Draft Prospects Who Could Be a Fit for the New York Giants Defense

The New York Giants need a lot of help to repair a team that, for the third year in a row, underperformed.

So as new head coach Ben McAdoo puts the finishing touches on his staff ahead of next month’s scouting combine, the Giants personnel department, along with those of the other 31 NFL teams, is spending time in Mobile, Alabama this week at the annual Senior Bowl practices.

As New York's scouts keep watch for the next Odell Beckham Jr., here’s a look at some college prospects, all on the defensive side of the ball, given that the Giants defense is in bad shape, who would probably look pretty good in Giants blue.

ILB Reggie Ragland, 6’2”, 252 Lbs., Alabama

From the school that brought Giants fans safety Landon Collins, now comes Reggie Ragland, whom NFL Draft Scout (via CBS Sports) summed up as a “do-it-all linebacker for Nick Saban’s defense.”

Think about that for a moment. When was the last time the Giants had a linebacker who was a “do-it-all” prospect able to cover, shed blocks and make tackles in run support?

While you’re going back—way back—in the Giants' annuals for the answer, if they were to land Ragland, he would instantly give Steve Spagnuolo’s defense a much-needed shot in the arm.

For one, Ragland could finally put a stop to allowing tight ends to roam free. B/R's Matt Miller, in a futures piece, notes of Ragland:

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One area where Ragland already stands out in college is when he’s playing zone coverage and attacking the pass. He’s quick, and the instincts and football IQ needed to flow with the ball and jump routes are definitely there to be developed by 2020.

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Ragland also has solid football know-how that gets him into position to come up with difference-making plays, particularly in coverage.

Ragland would allow the Giants to keep linebacker Devon Kennard at the strong side, where his blitzing ability would probably be wasted if he were to move inside as I suggested could be a possibility. Also, Kennard could handle the play-calling for the defense while the rookie comes up to speed.

With Ragland as a projected first-round pick, it might be time for the Giants to end their ridiculous aversion to drafting linebackers in the first round—their last such pick came in 1984 when Carl Banks was sitting there—and start addressing a unit that, ever since Jerry Reese became general manager, has been assembled with low-round picks, veterans past their prime, undrafted free agents and free agents no longer wanted by other teams.

DE Joey Bosa, 6’5”, 275 Lbs., Ohio State

Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Joey Bosa, at least physically, has the size the Giants typically seek in their defensive ends.

A poor man’s Jared Allen in his prime, according to Dane Brugler of NFL Draft Scout (via CBS Sports), Bosa brings toughness, just enough quickness and advanced technique for a college prospect that should enable him to hold his own against NFL tackles.

With Jason Pierre-Paul still a big question mark as he continues to have surgeries on his damaged right hand—surgeries which, by the way, don’t guarantee that he’ll be able to be the Pierre-Paul of old—and with Robert Ayers Jr. on the wrong side of 30, the pass-rushing cupboard is bare, save for maybe Owa Odighizuwa, whose rookie season was wiped out due to injuries.

Bosa appears to have all the tools to only get better. The only question is whether he’ll fall to the Giants at No. 10.

FS Jalen Mills, 6’0”, 196 Lbs., LSU

The Giants might have some still-untested and young talent at safety in the form of Nat Berhe, Bennett Jackson, Justin Currie and Mykkele Thompson, but it remains to be seen if any of those four players can be complementary deep center fielders to Landon Collins—that is if all of them are able to come back at 100 percent from their respective injuries.

So why leave anything to chance here and find themselves in a situation where they have to pick up veterans off the street who are well past their prime?

If LSU’s Jalen Mills, projected by NFL Draft Scout to be a second- to third-round pick, is sitting there on Day 2, snatching him up could be a huge step in the right direction in getting a true free safety.

According to Brugler’s initial scouting report on Mills, the youngster, once a teammate of Odell Beckham Jr., has been described as being “an extra coach on the field.”

That description should make Coach McAdoo happy as he has said that he wants to surround himself with fundamentally sound players who are also intelligent.

If Mills has any drawbacks, it’s that he’s not particularly strong in run defense, according to Brugler. No matter, though. With Collins having shown himself to be solid up by the box and with Berhe and Thompson projected to be more of box safeties, as long as Mills can keep up with tight ends roaming up the seam, that would be a step in the right direction.

CB Vernon Hargreaves III, 5’11”, 199 Lbs., Florida

If the Giants decide to move on from cornerback Prince Amukamara—not re-signing him would be a surprise, by the way—a potential candidate to replace him could be Florida Gators cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III.

An impact player from Day 1 when he started as a freshman, Hargreaves excels both in pass coverage and in run support.

Although he’s not of ideal height at 5’11”, he plays bigger than his physical size and he plays a smart, physical game, according to NFL Draft Scout’s Rob Rang (via CBS Sports), who wrote of Hargreaves:

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Scouts will also appreciate that unlike some of the other highly regarded defensive backs throughout the country, Hargreaves is far from just a cover corner. He's very aggressive in run support, fighting his way through blocks and showing zero hesitation in taking on bigger ballcarriers. On most occasions, Hargreaves makes the effective stop, often significantly cutting short the yards gained in impressive fashion.

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Amukamara, remember, offered that same combination of run support and coverage. But his inability to stay on the field makes him a risk to sign to a big-money, long-term contract.

Although teams like to pick on rookies, especially rookie cornerbacks, Hargreaves’ physical style could be a perfect match for a Giants defense that needs some new life.

DT Jarran Reed, 6’3”, 313 Lbs., Alabama

Another position that the Giants need to restock is defensive tackle, where unrestricted free agents such as Cullen Jenkins and Markus Kuhn are unlikely to re-sign and where late-season pickup Barry Cofield, if re-signed, is not a long-term answer.

Ideally, the Giants probably hoped to pair defensive tackles Jay Bromley and Johnathan Hankins, but it spoke volumes that Bromley wasn’t able to beat out Kuhn for defensive snaps.

Regardless, if the Giants want to beef up the defensive interior, Alabama DT Jarran Reed is an absolute beast against the run and a big-bodied type who can eat up space.

Per College Football Focus, Reed had the best run-stop percentage of any interior defensive lineman (13.4 percent) who took at least 50 percent or more of his team's snaps. He also ranked fourth in that same grouping with 33 stops, and he posted zero missed tackles.

In addition to having good athleticism, Reed has decent quickness and mobility for a man of his size, so much so that he could ultimately become a three-down player in the NFL.

Rob Rang and Dane Brugler of NFL Draft Scout (via CBS Sports), note that Reed “displays terrific sense perception to feel moving bodies around him, muddying the middle of the line and forcing offenses to run outside the hashes.”

Put a solid, athletic linebacker corps behind a such a player, and the Giants run defense suddenly becomes that much more stout.

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 me on Twitter @Patricia_Traina.