Mid-Round NFL Draft Targets Who Could Start in Year 1 for New York Giants
You've heard all about the top prospects in this year's draft. The New York Giants own a top-10 pick, and plenty of discussion has centered around how they should use it.
But the NFL draft has seven rounds, and each pick is valuable. Not every player selected becomes a superstar or even makes the team, but finding a future starter or two with a mid-round selection is what separates the annual contenders from the chronic strugglers in this league.
The Giants must use their mid-round picks wisely this spring, as the eventual selections must at least push for starting jobs to keep the team competitive.
This article will highlight five viable options for New York to ponder.
RB Duke Johnson, Miami
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This might be wishful thinking, but running back is one of the hardest positions to gauge in the draft. As of right now, Miami's Duke Johnson isn't a first-round talent, but will he sink all the way to the third round?
If he does, the Giants should pounce on the program's all-time leading rusher without hesitation.
Johnson is the perfect player to replace the prematurely retired David Wilson. He has a similar build (5'9", 206 lbs) and is billed to possess many of the same electrifying attributes, according to a report by NFL Media's Bucky Brooks.
Johnson is a quick-footed runner whose speed is best utilized on the edge as opposed to in between the tackles.
The real mid-round value will be found in Johnson's ability to catch passes out of the backfield and his potential as a return threat.
The Giants have an opposite runner in big, bruising Boston College product Andre Williams. They have something of an experienced hybrid in soon-to-be 30-year-old veteran Rashad Jennings, too.
The addition of Johnson would complete a dangerous, three-pronged attack on the ground. If he's the most explosive back of the bunch, the former Hurricane could even end up with the featured role.
TE Jeff Heuerman, Ohio State
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Although the Giants already have a couple tight end options in Larry Donnell and Daniel Fells (assuming both are re-signed this spring), either player could be overtaken by a promising prospect picked up in this year's draft.
One such prospect is Ohio State's Jeff Heuerman.
New York needs a guy who can do it all at the tight end position, and Heuerman has the resume to fit the bill. With the position trending toward oversized wide receivers, this former Buckeye is one of a few tight ends still willing to line up on the offensive tackle's hip and do the dirty work.
Heuerman saw a significant dip in his production as a receiver during his senior season, catching only 17 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns in 2014 compared to his 26-466-4 stat line the year before.
Like most team players, though, Heuerman would probably sacrifice the statistical success for a national championship every time.
The fact that he dropped out of the Senior Bowl could stifle Heuerman's draft hype just a bit, as flashier prospects like Minnesota's Maxx Williams and Florida State's Nick O'Leary pick up steam. Perhaps he's there waiting when the Giants pick in the fourth or fifth round.
G Shaq Mason, Georgia Tech
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It's no secret the Giants need an offensive lineman or two. Most fans would like to see one picked in the first round.
But what if they wait until the middle rounds to address this need?
That's where Georgia Tech's Shaq Mason could become valuable. The "stubby little guard," as NFL Media's Mike Mayock described him, is a late riser. He was one of the last players invited to the Senior Bowl, according to Ken Sugiura of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, but he made the most of the opportunity once he got there.
Mason was part of a Yellow Jackets offensive line that steamrolled a thought-to-be-stingy Mississippi State run defense to the tune of an Orange Bowl-record 452 rushing yards. Part of that ridiculous output was the product of Georgia Tech's extremely effective triple-option attack.
If there's one thing Mason knows, it's run blocking. His pass-blocking skills are suspect, but that's why he'll likely be available in the fifth round. If the Giants decide to give him a chance in a pro-style offense, Mason could become a valuable starter at right guard.
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DE Lynden Trail, Norfolk State
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The Giants are known to search high and low for premier pass-rushers. It's quite possible their 2015 hunt takes them to offbeat Norfolk State, which has seen just one draft pick since 1996.
Lynden Trail can become the second Spartan to be drafted during that span.
After starting his career at Florida, Trail left when Urban Meyer left, landing at Norfolk State and making a name for himself despite the school's total lack of name recognition. In three years at the tiny college, he racked up 41 tackles for loss, 19.5 sacks, eight forced fumbles and two interceptions.
Trail isn't lying when he says one of his greatest assets is to "create havoc" (h/t Dane Brugler, CBSSports.com).
The Giants have already expressed interest in Trail after seeing him at the Senior Bowl, DraftInsider.net reports. His 6'6", 260-pound frame and tremendous upside are reminiscent of Jason Pierre-Paul coming out of college.
However, the Giants won't need to spend a first-round pick on Trail; chances are he'll be available on the third day of the draft.
S Anthony Harris, Virginia
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Antrel Rolle, Stevie Brown and Quintin Demps are about to become free agents. Nat Berhe and Cooper Taylor are a pair of fifth-rounders without much experience.
Could things get any more uncertain for the Giants at safety?
New York can shore up the position with a mid-round selection of Virginia's Anthony Harris. Always a standout on a subpar team, Harris can finally have the chance to star on a successful squad if he's picked by the Giants.
After Alabama's Landon Collins, who ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. believes to be a top-10 prospect, Harris might be the next best strong safety in this year's draft class. Enticing free safety options in between the two, such as Louisville's Gerod Holliman and Ole Miss' Cody Prewitt, could push Harris' draft stock back a round or two.
The truth is that Harris is a smart defensive back who can play either variation of the safety position. As a junior in 2013, he was a ball hawk who picked off eight passes—the most in college football. Then, with quarterbacks wary of his ability as a senior, Harris stepped up to set a career-high 109 tackles.
With the Giants' safety position in flux, Harris is the perfect mid-round pick to rebuild the unit around.
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