2012 NFL Draft: New York Giants' 4 Biggest Needs

Coming fresh off their second Super Bowl in four years, it is not likely that most fans will be looking at the New York Giants and begin wondering where they can improve. But with the draft now a little over two months away and free agency kicking off soon, you can be sure that as the championship hangover wears off, Tom Coughlin and his staff will be prepping for the future.

The truth is that this is a team that has a stable core of key players. They have an ideal mix of talented youth and experienced veterans, without any of them bordering on retirement.

Despite all of that, Vegas only has the G-Men at 15-1 odds to retain their title in 2013, something that won’t matter too much to the players and staff themselves. Nonetheless, it shows that the bettors have some concerns over the current roster.

Here are four positions where the Giants can improve to ensure they become the first repeat champs in almost 10 years.

Tight End

Jake Ballard has been a reliable tight end for the Giants. He was picked up following the 2010 draft as an undrafted free agent and spent most of his time fluctuating between the active roster, the practice squad and even being waived a few times.

This season saw him getting much more action. Featured in 14 games, Ballard made 38 receptions and tallied four touchdowns. Most notably, he caught the game winner with under a minute left this season in Foxboro to give the Giants their first victory over the Patriots this year.

Going into the 2012 season, Ballard's future is uncertain, as he is said to have suffered a torn ACL in the Super Bowl and could potentially miss all of next season. To make matters worse, backup Travis Beckum also suffered a torn ACL in the same game and will most likely miss all of next season as well.

This leaves Bear Pascoe as the only healthy tight end on the Giants' roster.

The game has evolved to the point where the tight end is as valuable a tool as the quarterback. A good tight end that can out-run a linebacker and out-muscle a defensive back is an indispensable weapon.

Eli Manning has established that he is the one running this offense. His ability to change calls at the line has put him in a category with his brother.

Giving him another option, like Tom Brady has in Rob Gronkowski or Aaron Hernandez, will only elevate his game.

Being at the bottom of the draft board should not affect them in acquiring a solid tight end. The highest-rated player at the position, Clemson's Dwayne Allen, is no higher than 40th on many boards.

Coughlin might be leaning toward free agency, as some big names are available including the Packers' Jermichael Finley. Not only would he be a huge addition to the team, but also would seriously dampen Aaron Rodgers’ passing attack.

Offensive Line

Eli had another sensational postseason, similar to the run he made back in 2008. Winning now five playoff games on the road, he is the first to accomplish such a feat. However, it was not without a bit of pain along the way.

This year's playoffs alone, Manning was sacked eleven times, three more than any other quarterback and eight more than his Super Bowl rival Tom Brady.

The most troubling instances had to be in the NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers. The Bay Area team was able to get to Manning an astounding six times in the game and knocked him down countless others.

The line was leaking pass-rushers as they rarely needed more than the front four to get to him. The results showed as Eli had his worst game of the postseason with only an 82.3 passer rating.

With the 49ers expected to compete for the NFC title for the near future, the Giants will have to make sure that they don’t let Eli get hit like that again, not only for the sake of the game, but also for his long-term health.

There is always plenty of talent in the draft for linemen. A good strong tackle should be considered as the Niners, Packers and Cowboys all like to come off the edge.

Nose Tackle

I know the Giants like to play with four down men on the line, but perhaps the only way they could be beaten this year may have been exposed.

For all the injuries that crippled their secondary and were ultimately to blame for the poor start to their season, things improved as the starters got healthy and the pass-rushers began finding their groove.

However, their rush defense was also not the strongest it could have been.

With players like Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora, this is a team that relies on using speed to get to the quarterback. A good, hard running team can counter this, though, by simply playing off that anticipation and beating them to the opposite edge.

Adding a big strong nose tackle for situational play could help nullify that factor. Short-down situations would allow such a player to clog up the middle and bounce the back to the outside so that the defense's athletes can make plays.

Furthermore, it could help the pass-rush immensely. The only time the Packers were able to consistently move the ball against the Giants was when Aaron Rodgers scrambled for first downs. A big man can keep him in the pocket as it collapses around him.

The San Diego Chargers' Antonio Garay will likely be available. The 32-year-old has had a fluctuating career, but is currently coming off a poor season. This could make him available at a good price and also could entice the New Jersey native with the prospect of returning home.

Kick Returner

I know this may seem like a gimmicky way to go for the last need, but I think it is as important as any of the other positions on the field.

We have all heard time and time again about how special teams can win and lose games. The luxury of having an explosive kick returner is something that few teams have, but it can give those teams the extra little push necessary to win.

The Giants were in the bottom 10 in the league for both average return on punts and kickoffs (29th and 20th respectively).

In midseason, they took the responsibilities away from their second-round pick Devin Thomas and replaced him with D.J. Ware and Da’Rel Scott. But in the Super Bowl it was the in-season acquisition of Will Blackmon who had the duties.

Obviously, the inconsistency had little bearing on their ability to win games, but stability at the position also could have made it much easier for them in some of those games. 

Three of the four stadiums where the Giants play their divisional games are outdoors, and all of those are known for getting poor weather conditions on a regular basis. Kickoffs and punts are not always going to go out of the back of the end zone in these cases. Having a playmaker would make their opponents' special teams think about what to do more than they would like to.

Getting a good kick returner is about as much as a crapshoot as there is. Most in college are just stud athletes who can out-run everyone else. Luckily for the Giants, the college game is full of athletes like never before.

I would suggest going after the fastest guy they could find and then teach him how to play the position. It is not like they need him to come in a be a game-changer right away; they seemed to do fine without one all the way to the Super Bowl.

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