New York Giants Mock Draft: 10 Players Most Likely to Join Team in April

The 2012 NFL Draft is now just over a month away, and the New York Giants are surely honing in on the talent they will seek to pick up on that weekend in April.  

Despite a successful run to their second Super Bowl victory in five seasons, there are numerous holes to fill in the Giants’ roster and plenty of other positions that could use some bolstering. From their lackluster pass defense to their NFL-worst run game, it’s been tough to pinpoint which direction the Giants and General Manager Jerry Reese will choose to go.

However, now that the combine is over, it's easier to predict how the Giants will use their draft picks.

Here are the prospects the Giants could select in April, as well as a few undrafted players they would be smart to take a chance on.

Orson Charles, TE, Georgia

With the loss of breakout player Jake Ballard and backup Travis Beckum, the New York Giants are lacking considerably at the tight end position.

While some may argue for the Giants to fill other positional needs at this point in the draft, the talent at those positions doesn’t equate to what Georgia’s Orson Charles can bring to New York’s dynamic passing attack.

In a league filled to the brim with outstanding receiving tight end talent, such as Rob Gronkowski or Jimmy Graham, the Giants were able to win a Super Bowl without a player of such ability on their roster.

With the likely departure of No. 3 receiver Mario Manningham added to the immense loss the Giants' offense will take in the passing game—despite two elite receivers in Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz—there will not be a better prospect on the boards than Charles for the defending Super Bowl champions and their 32nd pick in the draft.

In 2011 for the Bulldogs, the 6’2”, 251-pound tight end caught 45 passes for 574 yards and five touchdowns.

Charles boasts tremendous 4.5 speed and great hands for a tight end. Despite being slightly undersized, Charles is a better blocker than most will give him credit for. Any struggles he will have in that department can easily be fixed by some good coaching.

Arguably on the same level as fellow prospects Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen, his performance at the combine in Indianapolis should put him ahead of those two when it comes time for the Giants to pick at No. 32.

Bobby Massie, OT, Ole Miss

A strong, capable prospect with first-round talent, Bobby Massie will be a major steal for the New York Giants if their opponents are foolish enough to let this man fall to them in the second round.

While the Giants’ greatest need may be left tackle, Massie is a natural right tackle that could easily be placed into the hole left by upcoming free agent Kareem McKenzie’s likely departure from the team.

Massie has long arms and utilizes his strength and size to his benefit. At this point, he has been able to get by on that alone, but he has shown the ability to succeed on the next level.

The former Ole Miss tackle is a solid blocker, excelling especially in the run game. For a team that finished dead-last in rushing, in part because of poor blocking up front, Massie would be a major addition to improve the ground attack.

Questions about his work ethic and his ability to improve have hurt his draft stock, but the Giants should be more than happy to take Massie if he’s there at the end of the second round.

Josh Robinson, CB, UCF

In 2011, the New York Giants' pass defense was a massive weakness exposed on a weekly basis by opposing offenses. Though a handful of injuries early in the season hampered their defensive backfield, it was evident the Giants would need to do something to improve the depth and talent at their defensive back positions.

Enter UCF’s Josh Robinson.

A brilliant cover corner with top-notch speed and envious ball skills, Robinson entered this year’s draft with low expectations. His stock has quickly taken a rise, however, aided by the former Knight’s combine-best 4.33 40-yard dash time for a defensive back.

Despite being a bit undersized, Robinson is a sure tackler down the field. He is a sturdy, durable prospect with no injury history, having played in all 38 games of his collegiate career.

Robinson will need to learn to keep better coverage on his man in man-press coverage when trying to bait the quarterback; NFL quarterbacks will devour him on every play.

Robinson is expected to go sometime between the third and fifth rounds, but he must be a priority for the Giants whenever they can get him.

Robert Turbin, RB, Utah State

Despite a great performance at the NFL combine, Utah State’s Robert Turbin is still going mostly overlooked. Because of that, the New York Giants will be in prime position to pick this dangerous, productive back in the middle rounds of the draft.

With Brandon Jacobs' future with the Giants looking grim, Turbin is the perfect player to take his place with Ahmad Bradshaw splitting the ball-carrying duties.

At 5’10” and 222 pounds,  Turbin has great size for an NFL back combined with excellent speed—running a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash at the combine. Much like Bradshaw, Turbin is a shifty back with dangerous quickness and the ability to take the ball to the house on every play.

The Giants should take Turbin in the fourth round, passing up on other studs like Chris Polk and Doug Martin in order to fill bigger holes early on. They won’t be losing anything in talent or potential, however, as Turbin could be a very good player in that New York backfield.

Emmanuel Acho, OLB, Texas

Emmanuel Acho is an intriguing talent coming out of Texas in the later rounds of the draft.

Playing inside linebacker for most of his career as a Longhorn, Acho is projected to be an outside linebacker in the NFL. Though he’s not great in coverage, Acho does well in zone coverage systems similar to the New York Giants’.

He shows an impressive ability to read the quarterback and react on the ball. A linebacker with some coverage ability is a valuable asset for a Giants' defense that was mismatched against opposing tight ends throughout the 2011 season.

Acho plays even better against the run, taking good angles to get to the ball carrier and bring him down. He makes good reads, knows how to time blitzes and boasts good strength.

The 6’1”, 238-pound linebacker is an intelligent leader with great character and determination to succeed at the next level.

Jordan White, WR, Western Michigan

The imminent departure of Mario Manningham shouldn’t signal the New York Giants to hit the panic button, but with unproven talent left to take his place, it couldn’t hurt to add some depth with a receiver capable of being a late-round sleeper in Western Michigan’s Jordan White.

Overlooked for playing in a smaller conference against lesser competition, White is a solid wideout ready to play in the NFL. He runs tight, well-timed routes that coaches love.

Not boasting phenomenal speed, White is a very good possession receiver with desirable hands. The Western Michigan product is wildly underrated and will get passed by a lot of teams who should value his abilities.

With few negatives beside the school he played for, it’s hard not to love what you see from White. Giants GM Jerry Reese has shown a good eye for talent at the receiver position, and  White has to be a guy he likes in the later rounds.

Christian Thompson, S, South Carolina State

A little-known prospect from South Carolina State, Christian Thompson is going to be one of those late-round players every team wished they had gotten their hands on.

Thompson showed up at the NFL combine and ran the fastest 40-yard dash time for a safety at 4.50, then performed impressively in the defensive back drills.

With great size—standing 6’0” and weighing 211 pounds—and good body control, Thompson is a player rising on team’s boards for sure.

The Giants aren't too full at the defensive back position, especially with the likely departure of safety Deon Grant. Thompson is a player that should garner some attention from the Giants and would be a great fit in Grant’s place.

Lance Dunbar, RB, North Texas

It’s amazing how a running back who accumulated over 4,000 yards rushing and 41 touchdowns in his collegiate career could be ignored, but North Texas’ Lance Dunbar has somehow found a way.

Dunbar dominated opposing teams despite being the single focus of opposing defenses’ game plans each and every week. A 5’9”, 203-pound back in the mold of Maurice Jones-Drew, Dunbar runs as well between the tackles as he does to the outside.

Brandon Jacobs’ future with the New York Giants is uncertain, and they'll be lacking depth if he departs. Dunbar could be a great addition that bolsters the backfield.

He is fully capable of being the next great undrafted free agent in a long line of recent contributors during Giants General Manager Jerry Reese’s tenure.

John Brantley, QB, Florida

John Brantley did not have quite the career as the Florida Gators quarterback as many had hoped, but it’s not easy following Tim Tebow.

Brantley won’t be finding a starting job in the NFL anytime soon, but his knowledge and ability to read opposing defenses could be a valuable asset for a team like the New York Giants, who may be seeking a young backup for Eli Manning.

Winston Guy, S, Kentucky

Kentucky’s Winston Guy is blessed with NFL size. He is a sure tackler, tallying 226 tackles in the last two seasons of his career at Kentucky.

Guy also proved to be a great defensive back in coverage, picking off five passes in that time. With average speed for his position, he can be a bit overmatched against speedy receivers. His style of play, excelling in run support on the edge, would be benefited by playing in a defensive system like the New York Giants’.

Guy could be a good replacement for Deon Grant in 2012, playing in nickel-and-dime packages.

At this time, his skill set is raw, but he has the potential to be another of the Giants’ great undrafted free-agent pickups.