New York Giants: Updated Draft Big Board After 1st Wave of Free Agency
The first wave of free agency has crashed, but the New York Giants aren't in the clear yet.
The Giants have picked up a few additions on the open market, and the decisions they've made provide a clearer picture of what they should do in the draft. With free-agent options dwindling, many of the team's remaining holes must be filled by rookies in 2015.
New York's front office must nail its first pick of the draft, since that selection will be needed to help turn around a team that went 6-10 last season. This slideshow ranks the team's top 10 options for the ninth overall pick.
1. Leonard Williams, DL, USC
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If Leonard Williams is still on the board when the Giants pick at nine, general manager Jerry Reese will need to pinch himself to make sure he's not dreaming. The debate surrounding Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota as the best quarterback in this year's draft has drowned out the hype for this former Trojan, even though he may be the most gifted athlete in this year's draft class.
Williams, who is 6'5" and weighs a healthy 302 pounds, played both defensive tackle and defensive end during his stay at USC. He could probably do the same at the next level, since most of his athletic potential remains untapped. Williams has a tremendous ceiling, which will only be met if he responds well to NFL coaching.
With the Giants, Williams would leap Jay Bromley as the team's up-and-coming 3-technique. He has the ability to knife through blockers to make exceptional individual plays in the backfield or pair up with nose tackle Johnathan Hankins to form a formidable run-stuffing duo in the middle.
2. Brandon Scherff, G, Iowa
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Value and need align perfectly if Brandon Scherff is still available when the Giants pick at nine next month. This former Hawkeye is the best offensive lineman in this year's draft, and he could fill a hole in New York's starting lineup right away.
Scherff played left tackle as a senior at Iowa, but the 6'5", 319-pound blocker projects to play guard as a professional. While he has the versatility to play either position in a pinch, his assets as a run-blocker would be maximized along the interior offensive line. Scherff could toil at tackle or thrive at guard.
If the Giants pick him, Scherff would be a fantastic fit at right guard. This would keep right tackle Justin Pugh at home while also providing an influence that could lift New York's sorry ground game from the doldrums. Scherff has the potential to be the Giants' best offensive lineman since Chris Snee.
3. Dante Fowler Jr., EDGE, Florida
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The Giants are bound to take a good look at the best pass-rushers this year's draft class has to offer, as per usual. New defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will want to create a dominant defensive end rotation similar to the one he wielded during his first stint with the team, and Dante Fowler Jr. could be the peg needed to put one together.
Fowler has the most appealing frame of any of this year's top edge defenders. At 6'3" and 261 pounds, he has the best chance to fit in as an end in a 4-3 defensive front. While at Florida, Fowler showed the ability to adapt by playing at various weights depending on what the Gators needed of him.
Fowler could be Spagnuolo's new Justin Tuck, a supreme 5-technique who can hold the edge against the run and also chip in as a pass-rusher. He's still a little raw in the latter aspect of the game, but his athleticism provides the potential for Fowler to blossom in that role.
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4. Danny Shelton, DL, Washington
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If Leonard Williams is off the board by the time the Giants pick, they could still bolster their interior defensive line by selecting Danny Shelton, even though he and Williams are slightly different breeds. While Williams possesses a degree of inside-outside flexibility, Shelton is a true nose tackle.
Shelton weighs 339 pounds and knows how to use every ounce of power packed into his 6'2" frame. He's the type of massive athlete around whom a stable defense can be built, a menace in the middle who must always be accounted for. Every defensive coordinator dreams about having this kind of guy at his disposal.
As a Giant, Shelton could help redefine the team's defense. With him clogging up the middle, defending the run won't be much of a concern for New York. If he can consistently draw attention inward, Shelton will make life much easier for the Giants' pass-rushers on the outsides.
5. Randy Gregory, EDGE, Nebraska
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The next-best edge defender in this year's draft after Dante Fowler Jr. is Randy Gregory. These two couldn't be built more differently, though. Gregory is two inches taller than Fowler but also 26 pounds lighter. Finding a proper use for such a lanky pass-rusher in a 4-3 defense could prove to be tricky.
Like many other enticing prospects near the top of the draft, Gregory is a raw athlete with a high ceiling. He can afford to pack some pounds onto his current 6'5", 235-pound frame. And even if the Nebraska product gets his weight up, maximizing his physical tools will be a project in and of itself for whichever coaching staff he ends up with.
It will be a risky pick for the Giants to go with Gregory, especially since he's not guaranteed to make an impact as a rookie. He doesn't have the perfect body type for the job. However, if New York decides to stick it out with the former Cornhusker, Gregory could develop into a dynamic defensive weapon.
6. La'el Collins, OT, LSU
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While Brandon Scherff sounds like a great option at guard, the Giants must also consider a true tackle with their first-round pick. There aren't a ton of tackles getting top-10 grades in this year's draft class, but La'el Collins is one who could warrant the ninth overall selection.
Collins played some left tackle at LSU, but he's probably best suited to play on the right side as a pro. Even though he may not be a blue-chip, once-in-a-generation prospect, the 6'4", 305-pounder is battle-tested after a couple of years of cutting his teeth against the SEC competition and some of the best defenses college football had to offer.
The Giants would have a couple of options if they made Collins their first-round selection. The first would be to bump Justin Pugh inside to guard and allow the rookie to fend for himself at right tackle. A more conservative route would be to tuck him inside at right guard until he's good and ready to kick outside.
7. Kevin White, WR, West Virginia
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After a 6-10 season in 2014, the Giants aren't in the best position to make a luxury pick in the first round. With one of the NFL's best young receivers in Odell Beckham Jr. already on the roster, the Giants would have trouble justifying the selection of Kevin White if that's the route they chose to travel.
Yet White's appeal is difficult to ignore. He has the ideal size at 6'3" and 215 pounds. At the combine, he proved his speed with a 4.35-second 40-yard dash and his strength with 23 reps on the bench press. The former Mountaineer has the collegiate production to go along with those measurables (109 catches, 1,447 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2014).
The Giants don't have a pressing need at receiver, but adding White to the mix would send New York's passing attack into the stratosphere. Lining him up opposite Beckham would spread opposing defenses thin and open up things underneath for Victor Cruz, assuming he's healthy. White would instantly make Rueben Randle old news.
8. Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
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The Giants need a safety after swinging and missing in the first wave of free agency. If the team fails to find one on the open market, the draft may be New York's last hope to find a decent starter. Landon Collins should be on the Giants' radar, just in case.
Collins isn't exactly what the Giants need at the position, but he's still an exceptional talent. The 6'0", 228-pound safety belongs in the box, where he can make bone-crushing plays against the run. While the Giants really need a safety who can take away everything over the top, the Alabama product has a game-changing influence that can't be overlooked.
After losing Antrel Rolle to the Chicago Bears in free agency, the Giants could use Collins in the starting lineup. They could re-sign Stevie Brown to play free safety and hope for another season like 2012, when he had eight interceptions. It may be wishful thinking, but New York is running out of options in the defensive backfield.
9. Shane Ray, EDGE, Missouri
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The Giants should have at least one more edge defender on their first-round big board after Dante Fowler Jr. and Randy Gregory, since it's a position the team usually likes to target. Amid the crowd of 'tweeners, Shane Ray might be New York's backup plan to pick up a pass-rusher in the draft.
Ray has athleticism but not the ideal size to go along with it. Even though his best fit is as a 4-3 defensive end, the Missouri product's 6'3", 245-pound frame is slightly undersized. He has the motor to make up for it to an extent, as evidenced by his school-record 14.5 sacks in 2014. But will Ray be swallowed up by NFL-sized offensive tackles?
The Giants could field Ray right away and know what they're going to get from him as far as explosion and effort. However, his effectiveness might be limited until he is adjusted to the NFL game. Because he is so lean, Ray might only make it as a blind-side pass-rusher, so Jason Pierre-Paul would have to move to the left side.
10. Shaq Thompson, LB, Washington
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The Giants don't value the linebacker position enough to place it atop their big board, nor is there the wealth of talent in this year's draft class to warrant it. However, if the Giants do decide to tackle the position this spring, Shaq Thompson could be the linebacker they target.
Thompson projects as an outside linebacker in a 4-3 defensive scheme, although he has some characteristics of a strong safety too. In college, at Washington, he also played running back. If he wants to fit in as an every-down linebacker in the NFL, he might want to bulk up his 6'0", 228-pound body a bit.
In New York, Thompson could complete a pretty solid linebacker corps that already features Jon Beason/Jameel McClain in the middle and Devon Kennard on the opposite side. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo could find unique uses for the versatile former Husky.
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