5 Best Options for New York Giants with the No. 9 Pick in 2015 Draft
In less than two weeks, the New York Giants will be on the clock with a decision to make—their first-round selection of the 2015 NFL draft.
The Giants own the ninth overall pick in this year's draft. It will be the team's first top-10 pick since 2004, the year New York traded fourth overall selection Philip Rivers and draft picks for first overall selection Eli Manning.
That 2004 draft changed the course of pro football history and sent the Giants on a Super Bowl-winning trajectory.
Will the 2015 draft have a similar effect on the franchise?
It can, if Big Blue makes the right pick. This slideshow will highlight five options for the Giants to consider with the No. 9 pick in this year's draft.
1. Brandon Scherff, OL, Iowa
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If Iowa's Brandon Scherff is not at the top of New York's draft board, the team might be overthinking it.
Chris Snee's retirement last August left a vacancy at right guard that was inadequately filled by John Jerry. Pass protection wasn't perfect, but the weakest point of New York's offensive line in 2014 was Jerry's inability to run-block. The team averaged only 3.6 yards per rush attempt, ranking 30th in the NFL.
Now, the Giants have a franchise right guard staring them in the face—an ideal replacement for Snee.
Scherff played most of his college career at left tackle and dominated. He was a unanimous first-team All-American and the winner of the 2014 Outland Trophy, which goes to the best interior lineman—offensive or defensive—in college football.
Those who are bugged out by Scherff's potential transition from tackle to guard as a pro are overlooking the fact that he could probably start immediately at any of the five O-line positions for the Giants. Guard is his best fit, and it just so happens to be New York's biggest need on offense.
Scherff (6'5", 319 lbs) owns the weight room just like he owns stray defenders who get in his way. Ask Rashad Jennings, Andre Williams or Shane Vereen: There's a good chance all three would enjoy running behind a guy who can hang clean 443 pounds three times.
Perhaps, the Giants lean toward a skill-position player here. Sure, the selection of Odell Beckham Jr. earned the team plenty of highlight-reel plays and an Offensive Rookie of the Year award. But what was the end result? A 6-10 team that couldn't run the ball.
Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys picked an All-Pro guard in Zack Martin and made the playoffs.
2. Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
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The Giants already have some pegs in place on the defensive side of the ball. However, if Johnathan Hankins can bump over and be the team's 3-technique tackle of the future, that opens up the possibility of drafting a space-eating nose tackle.
Washington's Danny Shelton can be that guy for New York.
With Steve Spagnuolo taking over as the Giants defensive coordinator for the second time in his NFL coaching career, he's going to need an impact rookie to build around. The team afforded offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo that exact luxury in his first season with the team by selecting Odell Beckham Jr. 12th overall.
When rebuilding a defense, the best place to start is in the middle.
Shelton (6'2", 339 lbs) would be the biggest guy New York's had on the D-line in quite some time. He is the same height as Hankins, with 20 extra pounds of girth. Last season, the Giants allowed 4.9 yards per rush attempt, the worst average in the league. With Shelton and Hankins teaming up to clog the middle, the team will not suffer a similar embarrassment in 2015.
The impact would go beyond the run defense, if the Giants were to select Shelton with the ninth overall pick. New York's pass-rushers sometimes go through dry spells, but two-man efforts to slow a tackle of Shelton's size could create more one-on-one opportunities for the ends. Or, of course, he could get after the quarterback himself.
Hankins is already a fine pass-rusher from his defensive tackle position, finishing the 2014 season with an impressive 7.0 sacks. Throw Shelton, who had 9.0 sacks as a senior last season, into the mix and the Giants would suddenly have an interior force to fear.
3. Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
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It's a fair criticism to say that even the best guard's value isn't worth a top-10 pick. But that doesn't mean the Giants should skip over Iowa's Brandon Scherff and spend the ninth overall pick on a wide receiver for the sake of playmaking ability. There are other options that better address New York's needs without sacrificing value.
One such example would be to draft an offensive tackle, such as Miami's Ereck Flowers.
Not many outlets rank Flowers as a top-10 draft prospect, but the Giants have taken an obvious liking to him. Jordan Raanan of NJ Advance Media claimed to have intimate knowledge of New York's interest in Flowers earlier this month, writing that the Big Blue brain trust compares him to "last year's top linemen."
Raanan is confident enough to predict that Flowers will be New York's first-round pick. In an interview with Charlie Campbell of WalterFootball.com, Flowers said he had dinner with representatives from the Giants after the Miami pro day and he has a predraft visit set up with the team.
If the Giants do, in fact, select Flowers, a position shift will ensue. At 6'6" and 329 pounds, Flowers is a true tackle. He's going to displace the current starter at right tackle, Justin Pugh, who is two inches shorter and nearly 30 pounds lighter. While Pugh has held his own on the edge, Giants general manager Jerry Reese didn't rule out moving him to guard when asked about that possibility earlier this offseason, per Nick Powell of NJ Advance Media.
Flowers was a solid O-lineman in college, but the Giants' unmatched interest in him certainly causes one to wonder—what do they see in him that few others see?
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4. Vic Beasley, DE/OLB, Clemson
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The Giants didn't draft a pass-rusher last year, so Jerry Reese must be starving for another sack master. There's a good chance he's sizing up the top prospects in this year's draft class with the ninth overall pick in hand, especially since 2013 third-rounder Damontre Moore has been slow to develop into a productive professional.
Given how enamored the general manager can be by unique athleticism, Clemson's Vic Beasley is probably the pass-rusher Reese desires most.
Beasley was a top performer in every single workout at the NFL Scouting Combine. From his 4.53-second 40-yard dash to his 35 repetitions on the bench press to his 130-inch broad jump, Beasley never ceased to impress the coaches, scouts and executives in attendance at Lucas Oil Stadium.
At only 246 pounds, Beasley projects as a 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL. The Giants shouldn't write him off, though. Just look at his insane college production, most of which came with his hand in the dirt.
Through four seasons at Clemson, Beasley set the program's all-time record with 33 sacks. He also collected 101 tackles, more than half of which came behind the line of scrimmage (52.5). Twice, Beasley was a consensus first-team All-American.
He might not be around when the Giants pick, but he would be the closest thing to an Odell Beckham Jr.-caliber weapon for Steve Spagnuolo. The defensive coordinator could get creative with his pressure packages, rushing Beasley out of two- and three-point stances to maximize his potential.
While Beasley's size (6'3", 246 lbs) is sure to be a concern if he ends up with the Giants, it's worth noting that he's a thicker guy than Moore, who's rather lanky at 6'5" and 250 pounds.
5. Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State
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Don't count out cornerback when it comes to pick No. 9 in this year's draft. On paper, the Giants appear set with Prince Amukamara and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie as the two starters, but the former is going into a contract year, and neither player is immune to injury.
The Giants might consider Michigan State's Trae Waynes with their first-round pick in 2015.
It's a deep draft for cornerback talent, and Bleacher Report Draft Analyst Matt Miller ranks two corners—Washington's Marcus Peters and Florida State's Ronald Darby—ahead of Waynes. However, Nick Powell of NJ Advance Media insists Waynes is the guy New York likes and names him as the team's dark-horse first-round option.
It's hard to argue with Waynes' physical ability. He has good height at 6'0" and plays much larger than his 186 pounds would suggest. Waynes will willingly compete—and win—in press coverage, thanks to his 4.31-second 40-yard dash speed, which allows him to recover when he's beaten.
Even Miller admits Waynes has "the best pure potential of any cornerback in this class."
So, while Waynes may not have an island named after him as a rookie, he'll get receivers stuck in Waynes' World. If the season were to begin today, the Giants' starting slot cornerback would be Trumaine McBride, who's nearing his 30th birthday and only played in six games last year.
The Giants don't have a ton of depth at cornerback, either. Their top reserves are Jayron Hosley, Chandler Fenner and the recently added Josh Gordy.
Even if Waynes can't snag a starring role as a rookie, the youth infusion is something New York needs desperately at the cornerback position.
Kevin Boilard writes about the New York Giants at Bleacher Report.
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