NFL Draft 2012: Players Giants Must Have on Radar to Repeat as Super Bowl Champs

The New York Giants have won the Super Bowl four times in their storied history, but the year after hoisting the Lombardi Trophy hasn't been kind to them.

Only once have they made the postseason following a Super Bowl victory, but fortunately for them, that one time came with Eli Manning under center.

Phil Simms and Jeff Hostetler weren't able to pull it off for the Giants when they wore Blue, but Eli did it in his first opportunity. Ultimately, they fell to division rival Philadelphia, but they have to start somewhere.

This year, the Giants will look to better that showing after roaring to another surprising Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots for the second time in five years.

Big Blue is still strapped financially, so they won't make major moves in free agency, but they've continually done a good job in the draft during the Jerry Reese era. He'll have his eyes on a few of the following players.

Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford

The Giants signed Martellus Bennett, a former Cowboy, and he's an elite in-line blocking tight end with pass-catching potential.

It won't be talked about much, but Bennett's blocking ability will be a huge boost to an offensive line unit that struggled for much of the regular season.

But adding a true pass-catching threat, especially considering the Giants lost two tight ends to ACL injuries in the Super Bowl, is a pick they can make at the end of round one.

Fleener is the draft's pass-catching tight end, and he has great size at 6'6", 252 pounds.

Bernard Pierce, RB, Temple; Chris Polk, RB, California; Isaiah Pead, RB, Cincinnati

The Giants said goodbye to long-time running back Brandon Jacobs, but know they cannot rely on Ahmad Bradshaw to stay healthy all season long, regardless of what other spell backs they use.

Adding a rookie runner early, preferably one with size or hands, is a great idea for this team.

Pierce checks in at 6'0", 218 pounds. He's a tough runner with determination and patience and should be a good value as a potential third-round guy. He won't catch the rock, though.

Chris Polk, on the other hand, can do it all. He's fallen down some boards and is far from the flashiest guy, but at 5'10.5", 215 pounds, he has solid size to take some of the load off Bradshaw and knows how to find holes in lines.

Depending on who you talk to, he's a decent value in the second round.

As for Isaiah Pead, he's not a great inside runner, but he's lean and can be extremely explosive. He was the Big East Offensive Player of the Year and Senior Bowl Offensive MVP.

At 5'10", 197 pounds, he's a guy who can come in and take a few carries and passes out of the backfield, but also contribute on special teams as a punt and kick returner.

The Giants have struggled mightily to find the right return man for them.

Bobby Massie, OT, Mississippi

The Giants are team that typically follows the "best player available" philosophy, so they're always a threat to draft another pass-rusher.

One of their biggest needs is at tackle, though, where they'll eventually need to replace Kareem McKenzie on the right and are still unsure of what they have in Will Beatty at left tackle.

This year's tackle class doesn't have a ton of depth, but Massie is a potential second-round player they could target and hope to plug in in the near future.

He's got good size at 6'6", 316 pounds and played against great competition in the SEC.

Vinny Curry, DE, Marshall

As said earlier, it wouldn't be shocking to see the G-Men add another pass-rusher if one fell to them. Curry, a New Jersey native, would be a solid value late in the second round if that is the direction they want to go in.

At 6'3", 266 pounds, he has a relentless motor and would fit in greatly as a rotational guy for Big Blue's impressive front line.