term solution at the tight end spot. 

Adrien Robinson, the “JPP of tight ends,” finally started to show signs of the athleticism that caused the Giants to fall in love with him, leading to his selection as a fourth-round pick in 2012.

After two disappointing seasons that saw him slowed by injuries, he came on late last year. This year, the final one in his contract, is clearly a make-or-break one for Robinson.

Jerome Cunningham was added to the training camp roster last August, impressing enough to get a spot on the practice squad. It will be interesting to see how far he has come in his development if he makes it to training camp.

To recap, it would be surprising if the Giants re-sign both Fells and Robinson after this year. If Cunningham isn’t ready or if Donnell doesn’t progress, the Giants better be prepared with some new blood. 

A solid Day 3 prospect is Delaware tight end Nick Boyle (6’4”, 268 lbs), a projected fifth- or sixth-round draft pick by NFL Draft Scout.

A former team captain, Boyle’s specialty is blocking, where his size allows him to match up well against the bigger defensive ends.

Boyle, a Wantage, New Jersey, native who, per Kevin Tresolini of The News Journal, spurned Rutgers to enroll at Delaware, is also surprisingly athletic as a receiver for his size.

He is light on his feet when running routes, and he doesn’t shy away from contact, in fact lowering his shoulder in an attempt to drive the defender backward.

However, as Bo Marchiante of NFL Draft Scout notes, Boyle doesn’t have the speed to be a deep threat, and needs to improve his route running. 

In addition to the qualities Boyle brings to the table as a tight end, he can also serve as a backup long snapper, a role he performed at High Point Regional High School.

Although not facing elite competition in college, Boyle, who per his college bio page finished with 101 receptions for 984 yards (9.7 average) and 12 touchdowns in 41 games (36 starts), has a lot of upside to go with what Marchiante reports is a high character both on and off the field.

Round 6

186. Akeem Hunt, RB, Purdue

With the Giants having recently released Michael Cox, their seventh-round pick in the 2013 draft, the Giants will probably dip into a deep running backs class to provide some competition for Orleans Darkwa for the projected final spot in the running backs corps.

That prospect, however, is unlikely to be Georgia's Todd Gurley, projected as a first-round prospect by NFL Draft Scout.

An intriguing all-purpose type of prospect who should be available on Day 3 is Purdue’s Akeem Hunt (5'10", 189 lbs), whom Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports reported was one of the Giants’ 30 predraft visitors earlier this month.

As a running back, Hunt averaged 5.5 yards per carry over his four-year career (371 carries for 2,035 yards and 11 touchdowns).

He was equally productive as a receiver out of the backfield, catching 190 passes for 841 yards (8.4 yards per reception) with six touchdown catches.

Hunt, who was not invited to the combine, can also return kickoffs. He returned 74 kickoffs for 1,747 yards, scoring two touchdowns.

That skill could certainly come in handy if the Giants decide to limit receiver Dwayne Harris to punt returns and a select group of packages on offense as the fourth receiver.

Overall, Hunt has the production. While not very big, which would bring about durability concerns at this level, there could be a role for him in select spots if he were to come in and have a good camp.

Round 7

226. Terry Poole, OL, San Diego State

After hopefully having addressed offensive tackle by this point, don’t be surprised if the Giants take a flier on a developmental prospect at guard.

In looking at the current situation at guard, Geoff Schwartz is a lock to be one of the starters while Justin Pugh figures to be the other, assuming the Giants find a right tackle.

The depth at the position includes John Jerry, who would probably be first off the bench. Behind him are some unknown entities.

These include CFL import Brett Jones, who will almost certainly be asked to learn the guard position in addition to continuing his refinement at center; Eric Herman, a 2013 seventh-round pick who has twice come up short in his quest to make the 53-man roster; and Dallas Reynolds, a 31-year-old center/guard.

San Diego State’s Terry Poole (6’5”, 307 lbs), a two-year starter at offensive tackle following his transfer from JUCO, could be a good developmental project at guard.

Poole has an interesting backstory. According to Stefanie Loh of U-T San Diego, Poole spent 14 months at a juvenile detention center during his senior year of high school for an undisclosed incident. Since then, he's used that mistake to turn his life around, trying to use that mistake to help at-risk youths avoid going down a similar path. 

Poole was one of 10 players who impressed NFL draft analyst Mike Mayock at the East-West Shrine game, where Poole worked at right tackle and at guard.

Bo Marchionte of NFL Draft Scout noted that Poole took well to coaching he received from former NFL offensive line coach Howard Mudd during that all-star game. 

Marchionte also praised Poole’s feet and quickness, noting that the prospect “has the power and speed to get movement in his run blocks.”  

Because he is facing a position switch, Poole is probably a year away from being ready to contribute at the NFL level.

The talent does seem to be there, as does the willingness to be coached up, all of which makes him an interesting Day 3 prospect. 

Round 7

245 (from Denver). DeAndre Smelter, WR, Georgia Tech

General manager Jerry Reese mentioned that the team would be more open to rolling the dice on long shots toward the back end of the roster than in the first two days. This way, if things don’t work out, it shouldn’t set the team back that much.

A player who represents a high risk/high reward is Georgia Tech receiver DeAndre Smelter (6’2”, 226 lbs), who suffered a torn ACL in early December.

If his knee checks out, Smelter could very well pay off huge dividends to the team that gives him a chance.

Smelter initially tried pursuing a baseball career as a pitcher, but as B/R’s Zach Kruse noted, shoulder problems ended Smelter’s budding baseball career and led him to football.

In two seasons as a receiver, Smelter caught 56 passes for 1,060 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also rushed four times for 115 yards and one touchdown and returned kickoffs and punts for the Yellow Jackets.

While still rough around the edges—NFL Draft Scout’s Dane Brugler notes that Smelter doesn’t have elite speed and needs to learn how to better fight off defenders who try to jam him—there’s still enough to like about Smelter’s game.

For one, as Brugler notes, Smelter is tenacious in his efforts to get open. The youngster is also a hard worker who is dedicated to improving his craft, and is not afraid to get physical against defenders, particularly as a downfield blocker.

Smelter’s shoulder issues and the torn ACL will likely cause him to go very late in the draft—assuming he's drafted at all. Teams might be concerned that he won't be able to contribute much in his first year back from ACL surgery.

That doesn’t mean that he can’t become a productive player. 

Given that the Giants have an extra seventh-round pick that is only 11 spots away from the final pick (No. 256) in the draft, and considering they have at least eight receivers for what boils down to five game-day spots, New York might have the flexibility to take a chance on Smelter, one of College Football Focus’ sleeper picks at receiver, with their final draft pick this year. 

Unless otherwise noted, college stats are via Sports-Reference.com. Advanced analytics are via Pro Football Focus. Draft rankings and projections are via CBSSports.com. Contract information via Over the Cap.

Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes and information were obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced.

Follow @Patricia_Traina