The annual SB Nation bloggers mock draft has been in full swing for a while, with the New York Giants pick being announced on Wednesday. Chris did the honors this year, and wound up selecting Wisconsin offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk [Prospect Profile] at No. 23.
Here’s why:
I was really hoping to get an playmaker with this pick, but my top options of Christian McCaffrey, Dalvin Cook, David Njoku, O.J. Howard, and Haason Reddick were all off the board. So instead we go with the boring and predictable pick of Ryan Ramczyk. The Giants’ offensive line woes have been well documented, as have their problems in the run game. All of these offensive tackles have issues, but Ramczyk has a chance of being the best of the bunch. He is a good pass protector and tenacious run blocker who has the frame, strength, technique, and movement skills to bookend with Ereck Flowers for a long time.
This might be something of a boring pick, but with the free agency addition of D.J. Fluker, the Giants have five (or more) young and talented linemen to build a cohesive line. They would also (finally) be able to run to both sides, not just to the left.
My other options were linebacker Zach Cunningham, safety Jabrill Peppers, and offensive lineman Forest Lamp. Peppers is a favorite of mine, but the Giants’ stacked secondary makes that difficult to justify, and while they need linebacking help, the defense needs the offense to carry its weight more. Lamp was a tough choice, but while he is the cleaner prospect, I believe his future is inside at guard. If Fluker works out, he might be left miscast outside where Ramczyk has a higher upside.
Valentine’s View
I can already see the derisive “hey Ed, you trained him well” comments coming. Anyone who has been here for a while understands how I feel about the importance of building the offensive line.
In case you are wondering, Chris and I did discuss this pick, though Chris made the final call. It won’t surprise anyone, though, that I agree with the decision.
It might have been really nice to get a big-time offensive weapon like McCaffrey or Njoku, but that wasn’t in the cards. What happened was that not a single offensive lineman came off the board in the first 22 picks. You don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, and when you have a major need on the offensive line and have the chance to pick whichever guy you want to fill that need you don’t pass it up.
Thus, Ramczyk was the logical pick. Not sexy, but in this instance I think Chris made the right move.