NY Giants Draft Scouting Guide for the 2015 Senior Bowl

While Super Bowl storylines start to fall into place during the bye week, the next major event for the NFL community is the annual Reese’s Senior Bowl held this Saturday in Mobile, Alabama.

There, a contingent representing the New York Giants will be among the masses watching some of the top college prospects who have declared for the 2015 NFL draft in a live-action setting (check out the Senior Bowl North and Senior Bowl South rosters).

Who might the New York Giants have their eyes on? Right now, it's probable that no one player has been discounted from consideration, though in looking through the roster, there are some who might be of greater interest than others.

In identifying those players, let’s look at the team’s five biggest areas of need (in no particular order) and then narrow down those at each position who might be fits for the Giants if the draft were to be held next week.

Inside Linebacker

Why Inside Linebacker?

When healthy, Giants inside linebacker Jon Beason is one of the most solid players the Giants have had at the position since Antonio Pierce.

Not surprisingly, Beason brings many of the same qualities as Pierce—intelligence, passion for the game and leadership.

There are never any surprises as to what you’re going to get from Beason when he's on the field.

Therein lies the problem. Beason has had some injury issues that have kept him off the field, and it probably isn’t unfair to ponder how much, if any, those lower-body injuries—to his knee, Achilles and most recently his toe—have affected his speed and quickness.  

While the 30-year-old Beason is by no means finished in the NFL, the Giants would probably be wise to look for their next starting inside linebacker now and allow that prospect a chance to learn the little things needed to be great while Beason is still around.  

Who to Watch

Denzel Perryman, 5’11”, 240 lbs, Miami (FL)

Denzel Perryman is a legitimate NFL inside linebacker prospect who, while not possessing ideal size, packs a punch in his game. Based on the initial analysis offered by Derek Stephens and Rob Rang of NFL Draft Scout, he sounds a lot like a young Beason, who like Perryman played his college ball at Miami.

Stephens and Rang praise Perryman for his instinctive nature and for showing “improved closing speed and explosiveness as a hitter in 2014.”

Rang and Stephens also admired Perryman’s ability to handle bigger opponents and cast them aside.  

Eric Kendricks, 6’0”, 230 lbs, UCLA

(Note: Kendricks has dropped out of the Senior Bowl due to a hamstring injury, according to Rotoworld.) 

The younger brother of Eagles linebacker Mychal Kendricks, Eric Kendricks is the top senior ILB prospect according to the joint opinion of Dane Brugler and Rob Rang of NFL Draft Scout.

Despite Brugler and Rang's acknowledgement of Kendricks' good athleticism, change-of-direction ability and balance, the linebacker only posted three interceptions in his final season, a stat that suggests he is still developing his coverage skills. 

Offensive Tackle

Why Offensive Tackle?

The depth situation at offensive tackle is of significant concern. Behind current starters Will Beatty and Justin Pugh, the depth is virtually nonexistent.

James Brewer, a pending unrestricted free agent and 2011 fourth-round pick, never developed into a constant contributor, let alone a starter. He will be an unrestricted free agent and is unlikely to be re-signed.

Brandon Mosley, a college tackle and fourth-round pick in 2012, has been more of a guard at the pro level. He also was unable to crack into the lineup this year, not even when injuries struck. 

Veteran Adam Snyder, who will be an unrestricted free agent, can play tackle, but at best, he would be  a short-term solution, assuming he comes back without any issues from his season-ending knee injury and is re-signed.

John Jerry, last year’s starting right guard, can also play tackle, but like Snyder, the unrestricted free agent would be a short-term solution as well.

Who to Watch

La’el Collins, 6’5”, 321 lbs, LSU

From the school that brought Giants fans Odell Beckham Jr., LSU’s La’el Collins, per NFL Draft Scout’s Rob Rang, projects inside at guard due to his build, though the same was said of Pugh when he came out of school. 

Although Collins is currently projected as a first-round draft pick, Rang notes that Collins’ aggression often times leads to mistakes, though on the plus side Collins appears to be a good drive-blocker. 

Safety

Why Safety?

The Giants' safety situation is precarious. Currently three players—Antrel Rolle, Stevie Brown and Quintin Demps—are set to be unrestricted free agents.

One player, Cooper Taylor, has spent all or part of his first two seasons on injured reserve, and Nat Berhe, while a promising prospect, is short on experience.

Like offensive tackle, the Giants will probably look to address this position via free agency and the draft.

The wild card is Rolle. Would he be willing to return to the Giants for a reduced base salary, or might some team with a lot of cap space to burn lure him away?

The most likely scenario is that Brown will be re-signed for depth. If 32-year-old Rolle is eyeing a big-money deal, the Giants might be better off spending the cash on a younger player who might be around for four or five years.

Who to Watch 

Kurtis Drummond, 6’1”, 200 lbs, Michigan State

Kurtis Drummond is a versatile safety who can play deep or up in the box.

Dane Brugler of NFL Draft Scout notes that as a deep safety, Drummond has shown ability to anticipate, pursue and time his jumps to break up passes.

An added bonus is that he matches up well against opposing tight ends. Drummond appears to have the skill set to guard the seam, which has been a problem for the Giants in coverage.  

Adrian Amos, 6’0”, 209 lbs, Penn State

Adrian Amos is another versatile player who can also line up at cornerback. Brugler notes that Amos has taken positive steps forward every year in his collegiate career. 

It will be interesting to see where Amos practices during Senior Bowl week and how he is used in the game itself. That he offers experience at two positions gives him exceptional value in the draft.

Defensive Tackle

Why Defensive Tackle?

The Giants have two promising young players in starter Johnathan Hankins and Jay Bromley, but beyond them the unit is filled with aging veterans whose better days might be behind them.

These include Cullen Jenkins and Mike Patterson, both on the wrong side of 30, and Markus Kuhn, who despite having only played three seasons will be 29 on his next birthday.

Kuhn will likely be retained given his experience. Patterson, an unrestricted free agent, seems to be a long shot to return, and Jenkins, who was solid until injuries started getting in the way this year, could be a salary-cap casualty.

If the Giants believe that Hankins and Bromley are the future, they will need to continue their practice of picking up depth via the draft to round out the rotation.

Who to Watch

Gabe Wright, 6’2”, 290 lbs, Auburn

The last undersized defensive tackle who drew buzz, St. Louis’ Aaron Donald, is doing pretty well these days.

This year, Gabe Wright is hoping to replicate Donald’s success through his performance at the Senior Bowl and combine it with, among other things, what Rob Rang of NFL Draft Scout describes as an explosive first step.

Danny Shelton, 6’1”, 339 lbs, Washington

If a bigger, stouter interior lineman is the flavor of the month, Danny Shelton, whom Rang compares to New England’s Vince Wilfork, is the prospect you will want to closely watch this weekend.

Rang praised Shelton for having a solid anchor to hold fast against double-team blocks, blocks that Shelton has shown an ability to split.

Outside Linebacker

Why Outside Linebacker?

Outside linebacker probably isn’t as high a priority as inside linebacker, but it’s still a position that the Giants might look to upgrade.  

Let’s recap the current OLB situation: Jacquian Williams, Spencer Paysinger and Mark Herzlich are all unrestricted free agents.

Of those three, Herzlich, who is coming off his best season as a pro, probably has the best chance of being re-signed to a multiyear contract, since he can play all three positions as well as special teams.

Williams, who will be an unrestricted free agent, had his season end early after suffering for several weeks with concussion symptoms.  The Giants’ 2011 sixth-round pick racked up 78 total tackles, one sack, and broke up four passes. Can the Giants do better at that WLB spot?

Probably, as a fair number of those tackles by Williams were away from the line of scrimmage, which is perhaps why Williams ended up with a minus-5.7 grade in coverage from Pro Football Focus.

Jameel McClain, who per Over the Cap has one more year left on his contract, should return as the strong-side linebacker and a backup middle linebacker to Jon Beason.   

Devon Kennard, who is probably the future on the strong side, showed promise as a better blitz linebacker from that weak side, so it would not be surprising to see him used more in that capacity.  

Paysinger seems to have been phased out of the picture. Per PFF, his snap counts dropped from 707 in 2013 to 81 in 2014. It appears unlikely that he will be offered a new contract.

Who to Watch

Lorenzo Mauldin 6'4", 252 lbs, Louisville

Lorenzo Mauldin’s bread and butter is the pass rush, where he finished with 9.5 sacks in 2013. Per NFL Draft Scout, Mauldin, who can rush with his hand in the dirt as well as standing up, is currently projected to go in the second round, so it’s doubtful the Giants might take an OLB that high. 

However, if the team is intent on loading up on pass-rushers, which of course was a big staple of Steve Spagnuolo’s defense in his first tour of duty with the Giants, Mauldin might be worth consideration.

Lynden Trail, 6’6”, 260 lbs, Norfolk State

Trail comes from a 3-4 defensive system in college. Still, if versatility and multiple fronts are on the Giants’ wish list, Trail may draw consideration.

Dane Brugler of NFL Draft Scout notes that Trail accelerates and changes direction well while in pursuit, has the strength to shed blocks and tackles well.

The question Brugler raises, though, is whether Trail might make for a better defensive end at the pro level given his size and his 3-4 background. 

Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes and information obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced. Follow me on Twitter @Patricia_Traina.