Position-by-Position Breakdown of New York Giants' Top Combine Targets
After a short hiatus, the NFL is back on center stage this week in Indianapolis, where personnel from all 32 clubs will gather to get their first look at the 300-plus college prospects who have declared for the 2017 NFL Draft.
The New York Giants tend to leave no stone unturned when it comes to personnel, but realistically, there are some prospects who are likely to draw a little more attention than others.
The Giants' current projected needs lie mostly on the offensive side of the ball, though depending on what happens in free agency, they might need to add a player or two on the defensive side.
This analysis looks at the perceived needs on offense, covering a group of players who might just be among those who draw additional attention from general manager Jerry Reese, head coach Ben McAdoo and company in the coming week.
Offensive Tackles
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One of the biggest mistakes the Giants made last year was not adding an offensive tackle to a group that consisted of Ereck Flowers, Bobby Hart, and veterans Marshall Newhouse and John Jerry.
Yes, the Giants did try—they flirted with Russell Okung, who is set to hit the market once the Denver Broncos officially pass on picking up his option, per Fox Sports' Jay Glazer.
However, instead of settling on anyone to provide competition for Flowers, the Giants stuck with the No. 9 overall pick from the 2015 draft at left tackle, and left Newhouse as their right tackle until an injury opened the door for Hart.
Fast forward to this year. Newhouse and Jerry, the team's starting right guard who can also play offensive tackle, are both headed to free agency, with Jerry having the better chance of being re-signed as a depth player.
At tackle, the Giants must get competition for Flowers, who in two years has progressed at a snail's pace.
The Giants could be looking to get a veteran in free agency, but they would also do well to add a tackle in the draft, if possible, just in case Flowers doesn't work out for them,
On the surface, the offensive tackle draft class isn't exactly overflowing with blue-chip prospects that are locked in as first-round picks, but there are a few who might be of interest to the Giants.
Ryan Ramczyk, 6'5", 314 pounds, Wisconsin
Ryan Ramczyk ranks as NFL Draft Scout's top offensive tackle prospect. He played 14 games at left tackle and was a proverbial human brick wall; per College Football Focus, he allowed one sack, three hits and eight hurries in 2016.
Duke Manyweather, a noted offensive-line scouting consultant who recently appeared on the "Breaking the Plane" podcast hosted by Jon Ledyard and Matt Williamson, said of Ramczyk (h/t Big Blue View): "He has the traits there as far as physical traits, and then when you marry that with how technically sound he is in almost every aspect it just jumps off the screen."
Cam Robinson, 6'6", 310 pounds, Alabama
Cam Robinson is another college left tackle who did a better than average job of keeping his quarterback clean. He allowed just one sack, two hits and 11 hurries in 996 snaps.
However, his off-field issues—a May 2016 arrest for alleged possession of narcotics and felony illegal possession of stolen firearms, according to Michael Casagrande of AL.com—could give the Giants some pause if he's there at No. 23.
Garett Bolles, 6'5", 296 pounds, Utah
Garett Bolles isn't an experienced starter, but NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah believes Bolles, whom he ranks 28th out of his top-50 draft prospects, is a diamond in the rough:
"He has good size and length for the position. In pass protection, he is quick out of his stance and bends naturally. He has a sharp, tight punch and a firm anchor. He does get caught oversetting at times, which produces some inside pressure on the quarterback. He has good football awareness considering his limited experience.
In the run game, he has knock-off power and shows some nastiness to finish to and through the whistle. He does get overextended at times, but I love his tenacity. Overall, Bolles has some things to clean up but he has starting left tackle ability.
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Antonio Garcia, 6'6", 308 pounds, Troy
Antonio Garcia hails from the same program that produced defensive end Osi Umenyiora more than a decade ago. A college left tackle, Garcia did not allow a sack in 2016 after allowing eight sacks in 2014 and 2015 combined.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com noted that Garcia—who, after missing time in his freshman seasons due to injuries, was a picture of durability the rest of his college career—is the type of prospect that "a team could look to draft and stash him based on his starter's traits and ability," which might make him the perfect backup plan if Flowers doesn't work out.
Tight Ends
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With apologies to Jerell Adams—drafted in the sixth round last year who may well develop into a stud for the team—the last time the Giants had any luck with a drafted tight end was in 2007 when they plucked Kevin Boss out of Western Oregon.
Other than Adrien Robinson (fourth round, 2012), a bust, the Giants have tried to get by mostly with undrafted free agents at the position, such as Jake Ballard (a success until he was injured) and, more recently, Larry Donnell and Will Tye.
With the tight end's role evolving in today's NFL, the position has become one in which relying on undrafted free agents to be the starter probably isn't the best approach.
If the Giants want their offense to start humming, it's time they got themselves a big tight end who can roam up the seam and open things for Odell Beckham Jr. and the rest of the receivers. With a well-stocked draft class at this position, it would be a stunning development if the Giants don't grab a tight end at some point in their first three picks.
O.J. Howard, 6'6", 249 pounds, Alabama
O.J. Howard is widely regarded as the top tight end prospect in this draft class, according to NFL Draft Scout, NFL.com and Ourlads.
Ourlads noted that Howard has "steadily improved" over his collegiate career, adding that the big tight end is "a dangerous and rare athlete for the position when he gets the ball in his hands" who can "outrun defensive backs in space and has added strength and power to his arsenal."
In an article published before the 2016 college season, Pro Football Focus named Howard as one of four candidates to be the next Rob Gronkowski, the Patriots dynamic tight end.
In the last three years, Howard caught 75.9 percent of his pass targets for 1,494 yards (787 after the catch), with just five touchdowns and six dropped passes.
David Njoku, 6'4", 240 pounds, Miami FL
In two college seasons, David Njoku posted 64 receptions for 1,060 yards with nine touchdowns.
On the negative side, he has only caught 60.4 percent of his pass targets over that time span, his 62.2 percent catch rate putting him 19th out of 27 draft-eligible college tight ends who have played in at least 60 percent of their school's offensive snaps. Njoku also has seven career drops over that same period.
It's also important to note that Njoku split the tight end duties while at Miami for a couple of years, lining up in-line and in the slot, per Dane Brugler of NFL Draft Scout (h/t CBS Sports).
It's that in-line blocking experience that no doubt might be extra attractive to the Giants, who desperately need consistent and solid run-blocking from the tight ends to help give their running game a chance.
Gerald Everett, 6'4", 240 pounds, South Alabama
During the Senior Bowl, Everett told NJ Advance Media's Connor Hughes that while he would be happy regardless of which team drafts him, "The Giants are atop of my list."
But is he atop of the Giants list? That might have been the case in January, according to Tony Pauline of Draft Analyst, but with the combine and pro days still on the schedule, a lot can—and will—change over the next few weeks.
As for the 6'4" Everett, whom Zierlein compared to receiver Brandon Marshall, a few knocks on him have been about his route running, which could be a reason behind him being the intended target on six interceptions and for having eight drops over the last three seasons.
Quarterbacks
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Starting quarterback Eli Manning, 36 years old, isn't getting any younger. Eventually the day is going to come when the Giants will have to move on from the only signal-caller they've known since midway through the 2004 season.
In the meantime, they need to start thinking about a successor. Ryan Nassib, whom they traded up to draft in 2013, isn't that guy, and is headed to the open market to see if he can land with a team where he can compete for a starting job.
Thirty-year-old Josh Johnson, whom the Giants kept on their 53-man roster last season, is also set to hit the open market, though he probably has the better chance of the two backup quarterbacks to be re-signed. As for the long term, he's probably not the guy to succeed Manning either.
The Giants needs to start thinking about tomorrow today; the problem is this year's quarterback class doesn't appear to be brimming with blue-chip options.
That's OK; so long as Manning continues his iron-man streak, the Giants could conceivably come away with a player who isn't quite ready to step in this year, but who has a solid foundation on which to build.
Jerod Evans, 6'4", 230 pounds, Virginia Tech
For as good as Manning has been for the Giants, one area that he never quite mastered was being mobile, a skill that seemingly has become prominent among the quarterbacks of today's game.
A mobile quarterback such as Jerod Evans could be a nice change of pace. Although the 23-year-old only has one year playing with the Hokies—he was a JUCO transfer—he set several school records which include rushing yards by a quarterback (846), in addition to touchdown passes (29), passing yards (3,546), total offense (4,392), completions (268) and rushing yards by a quarterback (846).
His mobility has helped him escape pressure, a key if the Giants offensive line continues to struggle to provide consistent pass blocking. Per PFF, Evans posted a 121.4 passer rating when blitzed.
He also showed he's capable of making the deep throws, particularly outside the numbers on passes of 20-plus yards, he has a passer rating of 149.3 (left side) and 109.7 (right side).
DeShone Kizer, 6'4", 230 pounds, Notre Dame
DeShone Kizer, ranked as NFL Draft Scout's second-best quarterback prospect, checks all the boxes for a quarterback: arm strength, size, character and competitiveness.
The biggest potential drawback with Kizer, as noted by NFL Draft Scout's Dane Brugler, is that the quarterback played in a zone-read scheme.
Zone-read quarterbacks often struggle with reading defenses and with their decision-making. Kizer was no exception, as Brugler noted.
The good news, if he should be selected by the Giants, is that he is said to have the football IQ necessary to work on reading pro defenses.
He would also have time on his side to improve his reading of defenses to where he potentially cuts down on the mistakes his college tape has shown.
Nathan Peterman, 6'3", 225 pounds, Pittsburgh
Pitt's Nathan Peterman, a two-year starter for the Panthers who spent the first two seasons of his college career at Tennessee, is an intriguing quarterback who has seen his college production rise since transferring.
His 2016 season numbers included 201 completions out of 334 attempts for 3,008 yards, but he was also victimized by 24 dropped passes, per Pro Football Focus.
Peterman also has some mobility, having rushed for 518 yards on 157 carries with four touchdowns over the last two seasons.
Ranked as NFL Draft Scout's sixth-best quarterback prospect, Brugler noted in his scouting report that Peterman has some rough edges that include erratic ball placement and a tendency to bird-dog his reads.
On the plus side, Brugler praises Peterman for having the maturity and commitment necessary to work on his game.
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Running Backs
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The Giants parted ways with running back Rashad Jennings after three underwhelming seasons in which he only managed to make it through one full 16-game season.
In fact, during Jennings' tenure with the team, the best that the Giants running game could do in terms of league rankings was finish 18th in the 2015 season.
While the running game's struggle isn't all on Jennings—you can point to the offensive line and the tight ends as culprits as well—a running back has to have quick-twitch feet and the vision to make something out of nothing.
The Giants are looking at Paul Perkins, who showed flashes of being able to do just that, as a piece of the puzzle. They might add a veteran during the second wave of free agency as well, if they have cap space.
Although the Giants have devoted a draft pick to the running back position in four of their last five draft classes, it's been hit-or-miss as far as those backs being able to transfer their college production to the field.
Still, if at first you don't succeed, try again, especially in a draft class where there appears to be quite a few promising prospects at this position.
Kareem Hunt, 5'11", 208 pounds, Toledo
Kareem Hunt led all draft-eligible running backs with 1,473 yards on 261 carries, with 907 of those yards coming after contact.
His 76 broken tackles is the second best total among the draft-eligible running backs. By contrast, the Giants running backs combined for just 31 broken tackles last season, one of the many reasons why the running game seemed to leave a lot of yards on the field.
Christian McCaffrey, 6'0", 197 pounds, Stanford
Christian McCaffrey is the son of one-time Giants receiver Ed McCaffrey (1991-1993), but it's another former Giant of whom the younger McCaffrey stirs up memories, according to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com—running back Tiki Barber.
NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah describes McCaffrey as "one of the most versatile playmakers in the entire draft" who "runs routes like a receiver."
Over the last three years, McCaffrey has caught 85.5 percent of his pass targets for 1,212 yards, an average of 12.1 yards per reception, with 1,076 of those yards coming after the catch. Versatility like that has been missing from the Giants offense.
Dalvin Cook, 5'11", 213 pounds, Florida State
Keeping along the same vein regarding running backs who can make tacklers miss and pick up additional yards after contact, there is FSU's Dalvin Cook, who, in 288 carries, rushed for 1,764 yards (6.1 per carry) with 92 broken tackles and 1,208 yards after contact.
His broken tackles and yards after contact are tops among draft-eligible running backs who played in at least 75 percent of their team's offensive snaps.
Cook is a compact, yet powerful runner, whom Jeremiah believes might be one of the fastest players in the 2017 draft class.
Receivers
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When a team lacks a physical receiver on the outside, that creates two significant issues. First, it potentially allows defensive backs to reroute those receivers toward the sideline if not out of bounds.
Second, when there is downfield blocking to be done to help the running game, chances are the team just isn't going to get it from a smaller receiver who can't match up in the physical aspect of the game.
Per Pro Football Focus, none of the Giants receivers stood out in the blocking department last year.
As for the guys who played on the outside, other than Odell Beckham Jr., neither Victor Cruz nor Roger Lewis, the two guys who primarily played on the outside in addition to Beckham, posted an NFL Rating of at least 90.
It would be surprising if the Giants draft a receiver on the first two days, not with the more pressing needs at tight end, offensive line and, potentially, defensive end (if Jason Pierre-Paul leaves in free agency).
Head coach Ben McAdoo has shown patience in developing young prospects who are ready to roll their sleeves up and work. That's why Lewis and Tavarres King are both likely to get more opportunities throughout the spring.
Still, a little competition never hurt anyone, which is why it would not be a surprise if the Giants add a receiver later in the draft.
Chris Godwin, 6'1", 205 pounds, Penn State
(Note: NFL.com has Godwin listed as 5'11", but his official college bio and NFL Draft Scout both have him as 6'1").
Chris Godwin is one of those players who might go into draft weekend as an underrated prospect, but who could ultimately end up making some team very happy with his versatility if he can transfer his college production to the NFL gridiron.
Godwin caught 59 of 92 pass targets last season for 982 yards and 11 touchdowns (seven of which came on the deep ball).
That was good enough for a 135.1 receiver rating, the seventh-best mark among draft-eligible receivers with at least 25 percent of their team's receiving targets.
Godwin has also earned positive grades as a downfield blocker, again an underrated part of a receiver's game. Last season, he earned his highest grade from Pro Football Focus.
There are two negatives to Godwin's game. He has had 11 drops over the last two seasons, and, according to Sports-Reference.com, he hasn't participated as a return specialist on special teams, something that might have to change when he gets to the NFL.
Zay Jones, 6'2", 202 pounds, East Carolina
Sometimes, it's not about who has the most talent, but rather who has the most heart.
That would seem to apply to East Carolina's Zay Jones. The 21-year-old, who recorded 1,744 receiving yards, caught 73.1 percent of his pass targets, the best among draft-eligible receivers who played at least 75 percent of their team's snaps in 2016.
That's not bad considering Jones, at least in the opinion of Zierlein, possesses average playing speed and lacks a second gear.
What Jones is said to have is tremendous drive to succeed. Considering he wouldn't have to be a No. 1 or No. 2 receiver in the Giants offense, a high-character player such as Jones might well be worth taking a flyer on.
Mack Hollins, 6'4", 210 pounds, North Carolina
Mack Hollins was never a featured player in the Tar Heels' offense, but when the ball did come his way, he was productive enough.
His pass targets have declined in each season since 2014, and with that, his receptions and yardage. However, it is worth noting with Hollins that 24.6 percent of all his receptions over that period (81) have resulted in touchdowns.
What Hollins—who is inexperienced running a variety of routes, according to Zierlein—can't contribute on offense, he can more than likely make up for on special teams as a potential gunner.
Unless otherwise noted, all advanced analytics are from Pro Football Focus and all draft prospects' heights and weights are from NFL.com's Combine section.
Patricia Traina covers the New York Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes and information were obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced.
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