2015 NFL Draft Picks Who Could Be Opening-Game Starters for the NY Giants

In a perfect world, the New York Giants would be successful in having every single one of their draft picks end up as opening-day starters.

Since we don’t live in a perfect world and need to be realistic, a “home run” for the Giants would be to have at least three draft picks in their opening-day lineup.

Let’s quickly discuss the most pressing needs and where there appears to be an opening for a new starter.

First is offensive line.

The popular consensus seems to be that the Giants are going to address the offensive line on Day 1, which would mean they are probably looking at someone who can play right tackle for them, a move that would allow Justin Pugh to move inside to guard.

The second area of need is defensive end.

Mathias Kiwanuka was an offseason salary-cap casualty and Jason Pierre-Paul was franchised, ensuring that he will be around for at least one more season unless he signs a long-term deal.

New York also has Robert Ayers, who has been recovering from a season-ending chest muscle tear, and a pair of youngsters in Damontre Moore and Kerry Wynn, both of whom have flashed and will need to show that they have taken the next steps in their respective developments.

The third area of need is free safety.

Again, while the popular consensus is the Giants will sign a veteran free safety on the back end of free agency, the coaches might be interested in having the veteran signee play more of a spot-duty type of role while a draft pick actually starts.

This slideshow is also going to look at one other position that could be a need: receiver.

With Victor Cruz still very much a question mark for opening day, the Giants might want to ensure they have another playmaking receiver waiting in the wings.

A rookie receiver would not only help the Giants and Cruz buy time but also looking down the line, if the team finds itself unsatisfied with Rueben Randle, who has been inconsistent to date, then a rookie receiver drafted today could eventually be in line to replace Randle, who will be an unrestricted free agent next year.

Now that the needs have been defined, let’s turn our attention to two players at each position—and these players are not necessarily first-round draft picks—who could be opening-day starters for the Giants.

OT Ereck Flowers, Miami

Miami’s Ereck Flowers (6’6”, 329 lbs) is currently listed as NFLDraftScout.com’s second-best offensive tackle prospect, behind Iowa’s Brandon Scherff, the latter of whom continues to draw debate as to whether he’s better suited to play guard at the NFL level.

There is no debate, however, about where Flowers’ best position is in the NFL, and that is at tackle, which just so happens to be a positon of need on the Giants.

If drafted, Flowers would almost certainly be the opening-day starter at right tackle, with Justin Pugh moving to left guard.

Flowers is a mauler in the running game, with good balance and an ability to get to the second level quickly.

While still a bit rough around the edges as a pass protector—Rob Rang and Dane Brugler noted that Flowers sometimes "struggles against the speed of undersized pass-rushers"—Flowers has enough upside as a prospect.

The biggest upside? If the Giants select Flowers, it’s certainly conceivable that down the line he could be their next starting left tackle when the day comes that Will Beatty is no longer in the plans.

OT La'el Collins, LSU

LSU offensive tackle La’el Collins (6’4”, 305 lbs) is a solid offensive tackle prospect whose game is all about power.

The thing to like about Collins is his versatility. He started seven games at left guard as a freshman and then became the team’s full-time starter at that spot the following season. He then switched to offensive tackle as a junior, playing on the left side, where he remained for the rest of his college career.

While Rang opines that Collins, thanks to his "square-ish build," might be better suited to play at guard, the fact that Collins appears so versatile would give the Giants, who are likely to experiment with different offensive line combinations again this summer, options.

Still, the Giants can’t go wrong with a prospect such as Collins, who seems like a perfect fit for a power-running game.

FS Damarious Randall, Arizona State

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Arizona State FS Damarious Randall (5’11”, 196 lbs) is another prospect in whom the Giants can find value and fill a need if he is there in the second round.

Although Randall lacks ideal size and bulk right now, he is a smart, instinctive player, which is more than half of the battle right there. He plays with his eyes wide-open, is a sure tackler, is relentless and, according to Brugler, is "decisive on taking his sideline angles" and is fast enough to "chase down ball-carriers" from behind.

Want more reasons why Randall has “New York Giant” written all over him? He can play the slot cornerback position, a spot where right now the incumbent is Trumaine McBride, a solid veteran but one who probably isn’t in the team’s long-term plans.

Randall can also contribute on special teams, where he gained experience as a return specialist. He also had experience playing on punt- and kickoff-coverage units, the former of which was an Achilles' heel for the Giants' special teams unit last year.

FS Kurtis Drummond, Michigan State

If the Giants are looking for a little more height in their next starting free safety, Michigan State’s Kurtis Drummond (6’1”, 208 lbs) might be of interest.

Although he has a wiry frame that has room for additional bulk, Drummond has good instincts and is able to anticipate the ball's arrival.

A three-year starter for the Spartans and a team captain, Drummond was among the team’s top performers in tackles and interceptions in each of the last two seasons.

Drummond, projected by NFLDraftScout.com to go in either the third or fourth round, needs a bit more polish. 

According to Brugler, those deficiencies that are likely to be high on the list for Drummond and his future position coach to address include his tendency "to get grabby on vertical routes, improving his jam technique and finishing his tackles."

DE Alvin "Bud" Dupree, Kentucky

Last year the Giants gave incoming offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo a nice welcoming gift in the form of receiver Odell Beckham Jr., the dynamic rookie who was drafted in the first round.

Might incoming defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo be getting his own first-round “gift” from the personnel department?

If the chips fall that way, the most likely target will be a defensive end, and a prospect who appears to be a fit for the 4-3 scheme Spagnuolo is believed to be installing is Kentucky’s Alvin “Bud” Dupree (6’4”, 269 lbs).

Dupree, NFLDraftScout.com’s second-best defensive end and a projected first-rounder, mostly played as a stand-up rusher, but his functional strength when rushing with his hand in the dirt is a question mark, according to Rang.

What’s also a question mark is whether Dupree is a top-10 pick.  

Rang rates Dupree as the 16th-best overall prospect on his big board, so if the Giants share the opinion that Dupree is not a top-10 pick and they still want him, perhaps they can trade down a few spots where the value might be greater.

DE Owamagbe Odighizuwa, UCLA

If the Giants decide to wait until Day 2 to get an edge-rusher, UCLA’s Owamagbe Odighizuwa (6’3”, 267 lbs) should draw some serious consideration, despite the fact that he comes from a 3-4 defensive front.

Odighizuwa has a nice, long wingspan, is light on his feet and is fluid in his movements, using his hands to disengage from blockers and create disruption at the point of attack. He’s logged 12.5 career sacks in 51 games for the Bruins, finishing his collegiate career with 136 tackles.

Brugler and Rang note that Odighizuwa has been a disruptive player from the right defensive end position. Odighizuwa, they write, offers a "combination of burst and power" in which he can be disruptive rushing from the outside or the inside.

One of the biggest concerns with Odighizuwa is his health history. Odighizuwa, who missed part of the 2012 season and all of the 2013 season, had surgery on both of his hips.

He did come back in 2014, his final year of eligibility to start all 13 games in which he recorded career highs in tackles (61), tackles for a loss (11.5) and sacks (6.0), which would indicate that his hip issues are behind him.

Does Odighizuwa, who appears to be a prototypical Giants defensive end candidate, offer enough upside to warrant a roll of the dice?

That remains to be seen, especially considering the Giants have become a little more selective in their player-selection process.

WR Breshad Perriman, UCF

Central Florida's Breshad Perriman (6’2”, 212 lbs) is another big, powerfully built receiver with better-than-average explosiveness and an impressive wingspan that allows him to pluck the ball out of the air at its highest point.

Besides being capable of making the tough catches, Perriman is a decent route-runner who can slip by defenders and pick up additional yards after the catch.

Bo Marchionte of NFLDraftScout.com notes that Perriman probably isn’t ready to be a starting receiver in the NFL, but as a potential third receiver, Perriman appears to have more than enough traits and tools with which to work.

It also helps that, as Marchionte pointed out, that Perriman is quickly able to adjust to a new quarterback, building that chemistry that is so important between a signal-caller and his receivers.

That’s a significant intangible as it sometimes can take weeks or months for a quarterback to build up that chemistry and trust with a new receiver, something the “win now or else” Giants really don’t have a lot to spare.

WR DeVante Parker, Louisville

Louisiville WR DeVante Parker (6’3”, 209 lbs) isn’t generating as much top-10 buzz as Kevin White and Amari Cooper, perhaps as a result of a broken bone in his left foot suffered last August that cost him the first seven games of the 2014 season.

Still he could be a name to watch if the Giants are in the market for a receiver in the first round, which is where NFLDraftScout.com projects him to go.

Parker is a tall receiver who, in the six games played last season, averaged seven catches and a shade under 150 receiving yards per game.

Parker runs crisp routes, catches the ball away from his body and has the quickness and elusiveness to pick up yards after the catch, forcing 15 missed tackles out of 43 receptions last year, according to Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus.

If Victor Cruz isn’t ready to start the season—and according to Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin isn’t sure when Cruz will be ready to return—candidates for the Giants’ third receiver would include Preston Parker, Dwayne Harris, Corey Washington and Marcus Harris.

The Louisville rookie would add another dimension to that group, making the Giants receiving corps even more dangerous.

Unless otherwise noted, all prospects scouting reports are via NFLDraftScout.com (Rob Rang and Dane Brugler). All quotes and other information were obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced. 

Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange.  

Follow @Patricia_Traina