2011 Senior Bowl: 10 Players The New York Giants Will Have Their Eyes On

With the 2011 Senior Bowl to take place later this week, NFL scouts and self proclaimed draft experts will be watching to see which players are ready to take the next step, and which players will hurt themselves with a poor performance.

I'm sure the Giants' scouts will be on hand watching every single player, but you can be sure they will have their eye on a certain amount of particular players.

I'm here to guess 10 of those players, and here they are.

Casey Matthews LB, Oregon

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GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 10: Casey Matthews #55 of the Oregon Ducks looks on against the Auburn Tigers during the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game at University of Phoenix Stadium on January 10, 2011 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Get

It's insane the amount of men in the Matthews family have played in the NFL. Grandfather, father, uncle (hall of famer), and brother all play or played in the NFL (fun fact, his cousin Jake was the starting right tackle for Texas A&M as a freshman and has a future in the NFL). With a pedigree such as that, how can you ignore a chance to see how the younger brother of the NFL Defensive Player of the Year?

Well, you can't, and everyone will be on hand to see another dominating performance from the Oregon Duck. Matthews played out of his mind in the BCS National Championship game, putting his team in position to tie the game with a key forced fumble late in the contest.

Nobody expect Oregon's defense to hang with Auburn's offense, but they did just that and it was due to the play of Matthews.

Second team All-American, First team All-Pac 10, Semifinalist for Butkus award, finalist for Lott Impact Defensive Player of the Year.

Ross Homan LB, Ohio State

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CHAMPAIGN, IL - OCTOBER 02: Ross Homan #51 of the Ohio State Buckeyes awaits the start of play against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium on October 2, 2010 in Champaign, Illinois. Ohio State defeated Illinois 24-13. (Photo by Jonathan Danie

Ross Homan led Ohio State to one of the best run defenses in the country, holding opponents to 94 yards per game and only three yards per carry.

Although he is a bit undersized, he possesses a tenacity and toughness necessary to be successful at the next level.

Greg Jones LB, Michigan State

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EVANSTON, IL - OCTOBER 23: Greg Jones #53 of the Michigan State Spartans awaits the start of play against the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field on October 23, 2010 in Evanston, Illinois. Michigan State defeated Northwestern 35-27. (Photo by Jonathan Dan

I guess you are seeing a theme here with all these linebackers. I fully expect the Giants to address that one spot because it was the only weakness on a defense that played very well over all.

Greg Jones is quicker than the other two and would help more in the passing game. Don't get me wrong he can still help stop the run, but if you had to name a strength it would definitely be his ability to cover runningbacks and tight ends.

If you need any convincing he is a great player, just take a look at his accolades.

First team All-American (twice, unanimous in 2010), First Team All-Big 10 (three times), 3rd all time in tackles at MSU, semifinalist for Butkus, Bednarik, and Lombardi awards.

Dwayne Harris WR/KR, East Carolina

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BLACKSBURG, VA - SEPTEMBER 18: Wide receiver Dwayne Harris #17 of the East Carolina Pirates catches a touchdown pass as cornerback Rashad Carmichael #21 of the Virginia Tech Hokies defends at Lane Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Blacksburg, Virginia. (

Harris is someone who could come in and fix the Giants' return game right away but also provide them with yet another receiving threat. He left East Carolina as the school's leader in receptions and yards, totaling over 3000 receiving yards in his four years.

His speed is what scouts will be drooling over, but they may be impressed with his hands as well. He led the C-USA in receptions and was fourth in the nation in all-purpose yards.

Kendall Hunter RB, Oklahoma State

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LAWRENCE, KS - NOVEMBER 20: Running back Kendall Hunter #24 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys carries the ball during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks on November 20, 2010 at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Hunter could be considered the best running back over the past two seasons behind Oregon's LaMichael James. He was an All-American in both 2009 and 2010, had 20 games of 100 or more yards in his career, and finished fourth in school history with 4,181 rushing yards.

Hunter could be the home run threat the Giants have been missing from their offense. They seemed to find one in the passing game with Mario Manningham, who had touchdown receptions of 85 and 92 yards in the final two weeks, but they have lacked a home run threat since Tiki Barber retired after the 2006 season.

He finished 2010 with 1,548 yards and 16 touchdowns, and if he was healthy in 2009 he might have approached Barry Sanders' school records, which is insane to think about.

Noel Devine RB, West Virginia

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LOUISVILLE, KY - NOVEMBER 20: Noel Devine #7 of the West Virginia Mountaineers runs with the ball during the Big East Conference game against the Louisville Cardinals at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium on November 20, 2010 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo b

Most known for his speed and versatility, any offensive coach would want Devine on his team. He is another player the Giants could be looking for as a home run threat. At the next level Devine doesn't project to be a No. 1 back, so it's a good thing the Giants really don't need him to be.

He was also an outstanding kick returner, leaving West Virginia as the school's leader in all-purpose yards with 5,716. His 4,315 rushing yards rank third in school history and fourth in the history of the Big East.

Devine was an All Big East player three years in a row and despite being undersized would be a great weapon for Big Blue.

Ronald Johnson WR/KR, Southern California

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LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 30: Ronald Johnson #83 of the USC Trojans celebrates his two point conversion for a 32-29 lead over the Oregon Ducks during the third quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 30, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Phot

Johnson is another player the Giants would look for to fix their return game. I don't imagine he would have as much of a chance to crack the depth chart as a wide receiver as Harris would, but he could make the roster as a late round pick unless something changes with his draft stock.

Johnson made his living making big plays for the Trojans; his 21 career touchdowns have an average of 24.1 yards per touch

Derek Sherrod OT, Mississippi State

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TUSCALOOSA, AL - NOVEMBER 15: J.C. Brignone #70 and Derek Sherrod #79of the Mississippi State Bulldogs get ready on the line of scrimmage during the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium on November 15, 2008 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Sherrod projects as one of the best offensive tackles in this year's draft, so all scout's eyes will be on him, not just the Giants. He was an All American in 2010 and All-SEC two years in a row while a three year starter for the Bulldogs.

He leaves MSU as one of the most decorated lineman in their history.

The Giants offensive line is getting older and the organization will look to build for the future in the next couple drafts. In fact, Walter Football projects the Giants taking three offensive lineman in the first four rounds.

My mock draft wasn't that heavy on offensive line, but I can't lie it seems like the main weakness right now.

Clint Boling OL, Georgia

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ATHENS, GA - NOVEMBER 21: Clint Boling #60 of the Georgia Bulldogs against the Kentucky Wildcats at Sanford Stadium on November 21, 2009 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Probably the most subtle yet exciting thing about Boling is the fact that I could not limit his abilities by listing him at a certain position on the offensive line in the title of the slide, I simply had to put "OL" because of how versatile he was while at Georgia.

He started all 13 games for the Bulldogs in 2010: six at left tackle, five at right guard, and two at right tackle. Even with all of this, he was named an All-SEC second team player, as well as making the team as a left guard in 2009. He finished his career with 49 starts, essentially starting every game he was healthy since he was a freshman.

There is a reason guys like Boling start in the SEC from start to finish of their collegiate careers—they have talent.

D.J. Williams TE, Arkansas

The 2011 Mackey Award winner for the best tight end in the country has all the tools to be successful at the next level. Not only was he facing tough SEC defenses week in and week out while dominating in the receiving game, but he is a fantastic blocker that will take the pressure off Kevin Boss.

I'm not sure the Giants would reach for a tight end in the first round, but if he is sitting there in the middle of the second round the Giants may not pass up the opportunity to take him.