2012 NFL Draft: 5 Positions New York Giants Can't Ignore

The New York Giants have a handful of positions that they simply cannot ignore during the 2012 NFL draft.

It was a great year for Big Blue, but not a flawless one. The team has some glaring issues that, if left unaddressed, could bode terribly next season.

Here are five positions that the Giants would be best not to forget about in this year's NFL draft.

Tight End

Jake Ballard and Travis Beckum were essentially the sacrificial lambs of the Giants' Super Bowl XLVI victory over the New England Patriots.

Tom Coughlin recently told reporters that one of the team's priorities is to fill the position.

The Giants could go with Orson Charles, the tight end out of Georgia. He didn't run the 40-yard dash at the combine, but he absolutely destroyed the bench press with 35 reps, eight more than his nearest challenger.

Charles is a physical specimen at 6'2", 251 pounds and is a much better receiver than blocker. That could work out well for the Giants if they choose to follow the new league-wide tight end strategy.

Kick Returner

The Giants haven't had an effective kick returner since Domenik Hixon went down. Will Blackmon isn't getting the job done.

Jerry Reese could go after a guy like A.J. Jenkins out of Illinois, who posted a blazing 40 time of 4.39 seconds.

Jenkins was a two-year starter for the Illini and should slip through the cracks to the later rounds where the Giants can draft him. 

He's not a bad receiver, either, so the team could look to bolster the receiving corps in anticipation of Mario Manningham hitting the road.

Outside Linebacker

Nobody knows if Osi Umenyiora will be back next season, and if he isn't, Giants would be best to draft an outside linebacker.

It sounds far-fetched, but if Umenyiora is traded and the Giants draft an outside linebacker, that would give Perry Fewell the chance to play Mathias Kiwanuka at defensive end, his natural position.

They could go with Jonathan Massaquoi out of Troy in the second- or third-round range. He has the ability to play either defensive end or outside linebacker and the Giants love versatility.

Keeping the defensive line strong has been the front office's bread and butter in recent years so don't be surprised is Jerry Reese has some kind of plan for the front four.

Running Back

Brandon Jacobs may be playing elsewhere next season and if the Giants don't want to end up at the bottom of the league in rushing for the second consecutive year, they should grab a running back.

Da'Rel Scott hasn't shown much yet but he's still young so that might change.

Either way, the Giants should go with Lamar Miller out of Miami in the middle rounds of the draft.

Miller surprised a lot of people last season. He also had a really good combine running a 4.4 40-yard dash and posted a height of 33 inches in the vertical jump.

His speed could help the Giants in the return game but even more so in the backfield should Jacobs fly the coop. 

Cornerback

The Giants have three cornerbacks who are free agents. Terrell Thomas, Aaron Ross and Will Blackmon all may be given the chance to test the waters of free agency this offseason.

The loss of Thomas and Ross will be one of the team's biggest issues. It would be smart for Jerry Reese to get a solid corner in the draft.

Jayron Hosley out of Virginia Tech could be his man. He's NFL ready and was only a junior last season. He's small but fierce and quick.

Hosley would quickly fill the hole in the Giants' defensive backfield should Thomas and Ross not return next season.