The New York Giants' Round 1 Big Board Before Combine

The New York Giants have so many needs to address but just eight draft picks to get the bulk of the building blocks in place once the initial free-agency frenzy ends.

That is why the NFL draft is always key. What the Giants do in the first round, where they currently have the No. 9 overall pick, could potentially set the tone for the rest of the draft.

Perhaps over the next week and a half the answers will start to become clearer, starting with the NFL combine in Indianapolis. In the meantime, let's look at five potential candidates who might make the most sense for the Giants in the first round in reverse order of likelihood.  

5. Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama

On paper, the Giants should be set with the top of their depth chart if they can field Victor Cruz, Odell Beckham Jr. and Rueben Randle.

Therein lies the problem. Cruz is coming off a significant knee injury that has even general manager Jerry Reese wondering if he’ll be the same as he was prior to the injury this coming year, while Randle has been inconsistent, at times looking like a budding star while at others looking like a bust.

The only constant variable has been Beckham, but unless the Giants put other consistent threats on the field to shift the focus away from last year’s rookie sensation, it could be a long season for the passing game.

For those reasons alone, it could make sense for the Giants to draft receiver Amari Cooper (6’1”, 210 lbs) from Alabama, whom former NFL general manager Phil Savage has compared to former Indianapolis Colts receiver Marvin Harrison (h/t NFL.com's Lance Zierlein).

Still, that doesn’t mean Cooper isn’t without his warts. NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein notes that Cooper sometimes doesn’t finish his routes, which leads to interceptions. Cooper has also had some issues with drops, dropping 13 balls over the last two seasons. 

Cooper, who might not even last until No. 9, is a solid player to have in the lineup, but the Giants have more pressing needs to address.

4. Danny Shelton, DT, Washington

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Last week, the Giants reached a deal with defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins to reduce his 2015 cap figure to $2.091 million, according to Over the Cap.

Although Jenkins avoided becoming a salary-cap cut, that doesn’t mean the 11-year veteran is a lock to be on the 53-man roster at the start of the season.    

The Giants might be hoping that Jay Bromley, last year’s third-round pick, will be able to team up with Johnathan Hankins as the starting interior linemen.

Whether that’s the best combination going forward remains to be seen; regardless, the depth behind those two youngsters is thin. 

Mike Patterson is an unrestricted free agent the team might not bring back. Jenkins is in the final year of his contract, as is Markus Kuhn, whom the Giants took a flier on in the seventh round of the 2012 draft.

A promising prospect, if he’s there at No. 9, is Danny Shelton (6’2”, 339 lbs) out of Washington, whom Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compares to Vince Wilfork of the New England Patriots.

Shelton is a big-bodied space-eater who could potentially draw the double-team blocks that would free up the rest of the pass-rushers.

Perhaps more importantly, according to Zierlein, is that Shelton has the strength and athleticism to dominate in run defense, a big weakness for the Giants, who finished 30th against the run last season, according to StatMilk. 

3. Shane Ray, DE, Missouri

Barring something unexpected happening, the Giants should be able to retain defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, whom they might have to slap the franchise tag on if the two sides can’t make progress on a new contract by March 2, the last day to use the tag.

The rest of the defensive end situation, though, is concerning. According to Jordan Raanan of NJ Advance Media, Robert Ayers, who saw his season end early due to a torn pectoral muscle, still doesn’t have a date when he can begin lifting weights.

That’s not a good sign given Phase 1 of the offseason program is 10 weeks away, and most players have already begun working out on their own to get a jump-start on their conditioning.

Mathias Kiwanuka, who has dealt with assorted injuries the last two seasons, could very well be a salary-cap casualty after having consecutive poor seasons, according to Pro Football Focus, who graded him minus-18.3 in 2014 and minus-31.5 in 2013.  

Damontre Moore and Kerry Wynn are both promising, but neither has shown so far that he can be an every-down player.

Even if the Giants add a veteran at this spot, which is a good possibility, they might also want to add a blue-chip prospect who might be able to team up with Pierre-Paul. Defensive end Shane Ray (6’3”, 245 lbs) out of Missouri is an intriguing prospect if he is there when the Giants pick in the first round.

Although Ray is a bit on the light side as far as his weight, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein believes Ray's game has very few weaknesses and a lot of positives such as explosiveness off the snap, good hand use and athleticism.

If defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is looking to build a better pass rush, Ray’s talents might be too tempting to pass up. 

2. Landon Collins, Safety, Alabama

Of all the units on the Giants, the safety situation is probably the one that is of the greatest concern pre-combine.

Antrel Rolle, Quintin Demps and Stevie Brown are all set to be unrestricted free agents. That leaves the relatively inexperienced duo of Nat Berhe and Cooper Taylor, the latter of whom has been on injured reserve two years in a row, as the only depth on the team.

The Giants are more likely to dip into the free-agency pool to fill this position. Ideally, they would like to have Rolle back but at their price and for probably no more than two or three years.

Rolle, according to Curtis Crabtree of ProFootballTalk, told Alex Marvez and Solomon Wilcots on Sirius XM NFL Radio that he would like to return to the Giants to complete some unfinished business.

The question though is at what price?

Remember, the Giants wanted to re-sign defensive end Justin Tuck last year to a modest deal, but the Oakland Raiders came in with a better financial package. The same could happen with Rolle, who at 32 years old still probably has another year or two left to give to some club.

So what do the Giants do if they can’t land a safety in free agency (unlikely but always a possibility)? If they want to ensure at least one of these spots, Landon Collins (6’0”, 222 lbs) of Alabama is a good downhill-style strong safety who can wreak havoc in the box, according to Lance Zierlein.

On the negative side, Zierlein notes that Collins has “average hands” when it comes to picking off passes, and he sometimes gets caught peeking into the backfield, relying on his speed to make up for a late jump.

Also of note is that NFL draft analyst Mike Mayock, on a conference call with reporters, opined that the safety class is thin this year.

If the Giants share Mayock's opinion and hope to add a young blue-chip prospect at this position, they might need to move fast.

1. Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa

The Giants' offensive line rebuild project enters its second year, a project that should be at or near the top of the team’s offseason priority list.

In terms of their needs, the Giants actually appear to have four of the five pieces of their starting line in place. Those would be left tackle Will Beatty, center Weston Richburg, right guard Geoff Schwartz and guard/tackle Justin Pugh.

Pugh is the wild card in that depending on whom the Giants acquire in free agency and/or the draft, he will either stay at right tackle or move inside to guard.

If the Giants plan is to continue adding youth on that offensive line, they might want to look closely at Brandon Scherff (6’5”, 320 lbs) from Iowa.

NFL Network's Mike Mayock, in a conference call with reporters, believes that while Scherff could play tackle in the NFL, his best position is probably inside at guard.

“When I look at Brandon Scherff, I see a kid with longer arms, so that leads me to think he can play outside more easily,” Mayock said, per Nick Powell of NJ Advance Media. “Again, I believe he can play outside. However, I think his best position, because of his power, his toughness, and his football sense is inside. I think he's an All-Pro guard, but that doesn't mean he can't play tackle in the NFL."

This opinion is shared by NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, who also describes Scherff as a “powerful run-blocker with exceptional power in hips and legs. Moves well laterally and rarely allows defensive ends to set edge against him.”

If the Giants are looking to improve their run blocking—per Football Outsiders, the Giants offensive line was the 22nd-ranked run-blocking unit in the NFL last year—a strong, powerfully built offensive lineman like Scherff would be a no-brainer and a safe pick if he is still on the board at No. 9.

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.