New York Giants NFL Draft Big Board: Position-by-Position Rankings

Expect the unexpected.

That statement right there, as stated by New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese during last week’s press briefing, sums up what Big Blue fans can expect when the annual NFL draft kicks off on Thursday night from Chicago.

Sure, teams have planned for every possible scenario out there, but every year there seem to be a couple of events that come out of nowhere and cause the dominoes to fall in a completely different pattern than anticipated.

However, this year’s expectations for the Giants' draft need to be more than “unexpected.” The expectations need to be great.

That is because the Giants have missed the playoffs in five of the last six seasons and have not seen the postseason for three straight years.

Three subpar drafts from 2010 to 2012 yielded very little fruit, forcing this team to rely on veteran free agents perhaps more than it would have liked. Unfortunately, the return on the investments made hasn't quite been as expected.

The Giants have won just 13 of their last 32 games (.406) over the last two years. They have also finished 8-10 against NFC East opponents over the last three seasons, including a dismal 2-4 record last year.

So while Reese is correct in advising to expect the unexpected as far as the draft board goes, Giants fans and team ownership will be expecting a solid class to be officially in the books by the end of Saturday.

Who will be a part of that class? The possibilities are endless, but in order to start shaping ideas, here is a look at what the Giants' big board might look like at positions of perceived need.

Offensive Tackle

On paper, the Giants appear to be one quality starting offensive lineman away from having a significantly improved starting unit. That missing starter is believed to be a right tackle, someone who could push incumbent Justin Pugh inside to left guard, where he might fare better.

In considering offensive tackle prospects, the Giants will probably want to look at both their depth at the position as well as down the line to a replacement for left tackle Will Beatty.

The current depth at tackle consists of journeymen John Jerry and Marshall Newhouse, both of whom should be good short-term solutions if need be but should not be viewed as long-term answers. 

As for Beatty, Over the Cap indicates that 2016 is the first year when he could be cut at a significant cost savings to the Giants.

While the odds of that happening are slim, at some point, the Giants are going to have to think about a replacement for Beatty. According to Pro Football Focus, he was their best offensive lineman last year, and they really don’t have a quality backup for him if disaster should hit.

Might that thought process begin this year with New York taking a pure offensive tackle who can start on the right side and then eventually move to the left?

That certainly wouldn’t be an unexpected occurrence.

1. Brandon Scherff, Iowa

Brandon Scherff, widely regarded as the “safest” offensive tackle prospect in the draft, would be just the kind of road-grading offensive lineman the Giants haven’t really had since former guard Chris Snee was in his prime.

While there remains debate as to whether Scherff’s best position is guard or tackle, a better question to ask is if it really matters as much to a Giants team that actually likes versatile offensive linemen.

2. Andrus Peat, Stanford

As previously mentioned, at some point, the Giants are going to have to think about a replacement for Beatty. Might this year be the year given their top-10 draft status (ninth overall)?

Remember, left tackles don’t grow on trees.

Usually, teams get their left tackles very early in the draft, though sometimes a team can get lucky later on—as the Giants did with Beatty (second round) and David Diehl (fifth round).

So what about Andrus Peat?

While he’s still a little raw in terms of his technique, his size (6'7", 313 lbs) and intangibles might make him too difficult to pass up in the first round—especially if the Giants trade down in the first round with Cleveland, which is a scenario that Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller reports has been floated out there.

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Insider News Update: New York Giants targeting Andrus Peat while Indianapolis Colts like Damarious Randall in the 1st http://t.co/WsOa1XwKIi

— Tony Pauline (@TonyPauline) April 28, 2015"

3. Ereck Flowers, Miami

Ereck Flowers is the biggest of these three options in terms of weight (329 lbs), but Rob Rang and Dane Brugler on CBSSports.com noted concerns about his quickness off the snap. That sounds as though it might take a little more time to fix.

Unfortunately, the Giants don’t necessarily have a lot of time right now given their win-or-else ultimatum from ownership.

Defensive End

Last year, the Giants welcomed their new offensive coordinator, Ben McAdoo, with a first-round playmaker in Odell Beckham Jr. who took the league by storm.

Is there a defensive end who excels as a pass-rusher and run-stopper who might make for a suitable “welcome gift" to returning defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo?

That’s a tough one to answer, as it seems that most of the defensive ends/edge-rushers in this year’s class are better suited for a 3-4 outside linebacker role.

That outside edge-rusher position is likely going to fall to second-year man Devon Kennard, who's projected as the starting strong-side linebacker this year.

Kennard, who could also line up with his hand in the dirt in certain packages, showed some a natural ability and success coming in off the edge last year on passing downs, so it would be a surprise if Spagnuolo doesn’t continue to build on that ability.

As for defensive ends, the Giants will almost certainly add to what they have. Jason Pierre-Paul was franchise-tagged for the season, but his long-term future remains up in the air.

The immediate statuses of Robert Ayers Jr. (pectoral) and Damontre Moore (shoulder) are unclear.

Ayers, who enters the final year of his contract this coming season, had a season-ending injury but did not elect to have surgery, while Moore had a clean-up procedure on his right shoulder, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.

That would leave the Giants with Kerry Wynn and newly signed George Selvie as the only healthy defensive end candidates with game experience—assuming Pierre-Paul waits to sign his franchise tender offer.

Look for the Giants to add to this group, though it would be surprising if they do so in the first round. Still, here’s a look at three prospects who might be a fit.

1. Arik Armstead, Oregon

Arik Armstead—listed as a defensive tackle by NFL.com and a defensive end by CBSSports.com—has the size (6'7", 292 lbs) and quickness to line up at defensive end and potentially move inside on passing downs.

Against the run, Armstead anchors and sheds blockers well, but his technique comes with flaws, most notably a tendency for his pad level to rise when he rushes the passer.

He wrapped up his college career with 16 pressures, 2.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for a loss last season.

His three-year college totals include 87 total tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, 4.0 sacks, two passes defensed and one forced fumble in 39 games played.

2. Preston Smith, Mississippi State 

Preston Smith saved the best for last, racking up 48 tackles, 15 tackles for a loss, 9.0 sacks, two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), three passes defensed and two forced fumbles in his senior season.

According to College Football Focus, he has 42 career pressures in 307 pass-rushing snaps. In other words, he made life miserable for quarterbacks on 13.7 percent of his pass-rushing snaps, registering one pressure every 7.3 snaps.

A three-year starter who was solid against the run, Smith—projected as a second-round prospect—is versatile enough to play both defensive end spots and move inside on pass-rushing downs. That aligns with how the Giants used Justin Tuck and Robert Ayers Jr.

3. Owamagbe Odighizuwa, UCLA 

Owamagbe Odighizuwa sheds blocks well and has the foot speed to get to the ball-carrier. Solidly built and versatile, he can play both defensive end spots but has a limited array of pass-rushing moves and a lackluster first step.

Past injury concerns—he’s had surgeries on both hips—might create reluctance about drafting him, especially if he's viewed as a Day 2 pick.

The good news is that Odighizuwa is still young enough that if those hip issues are behind him, his upside needs to be considered.

Free Safety

New defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has yet to address the media since he was hired in January, so any plans he might have regarding the use of safeties remains to be seen.

One thing that does seem clear is that given the numbers the Giants have on their roster at safety, they’re going to add to this position.

Nat Berhe, Cooper Taylor and Josh Gordy all have NFL experience, though of the three, only Gordy has started.

Chykie Brown and Bennett Jackson, both corners, are trying to learn the safety position so they can compete for a starting job as well.

Of those two, Jackson is a question mark given that he is coming off microfracture surgery and it’s unknown just how much he’s going to be able to do once the players can begin working on the field with their position coaches.

New York might still be planning to bring back Stevie Brown to play free safety. Paul Schwartz of the New York Post reported last week that there is a “good chance” that Brown returns soon to fill the void at FS.

Even if Brown does return, that shouldn’t stop the Giants from adding another free safety—perhaps a Day 2 or early Day 3 pick, depending on how the dominoes fall.

Here is a look at three free safeties who could be on the Giants' radar.

1. Damarious Randall, Arizona State

Damarious Randall is widely regarded as the top prospect at the free safety position despite having played only two seasons in a bigger program following his transfer from the JUCO ranks.

Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com notes that Randall has ideal speed and quickness for the deep safety position and takes proper angles to the ball, which would indicate that not much is going to get past him.

Despite his short collegiate career at ASU, his production is very encouraging. In two seasons, Randall posted 177 tackles, 15 for a loss. He also broke up 12 passes, intercepted six balls, returned two for touchdowns and forced four fumbles.

Where Brugler notes that Randall might fall a little short, besides his height (5'11"), is that he’s not a wrap-up tackler. That could put him at a disadvantage against taller, more physical opponents.

2. Eric Rowe, Utah 

Eric Rowe made the switch from free safety, where he played for three seasons, to cornerback last year, so the versatility is definitely there. The question is, at what position do the Giants see him?

That position could be safety, where Rowe could be a strong Day 2 value pick. In his three years as a safety, Rowe didn’t really show much in the way of being a ball hawk, recording just two interceptions at that position.

However, he is a solid and physical tackler who recorded 202 tackles as a safety, four of which were for a loss, and he broke up 23 passes over that same three-year period.

Because of his versatility, it’s also very possible that the Giants might see extra value in Rowe as a cornerback, which just so happens to be another area of need on the team.

If they believe Rowe can be effective at both positions, Rowe would probably make for a nice Day 2 selection if Randall is off the board.

3. Quinten Rollins, Miami (OH)

The Giants are usually good for a curve ball or two during the draft because they see their needs differently than most everyone outside the organization.

So what if they don’t view the safety position as a pressing need warranting at minimum a Day 2 selection? What if they really do feel good about what they have on the roster right now and are counting on Stevie Brown’s return?

The answer is, they would probably be in position to develop a young player for a year—even if that young player only has limited college experience and played cornerback.

That player is Quinten Rollins, who changed his athletic career path from basketball to football, playing cornerback last season for the Redhawks.

In Rollins’ one year of football, he finished with 72 tackles and had eight interceptions as well as eight passes defensed for a 45.6 NFL rating.

If drafted, Rollins, listed as a top-50 player and the eighth-best cornerback available, could end up following the same path as other raw prospects taken by the second day, such as Jay Bromley, Johnathan Hankins and Linval Joseph.

Defensive Tackle

Despite the team having bodies at the defensive tackle position, it might be a good idea to start planning for 2016.

Johnathan Hankins and Jay Bromley should end up forming the core of the defensive tackle position. Beyond those two, there are a lot of questions.

Cullen Jenkins is in the final year of his contract, and at 34 years old, he’s probably not going to get a second contract from the Giants regardless of what he does this year.

Markus Kuhn is entering his contract year. While he has a good motor and is a workout warrior, he tends to absorb far too many blocks rather than dishing out the punishment.

Kenrick Ellis is a big-bodied (6'4", 346 lbs) space-eater that this defense hasn’t had since the days of Shaun Rogers. However, Ellis is on a one-year, “show me” deal.

Even though Bromley figures into the future, will he be that plugger like Ellis or will his role be similar to Hankins'?

As tempting as it might be to grab Washington’s Danny Shelton if he should fall down to No, 9, the value might not be there for the Giants if he's regarded as more of a pure nose tackle who might be a better fit in a 3-4 defense.

There are two potential 4-3 defensive tackles who are worth considering in Days 2 and 3, however.

1. Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Southern Mississippi

Yes, defensive tackle is a need, but there’s a good chance that the Giants don’t see it as such a pressing that they must fill it by the end of Day 2.

With that said, a prospect such as Rakeem Nunez-Roches, projected as a Day 3 prospect, could be someone worth considering.

In his 2015 NFL Draft Guide, Dane Brugler notes that Nunez-Roches has improved in his pre-snap reads and has a quick first step off the snap. He anticipates well and has the quickness to make stops in pursuit.

While still in need of some additional strength training and refinement in his technique to eliminate some bad habits such as laying into opponents with his shoulder instead of using proper hand punch, there’s much to like about Nunez-Roches as a prospect.

He finished his three-year college career with 103 tackles, including 20.5 for a loss and 4.0 sacks. He only logged one pass defensed, a stat that can be improved if he learns to get his hands up more often and stops relying so much on a spin move to disengage when he’s stonewalled.

2. Eddie Goldman, Florida State 

Eddie Goldman is a two-year starter who is that big-bodied type (6’4”, 336 lbs) teams look to in order to create congestion inside the tackles. He is also versatile enough to play multiple roles on a defensive front, according to Rob Rang of CBSSports.com.

Goldman does come with a red flag regarding his character. According to David Hale of ESPN, he was suspended for a 2013 game as a sophomore for an unspecified violation of team rules.

Goldman finished his three-year college career with 62 tackles in 27 games, including 12 tackles for a loss and six sacks, one pass defensed and one forced fumble.

Goldman is a bit on the raw side—Rang notes that he has to work on getting his hands up when stalled, which would give him a better chance at knocking down passes at the line of scrimmage.

Goldman also has to improve his strength to better handle double-team blocks, another contributing factor that could see him redshirted as a rookie if the Giants take him, just as they redshirted Johnathan Hankins, Jay Bromley and Linval Joseph at that position.

Inside Linebacker

In daily life, age is only a number, and you’re as old as you feel—or something to that effect.

Unfortunately, in the NFL, age is more than just a number. It is often used as a benchmark in determining a player’s future.

That was the case with safety Antrel Rolle. While he had a bit of an off year last season, he probably still has at least a couple of years left in his 32-year-old body that is otherwise free from any major injuries that are common in this sport.

That philosophy about age could also end up driving the Giants’ decision at middle linebacker sooner than later.

Currently, the Giants have Jon Beason, who turned 30 years old in January, as their starter. Unfortunately, over the last four seasons, Beason has become more known for the games he has missed due to injuries than his production.

Having suffered multiple injuries to his lower body, Beason could be considered an “old” 30, though to his credit, he works hard to keep himself in great shape and does what he can to live up to his “beast” moniker.

The likely backup for Beason in the middle is Jameel McClain, a man who will turn 30 right around the time the Giants open training camp.

Initially signed to be the starting strong-side linebacker, McClain filled in for Beason last year when the latter was dealing with a toe problem.

Like Beason, McClain is a passionate leader who is not afraid to be the voice that this defense so desperately needs. 

McClain is also in the final year of his contract. Given the breakthrough made last year by Devon Kennard, who is projected to be the new starting strong-side linebacker, it remains to be seen if McClain has a future as a Giant beyond this season.

The bottom line is the Giants need to start getting younger in the middle.

While it is possible that Kennard could be the future at that position given how well he blitzed from that spot, that move might be hard to make.

J.T. Thomas, the projected starting weak-side linebacker, has played the middle for Jacksonville, but that wasn't his best position.

According to Pro Football Focus, when Thomas had to move to the middle last year, he finished with some of his worst overall grades, registering in the red (negative grade) in four of the seven games played at that position. 

The time to add a new middle linebacker is now, while Beason and McClain are still around to mentor the youngster.

1. Eric Kendricks, UCLA

Eric Kendricks, the younger brother of Eagles linebacker Mychal Kendricks, is a four-year starter and team captain for the Bruins. He is also ranked as the top inside linebacker in this draft.

With good reason. Despite being on the smallish side (6’0”, 232 lbs), Kendricks’ college production—480 total tackles, 26 tackles for a loss, 10 sacks, 12 passes defensed, five interceptions, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries (two returned for touchdowns)—is extremely impressive.

While still in need of additional strength to better shed blockers, Kendricks has all the intangibles that can’t be taught—instincts, football IQ and work ethic have helped him overcome any deficiencies that might be present in his game.

Dane Brugler and Rob Rang of CBSSports.com compared him to Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner.

Projected as the top inside linebacker prospect in this draft, it will be interesting to see if the Giants feel he is a fit for what Steve Spagnuolo plans to do on defense.

2. Stephone Anthony, Clemson

A three-year starter, Stephone Anthony (6’3”, 243 lbs) is one of a small handful of inside linebacker prospects with ideal size for the position.

Anthony finished his four-year college career with 255 tackles, 33.5 for a loss, 9.5 sacks, three interceptions, nine passes defensed and six forced fumbles.

He is another prospect with above-average football IQ and the instincts that can’t be taught. However, Derek Stephens and Rob Rang of CBSSports.com note that Anthony can sometimes get a little antsy against the run, particularly against cutback runners.

Otherwise, he is as complete of an inside linebacker prospect as there is in this class.

3. Denzel Perryman, Miami  

A few months back, it looked like Miami Hurricanes inside linebacker Denzel Perryman’s draft stock would shoot through the roof.

Shaky showings at the combine and his pro day have resulted in his stock tumbling to where he’s now projected as a second- or third-round pick.

Despite being a cerebral player who packs a wallop when he tackles, the biggest question marks about Perryman include his smallish size (5’11”, 236 lbs) and his ability to change direction in coverage, which might make him more of a two-down linebacker in the eyes of some teams.

Perryman finished his college career with 243 career tackles, 22.0 for a loss, 3.0 sacks, two interceptions (one for a touchdown), eight passes defensed and six forced fumbles.

Unless otherwise noted, college stats are via Sports-Reference.com. Advanced analytics are via Pro Football Focus. Draft rankings and projections are via CBSSports.com. Contract information via Over the Cap.

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