Making the Case for OT Ronnie Stanley as New York Giants' 1st-Round Pick

Who’s it going to be, New York Giants fans?

That’s the question on everyone’s mind these days as the NFL draft, now less than two weeks away, is rapidly approaching.

In these remaining two weeks, the Giants will no doubt continue tweaking their draft board as any additional information becomes available.

There are also sure to be lots of meetings regarding the prospects and the order in which the team perceives the first nine picks coming off the board.

Heck, there might even be a discussion or two with ownership regarding possible trade scenarios, particularly if there ends up being another blockbuster trade. According to CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora, the Tennessee Titans are trying to move back into the top 10 after dealing away the first overall pick.

In all, there are a lot of scenarios to consider, and in reality, it’s unlikely the Giants or any team will be able to anticipate them all.

It’s also unlikely that when general manager Jerry Reese speaks to the media later this week to preview the draft, he’s going to shed any light on the situation.

So as we count down the days until the identity of the Giants' first-round pick is announced, let's explore the top prospects who have been mocked to the Giants at No. 10 and determine who makes the most sense for the Giants.

The Pick: OT Ronnie Stanley, 6'6", 312 lbs, Notre Dame

Pros

Stanley has experience as a starter at both left tackle and right tackle, playing the latter position as a redshirt freshman in 2013 and starting all 13 games there.

He moved to left tackle after Zack Martin graduated in 2014, lining up there for two seasons while earning Notre Dame's "Offensive Player of the Year" honors.

A durable starter who hasn’t missed a game in the last three seasons, Stanley has ideal size for the position. Per Mock Draftable, his size and measurables are on par with those of former Giants offensive tackle James Brewer and now-former Jets offensive tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson.

He also has good athleticism for a man of his size—particularly in getting to the second level—and does a nice job of keeping defensive ends off his body while using his long arms to redirect them out of harm’s way.

Per Pro Football Focus’ 2016 Draft Guide, Stanley is among the top pass protectors of the draft-eligible tackles with a pass-blocking efficiency score of 97.4. His 14 total backfield pressures tied him for eighth with Kansas State’s Cody Whitehair for fewest allowed.

Cons

Because of his height, sometimes Stanley plays a little too high, bending at the waist. He also doesn’t always get his hands up underneath the opponent’s shoulder pads to redirect, resulting in what NFL officials are likely to flag more often as holding penalties.

In fact, Stanley was flagged 11 times last season. Per NFLDraftScout.com's Dane Brugler in his draft guide, those penalties included a “high number of false start penalties.”

What the Experts Are Saying

• Rob Rang, CBSSports.com: “Last year's top pick Ereck Flowers struggled at left tackle a year ago and his brawling style of play may fit better as a run-blocking specialist on the right side. Stanley, on the other hand, is very light on his feet, making him an ideal blindside protector for the relatively immobile Eli Manning.”
• Charles Davis, NFL.com: “I keep hearing that some teams like Stanley better as a prospect than Laremy Tunsil, and Stanley has more experience than Tunsil as a drive blocker in the run game. All in all, the Giants would be excited to add him to their OL to keep QB Eli Manning upright.”
• Dane Brugler, NFLDraftScout.com: “With Will Beatty no longer on the roster and last year's first-round pick Ereck Flowers struggling on the left side, Stanley would make sense as a plug-and-play left tackle from day one.”
• Todd McShay, ESPN.com: “With his long arms (35 ½" inches) and athletic skill set, Stanley has the ideal makeup to develop into a blindside protector at the next level.”  

The X-Factor: Ereck Flowers

The initial plan for Ereck Flowers last year was to play him at right tackle, a position where his pass protection flaws night be minimized.

That plan, of course, flew out the window when Will Beatty suffered his pectoral injury. While Flowers battled—he even fought through a severely sprained ankle that dogged him for the better part of the season—his technique was inconsistent and he struggled at times.

So might the Giants throw away that one year of valuable experience Flowers got playing on the left side to plug in another rookie at that critical spot?

At the NFL Scouting Combine, Reese said of Flowers, “We think he’s going to be our left tackle moving forward.”

The coaches might think otherwise. Speaking with reporters on April 1, new offensive line coach Mike Solari never once referred to Flowers as a left tackle, instead offering this assessment when he was asked about last year’s first-round pick:

"

Ereck Flowers is a good football player and I look forward to working with him and he had a great learning experience. It is a great opportunity for a rookie to come in and start in the NFL—it is a tremendous task and we looked at the film and kind of have some things that we need to work on and improve our play.

…

It is a challenge, especially now with how college football is going more to the passing game and less in three-point stances, so there are some things that are a tremendous learning curve as far as technique and fundamentals for young offensive linemen coming into the NFL. There is always a sense of urgency getting them up to speed.

"

Last year, NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein had this to say about Flowers and his future in the NFL: "Some of Flowers' pass protection issues may be difficult to overcome. On the hand, his strength as a run-blocker and ability to uproot his man and get them turned is undeniable. Flowers may be drafted as a tackle, but his best position could end up being as a guard."

That leads to the million-dollar question: As the coaching staff watches more film on Flowers and learns more about him, might it come to the conclusion that he has more of a future as a right tackle than as a left tackle in this league?

If that is indeed the conclusion the coaches come to, then perhaps someone like Stanley—whom Brugler wrote is “more technically sound than one might expect for a young player”—would make all the sense in the world if he’s sitting there when the Giants are on the clock at No. 10.

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

Follow me on Twitter @Patricia_Traina.