New York Giants Mock Draft: B/R Community Top 100 and 7-Round Results

When New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese said to expect the unexpected in the draft, he sure wasn’t kidding.

After several attempts at creating mock draft scenarios for the New York Giants last week, the 32 B/R NFL draft correspondents engaged in a community mock draft exercise in which we selected the first three picks for our respective teams.

In watching the draft unfold—there were no trades allowed in this mock draft—there were surprises.

Lots of surprises.

In approaching the picks, I tried to marry best available player with a position of need in the first three rounds. Then, in Rounds 4-7, the draft correspondents and I simply picked players who hadn’t been selected in the top 100 to fill out the rest of the mock draft. 

Did the dominoes fall the way I hoped?

Not at all.

Do I have a better appreciation for what NFL general managers go through on draft weekend?

You better believe it.

So without any further delay, here is a look at how the first three rounds went and the impact they had on the remaining four rounds.  

Round 1

No. 9, Kevin White, WR, West Virginia

In the first round, I intended to select an offensive tackle.

However, when receiver Kevin White fell to No. 9, I went with the receiver.

While offensive line and defensive line were the greater needs, the receiver seemed to be the no-brainer. Safety is a greater need as well, but there just weren’t any safeties I thought were worth a first-round pick

Despite the optimism that Victor Cruz has expressed about his rehab and being ready for opening day—optimism that he expressed as recently as last Thursday in a media briefing with reporters—I tend to agree with general manager Jerry Reese when he says that you can’t put all your eggs in that one basket.

Then there is a matter of Rueben Randle. Randle, for most of his career, has run hot and cold.

With him entering a contract year this coming season, logic would dictate that he will cut down on the mistakes, be where he’s supposed to be and avoid drawing partial-game benchings, as he did twice last year for violating team rules that at this point in his career he should be able to recite in his sleep. 

However, just as the Giants can’t count on Cruz being 100 percent this coming season, I don’t think Randle has proven that he can be counted on week in and week out, despite his claims in the past of wanting to ensure he does all the little things to reach his full potential.

Even if Randle does have a breakout year, with the Giants likely facing decisions concerning defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, cornerback Prince Amukamara and quarterback Eli Manning, who are going to receive a large chunk of the estimated $60,440,186 salary-cap space that Over the Cap projects for 2016 if retained, there is always a chance that they won’t be able to afford Randle if he lives up to his potential.

The selection of White gives the Giants a solid fallback option in case Cruz isn’t ready this year and Randle slips back into poor habits that have made him so frustrating to watch.

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
1	Buccaneers	Jameis Winston	QB	Florida State
2	Titans	Marcus Mariota	QB	Oregon
3	Jaguars	Dante Fowler Jr.	DE	Florida
4	Raiders	Leonard Williams	DT	USC
5	Redskins	Brandon Scherff	OL	Iowa
6	Jets	Vic Beasley	OLB	Clemson
7	Bears	Amari Cooper	WR	Alabama
8	Falcons	Bud Dupree	DE	Kentucky
9	Giants	Kevin White	WR	West Virginia
10	Rams	Andrus Peat	OT	Stanford
11	Vikings	Marcus Peters	CB	Washington
12	Browns	DeVante Parker	WR	Louisville
13	Saints	Shane Ray	DE	Missouri
14	Dolphins	La'el Collins	OL	LSU
15	49ers	Trae Waynes	CB	Michigan State
16	Texans	Breshad Perriman	WR	UCF
17	Chargers	Danny Shelton	DT	Washington
18	Chiefs	Randy Gregory	LB	Nebraska
19	Browns	Todd Gurley	RB	Georgia
20	Eagles	Jake Fisher	OL	Oregon
21	Bengals	Landon Collins	S	Alabama
22	Steelers	Kevin Johnson	CB	Wake Forest
23	Lions	Malcom Brown	DT	Texas
24	Cardinals	Cameron Erving	OC	Florida State
25	Panthers	Ereck Flowers	OT	Miami (FL)
26	Ravens	Jaelen Strong	WR	Arizona State
27	Cowboys	Byron Jones	CB	Connecticut
28	Broncos	T.J. Clemmings	OT	Pittsburgh
29	Colts	Arik Armstead	DE	Oregon
30	Packers	Owamagbe Odighizuwa	OLB	UCLA
31	Saints	Eric Kendricks	LB	UCLA
32	Patriots	Melvin Gordon	RB	Wisconsin

Round 2

Matt York/Associated Press

No. 40, Damarious Randall, FS, Arizona State

Before anyone thinks that the 40th overall pick is too high to spend on a free safety, there are two numbers you need to know. 

The first is 62, which is the number of big-play passes of 20 or more yards allowed by the Giants defensive secondary, tying them for third-most in the NFL with Arizona and New England.

The second is 13, the number of bigger-play passes of 40 or more yards allowed by the Giants defense, tying them for seventh in the NFL. 

When your defensive secondary is giving up the big plays over the top, you’re not going to go very far.  Whether those big plays were a result of scheme, talent, luck of the Irish or all of the above, that needs to change this year if this team truly aspires to return to the postseason.

After failing to land free agent Devin McCourty, the Giants abandoned their plan to pick up a veteran free safety in free agency because Reese said the team felt there was a drop-off after McCourty. 

That brings us to the draft. In this round I tried to marry a need with the best player available. That led me to free safety Damarious Randall.

Even if the Giants do re-sign veteran Stevie Brown, who, per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, visited with Houston last week, they still need a solid young free safety to help fill out the depth chart.

Randall (5’11”, 196 lbs) just so happens to be NFL Draft Scout’s top-ranked free safety and its 41st best prospect.

While I would normally scoff at picking a safety so high in the draft, based on how the mock draft has gone so far, I have concerns about the defensive front.

First, there were very few true 4-3 edge rushers that fell down to the Giants in the first round, and as I noted on the previous slide, Kevin White was too hard to pass over.

If I’m New York’s brass, and I can’t address the defensive front in the first round of the draft, then I look to address the back end in the second round, especially given the big-pass play problems the defense had last year.  

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
33	Titans	Jalen Collins	CB	LSU
34	Buccaneers	Ty Sambrailo	OL	Colorado State
35	Raiders	Nelson Agholor	WR	USC
36	Jaguars	Dorial Green-Beckham	WR	Oklahoma
37	Jets	Laken Tomlinson	OG	Duke
38	Redskins	Ameer Abdullah	RB	Nebraska
39	Bears	Eli Harold	OLB	Virginia
40	Giants	Damarious Randall	S	Arizona State
41	Rams	D.J. Humphries	OL	Florida
42	Falcons	Eric Rowe	S	Utah
43	Browns	Donovan Smith	OT	Penn State
44	Saints	Phillip Dorsett	WR	Miami (FL)
45	Vikings	Stephone Anthony	LB	Clemson
46	49ers	Preston Smith	DE	Mississippi State
47	Dolphins	Devin Funchess	WR/TE	Michigan
48	Chargers	Tevin Coleman	RB	Indiana
49	Chiefs	Eddie Goldman	DL	Florida State
50	Bills	A.J. Cann	OG	South Carolina
51	Texans	Bernardrick McKinney	OLB	Mississippi State
52	Eagles	Devin Smith	WR	Ohio State
53	Bengals	Maxx Williams	TE	Minnesota
54	Lions	Duke Johnson	RB	Miami (FL)
55	Cardinals	Ronald Darby	CB	Florida State
56	Steelers	Nate Orchard	DE/LB	Utah
57	Panthers	Jay Ajayi	RB	Boise State
58	Ravens	Clive Walford	TE	Miami (FL)
59	Broncos	Grady Jarrett	DT	Clemson
60	Cowboys	TJ Yeldon	RB	Alabama
61	Colts	Paul Dawson	LB	TCU
62	Packers	P.J. Williams	CB	Florida State
63	Seahawks	Carl Davis	DL	Iowa
64	Patriots	Tre Jackson	OG	Florida State

Round 3

No. 74, Rob Havenstein, OL, Wisconsin

Since my objective was to come away with an offensive lineman by the end of Day 2, and since there was a run on offensive linemen after my first-round selection of receiver Kevin White—Ereck Flowers, Andrus Peat, La’el Collins, Jake Fisher, T.J. Clemmings, Ty Sambrailo, and Laken Tomlinson all came off the board between my first- and second-round picks—I went for what I thought was the next best available.

That prospect would be Rob Havenstein of Wisconsin (6’7”, 321 lbs), rated as the 12th best offensive tackle prospect by NFLDraftScout.com. According to Dane Brugler, Havenstein is a physical mauler who projects to right guard in the NFL.

While I would have preferred a pure offensive tackle, given Justin Pugh’s versatility and experience at right tackle, I wouldn’t be completely against leaving him there again this season.

As for Havenstein, I’m not sure he would be a Day 1 starter, at least not right away.

First, I would want him to learn to play left guard because Geoff Schwartz’s best position is at right guard.

In a worst-case scenario, remember that Schwartz last year was initially pegged to play left guard before injuries interrupted his first season as a Giant.

Second—and this isn’t the desired scenario, but it might have to do for the short-term—I’d plug John Jerry into the starting lineup again with the hopes that having renovated two-thirds of the offensive interior plus getting a healthy and stronger Justin Pugh might help to mask any deficiencies Jerry brings, especially in run blocking.

Again, it’s not an ideal scenario, but considering Brandon Mosley disappeared from the competition last year while CFL offensive line star Brett Jones could be a year away from being ready to contribute as a starter, there doesn’t seem to be a better option absent a trade or another veteran shaking free during the summer.

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
65	Buccaneers	Rashad Greene	WR	Florida State
66	Titans	Cedric Ogbuehi	OT	Texas A&M
67	Jaguars	Jeremy Langford	RB	Michigan State
68	Raiders	Ali Marpet	OG	Hobart College
69	Redskins	Danielle Hunter	DE	LSU
70	Jets	Tre McBride	WR	William & Mary
71	Bears	Jaquiski Tartt	S	Samford
72	Rams	Sammie Coates	WR	Auburn
73	Falcons	Mitch Morse	OG	Missouri
74	Giants	Rob Havenstein	OT	Wisconsin
75	Saints	D'Joun Smith	CB	Florida Atlantic
76	Vikings	Shaq Thompson	OLB	Washington
77	Browns	Jordan Phillips	DT	Oklahoma
78	Saints	John Miller	OG	Louisville
79	49ers	Denzel Perryman	ILB	Miami (FL)
80	Chiefs	Tyler Lockett	WR	Kansas State
81	Bills	Bryce Petty	QB	Baylor
82	Texans	Doran Grant	CB	Ohio State
83	Chargers	Hau'oli Kikaha	OLB	Washington
84	Eagles	Quinten Rollins	CB	Miami (OH)
85	Bengals	Za'Darius Smith	DE	Kentucky
86	Cardinals	David Cobb	RB	Minnesota
87	Steelers	Jeff Heuerman	TE	Ohio State
88	Lions	Josh Shaw	CB	USC
89	Panthers	Michael Bennett	DT	Ohio State
90	Ravens	Derron Smith	SS	Fresno State
91	Cowboys	Trey Flowers	DE	Arkansas
92	Broncos	Henry Anderson	DE	Stanford
93	Colts	Mike Davis	RB	South Carolina
94	Packers	Brett Hundley	QB	UCLA
95	Seahawks	Alex Carter	CB	Stanford
96	Patriots	Kenny Bell	WR	Nebraska
97	Patriots	Ifo Ekpre-Olomu	CB	Oregon
98	Chiefs	Senquez Golson	CB	Ole Miss
99	Bengals	Steven Nelson	CB	Oregon State
*100	Titans	Nick O'Leary	TE	Florida State

 *First pick of Round 4.

Round 4

No. 108, Gabe Wright, DT, Auburn

In the fourth round, I’m going back to the defensive side of the ball with my selection of Auburn defensive tackle Gabe Wright (6’3”, 300 lbs).

My first choices at this position, Leonard Williams (Southern Cal) and Danny Shelton (Washington), were snapped up at No. 4 and No. 17, respectively.  Malcolm Brown (Texas) was also taken in the first round, No, 23 overall.

Also factoring into my decision to wait until Day 3 to grab a defensive tackle is the presence of Kenrick Ellis and Jay Bromley.

The biggest need the Giants had at the defensive tackle spot prior to the start of free agency was to find a plugger who could clog the inside running lanes. That role will likely fall to Ellis.

Bromley, at least right now, is a bit of an unknown. He has spent part of the offseason training with teammate Jason Pierre-Paul in Florida, telling Giants.com’s Dan Salomone that he focused particularly on improving his speed and explosiveness.

“Everything is based off getting out of your stance and being explosive and being strong with your lower body.

“It was really about making sure your core was strong because that’s the foundation of everything else,” Bromley told Salomone. “Your core being strong, your legs being strong, and continuing to work on your flexibility.”

Listed at 6’3”, 306 pounds, Bromley might be a little light to be that big-bodied plugger that Ellis is projected to be, though Bromley is projected to be a part of that defensive tackle rotation.

As for Wright, he too is a bit on the light side at 300 pounds and may need a year’s worth of seasoning before he is ready to contribute on a regular basis in that defensive interior.

If a young defensive tackle was to be taken and had a solid enough summer, I could potentially see him pushing either Cullen Jenkins or Markus Kuhn off the roster.

Round 5

No. 144, Nick Boyle, TE, Delaware

On the surface, tight end doesn’t appear to be a major need right now.

Down the line, however, that could change. 

Larry Donnell, last year’s starter, is entering his third season this year. If the Giants truly believe he is their tight end of the future, they won’t have to worry about him going anywhere for at least another two seasons.

The same can’t be said of Daniel Fells, who, although re-signed for the coming season, is entering his eighth year and is probably not the answer as far as the long-term future is concerned.

Ditto for Adrien Robinson, the fourth-round pick in 2012 dubbed the “Pierre-Paul of tight ends” given his size and athleticism. Robinson, who finally made it through an entire season healthy, started to show flashes at the end of last year, but the jury is still out as to whether he can build on what he started.

Delaware’s Nick Boyle (6’4”, 268 lbs) is an intriguing prospect at this position.

Besides having more than adequate size for the position, the Wantage, N.J., native is a solid blocker, a former team captain and a competitor, who, according to Bo Marchiante of NFL Draft Scout has “all the intangibles, upside and potential,” which would make him a steal in the fifth round.

Round 6

No. 186, Jake Ryan, OLB, Michigan

Despite going on a mini spending spree this offseason to add depth at linebacker, the Giants need to look to toward the future.

Both Jameel McClain and Jon Beason are on the wrong side of 30, with McClain entering the final year of his contract this season and Beason having a $6.566 million cap number in 2016, per Over the Cap, a number that would yield a $5.1 million cap savings if Beason’s contract is terminated.

While the ideal scenario is for Beason to make it through a 16-game season this year and play well enough to justify playing out his contract, given his injury history, the odds are against him.

The same might hold true for McClain, the charismatic multipurpose linebacker who, while showing more durability, might be phased out after this year if the Giants get younger at this position. 

Also not a sure thing to see the end of his contract is Mark Herzlich, who this offseason signed a two-year deal.

Primarily a depth player whose primary role is on special teams, the Giants should at the very least be able to upgrade that spot with another high-motor type who, like Herzlich, eats, breathes and sleeps football.

A prospect who fits that description is Michigan’s outside linebacker Jake Ryan, a former team captain who, like Herzlich, has experience playing inside and outside, though the latter is his better position. Ryan’s stock might have dropped a bit given that last season was his first back from a torn ACL.

Although not extremely athletic, Ryan plays an instinctive game. According to Dane Brugler of NFL Draft Scout, Ryan is an overachiever with a high football IQ, qualities that make him a poor man’s Chase Blackburn.

If Ryan finds his way onto the Giants, figure he will primarily be used on special teams as a rookie.

Looking ahead to 2016, it would not be surprising if the Giants move on from Beason and/or McClain, move Devon Kennard to the middle and, if he’s progressed by then, insert Ryan at the strong side where he can use his strengths to blitz. 

Round 7

No. 226, Jamon Brown, OT, Louisville

As the draft churns to the final round where the Giants will have two picks—their own and Denver's, acquired last year in exchange for kicker Brandon McManus—my first pick in this round is a flier on another offensive lineman who is a clear developmental project.

That lineman is Jamon Brown (6’4, 323 lbs) out of Louisville. Brown is a big man who at the very minimum can get in people’s way and whom Rob Rang of NFL Draft Scout notes has shown the ability to dominate as a run-blocker.

However, based on the clip shown above, Brown appears to be carrying excess weight around his middle, which could be a contributing factor to his tiring late in games. 

Rang also noted that Brown has balance and agility issues, again something that can probably be fixed once an NFL team gets him into the training facility and on the right path.

While veterans John Jerry and/or Marshall Newhouse serve as the first off the bench (assuming Jerry isn’t starting again this year) at offensive tackle, a prospect such as Brown should be able to benefit greatly from a year in an NFL weight training and conditioning program. 

Ultimately, Rang believes Brown might be better off moving inside to guard, but it would be interesting to see how well he progresses in his rookie season and if some of the rough spots in his game are corrected by the start of his second season.

Round 7 (from Denver)

No. 245, John Crockett, RB, North Dakota State

With my second pick in the seventh round, I’m taking another flier on a player, this time a running back.

This year’s running back class is deep, and given the pounding players at this position take, by adding another running back to the mix, worst-case scenario is that if he doesn’t make the 53-man roster and he clears waivers, he can be added to the practice squad.

That brings us to the pick itself, North Dakota State’s John Crockett (6’0”, 217 lbs). Crockett is a productive running back who is physical, durable, and shifty.

Per Dane Brugler of NFL Draft Scout, Crockett’s 795 career touches are the fourth-most of the top-25 running backs in this year’s class. With that said, Brugler notes that Crockett comes with quite a few rough edges.

His biggest flaw is that he runs too upright, which makes him vulnerable to the big hit and prevents him from squirming his way through creases.

Crockett also sometimes hesitates in picking out the correct holes, thus bringing into question his vision, and, as Brugler notes, he has a history of academic issues, which may be a potential cause for concern from a commitment perspective.   

Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes and information were obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced. 

Follow @Patricia_Traina