GiantNomad Draft+Friends

Here’s the deal. Free agents won’t be signed until the new CBA is finished and any mock draft for the Giants has to be contingent on who they keep, lose and add in free agency. Obviously I can’t provide a complete picture of what’s going to happen, but to supplement this 7 rounder for the G-Men, I’m going to ‘mock’ free agency as well. Its pure conjecture but I enjoy doing it. I also enjoy debating it so...tee off!

NYG Free Agents

Steve Smith (Keep)
-He’ll probably get a one year deal to show he can get back up to speed and then ideally he’ll cash in next year.

Barry Cofield (Keep)
-I don’t think we let Barry Cofield get away this time. I don’t think Reese and company. expected him to play as well as he did when they were shopping him to the Saints last year.

Mathias Kiwanuka (Lose)
-If and only if he can show that he can return to play, some team is going to take a risk and pay him the big bucks. Not too often to you see a guy as versatile as he is. Plus Kiwanuka wants to start and who knows if he’ll get that opportunity with the Giants.

Kevin Boss (Keep)
-Let me be clear, I love Kevin Boss, and he’s a good all-around tight end.  We keep him because of his injury history and regression over the course of last season. I don’t think anybody will drop a significant amount of money on him.

Ahmad Bradshaw (Keep)
-Not many guys in the NFL can break a touchdown every time they get the ball. Fumbling and durability will be an issue but I think that he can excel as part of a backfield tandem. He is a sparkplug for our offense.

Brandon Jacobs (Lose)
-I know he isn’t a free agent, but considering Bradshaw I had to mention Jacobs. We can’t afford to pay both. People say Jacobs is the identity of our offense and he got it together towards the end of last season. That doesn’t a simple fact. Big Jake is an almost 30 year old power-back who takes a lot of hits. To me he doesn’t pass the eyeball test anymore. When he lines up on a 3rd and 1 or a 3rd and 2 are you confident he’s going to get it? A lot of that is down to the offensive line but it seemed to me like he wouldn’t even fall forward.

Big Name Free Agents/Trade Options

I don’t think we get anybody. I think Green Bay moves Charles Woodson to safety alongside Nick Collins and then they add Nnamdi Asomugha. Almost seems unfair right? I think Chad Greenway stays in Minnesota. One wild card is Greg Olsen. He showed how talented he was by having success in a Mike Martz offense despite being a tight end. He isn’t a free agent but he might want to go somewhere more TE friendly.

Alright...take the fake jump for the draft!

Draft

Round 1: Brandon Harris (CB) Miami

I’m annoyed at myself because I didn’t pick Kyle Rudolph, but in the end I don’t think the Giants’ brass value the TE position enough to use a first round pick on him. In his tenure Jerry Reese has only ever gone offense in the first round once. He loves defensive backs early and we’ve got a defensive backs coach for a DC. Brandon Harris is the pick here because he’s (super) fast and a solid tackler. I thought about Jimmy Smith but he seems more like a bump and run kind of guy.

Round 2: Mason Foster (OLB) Washington

I’ve been a big proponent of Bruce Carter in the second and here’s why he isn’t the pick. For some guys that might not have been an issue, but Bruce Carter was an elite prospect because of his athleticism. If he doesn’t have that, then you have a linebacker with marginal instincts. Frankly, it’s too much of a risk for the Giants, a team in desperate need of an outside linebacker worthy of starting in the NFL. Mason Foster on the other hand is not that elite athlete you look for, but he’s got elite instincts, a high motor, versatility and leadership qualities you want to see from the linebacker position. I like him to step in at some point in his first season and take the starting job.

Round 3: Jake Kirkpatrick (C) TCU

Kirkpatrick was a finalist for the Rimington trophy in his first year as a starter. He won it this past year. With all of that being said, he didn’t even play football till his senior year of high school. He’s an intelligent player who’s only going to get better. I personally think that the OTs in this class aren’t worth wasting a pick on. Diehl had a terrible season so hopefully *knock on wood* Beatty unseats him. Shaun O’Hara is done so it’s time to get his replacement.

Round 4: Kendall Hunter (RB) OSU

I know he’s projected to go in the third round, but running backs always fall so here we are. He should do well in a tandem with Bradshaw. His biggest concern was being able to handle an NFL workload but he was successful this season while being the primary back. He’s got excellent vision, which isn’t something I would say about our current backfield. Good speed too, and above average receiver and experience in the return game.

Round 6: Ronald Johnson (WR/KR) USCI

Talk about a need. This guy can turn on a dime. Decent speed.

Round 7: Lawton Scott (NT) Ole Miss

He weighs 322 lbs and has a 65.5 yard kickoff return average. Sure it’s on only two returns, but I think we may have found our replacement for Rhett Bomar! In all seriousness, we probably go with a fullback here.