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Draft Previews: A look at the offensive tackles

We have been working our way through the Giants' various needs during our draft two-a-days. We've covered, linebacker, cornerback and wide receiver.

Today, let's look at another area of need for Big Blue -- offensive tackle.

The Giants, as most of you know, let starting left tackle Luke Petitgout go at the end of last season. His backup, Bob "Head Butt" Whitfield then retired.

Unless the Giants can find a franchise type left tackle in this draft you will likely see left guard David Diehl slide over to tackle, with Rich Seubert moving in at guard.

I'm OK with both of those moves, as Diehl and Seubert are both good players. If a franchise left tackle is sitting there when the Giants pick at No. 20 on Saturday, however, they will have to think about it. Those players are not easy to find.

The players considered the best offensive tackles in the draft -- Joe Thomas of Wisconsin and Levi Brown of Penn State -- will likely be gone by the time the Giants select.

Tackles like Joe Staley (Central Michigan), Aaron Sears (Tennessee) and Tony Ugoh (Arkansas) are also often mentioned as first-round possibilities.

Staley's name is the one most often associated with the Giants. He is a 6-foot-6, 306-pounder. Here is part of his bio from NFLDraftCountdown.com.

Is an amazing athlete for the position with feet that are second to none...Timed speed, agility and quickness are outstanding...Moves well in open space and can get to the second level...Shows the ability to change direction and adjust on the fly...Good intangibles with a motor that is always running...Smart player who picks things up quickly and has shown consistent improvement...Still has lots of upside.

Following are some expert looks at the various tackles available in this year's draft.

-- NFL Draft Countdown
-- Yahoo! Sports
-- ESPN Insider
-- Gil Brandt, NFL.com