It is time to start our 2011 NFL Draft prospect profiles. As much I would rather be talking about getting ready for the NFC Championship Game, that's not where we are. We might as well start talking about specific players.
As I start this, I am going to plead again for civility as the draft approaches. No one here is an NFL general manager. No one has access to all of the information general manager Jerry Reese, coach Tom Coughlin and all of the Giants scouts look at. No one knows exactly how they view players they currently have.
What we all have are opinions. Let's try to share them in a friendly manner. Let's try not to get hung up on "this is the guy the Giants absolutely have to draft" or "this is the position they absolutely have to take first." Relax, this will be a lot more fun. All we are trying to do here is learn a little bit about players who might be available to the Giants and who might be of interest this April. That way, when the draft does come along we can discuss it in some sort of an educated manner.
Let's start this with a discussion of Anthony Castonzo, an offensive tackle from Boston College. Castonzo is a guy many of the early mock drafts have going to the Giants in the first round, 19th overall. SB Nation's Mocking the Draft rates him as the No. 2 offensive tackle prospect in the draft, and that would make sense as we know the Giants need to revamp their offensive line.
So, let's look at a handful of early Castonzo scouting reports.
Anthony Castonzo
OT, Boston College (Sr.)
Size: 6-foot-7, 295 pounds
Scouting Reports
From Draft Countdown:
Fantastic program pedigree and is the next in a long line of top BC blockers, following in the footsteps of guys like Tom Nalen, Pete Kendall, Damien Woody, Marc Colombo, Dan Koppen, Chris Snee, Jeremy Trueblood, James Marten, Josh Beekman and Gosder Cherilus --- Is battle-tested after facing elite pass rushers such as Gaines Adams, Derrick Morgan, Allen Bailey, Robert Quinn and Da'Quan Bowers during college career and holding up well --- Could project to either left or right tackle at the next level --- Not incredibly talented or physically imposing but gets the job done as a pass protector and run blocker while overcoming weaknesses with first-rate intangibles --- Not flashy but should be a quality starter in the pros for a really long time.
From Sideline Scouting:
Positives: Intelligent, heady... Very good athlete... Solid pass blocker... Plays with good overall technique... Natural knee bender... Good length and long arms... Agile with reasonably quick nimble feet... Good initial quickness, sets up quickly... Good body control... Quick kick step... Good lateral movement and slide... Good blocking range... Does a real good job mirroring defenders... Solid run blocker... Very good short area quickness... Carries his pads well... Does a good job bringing his feet along with him... Gets into defenders quickly... Solid strength at POA.
Negatives: A little thin, needs to add 12-15 lbs... Needs to improve his footwork, especially when re-setting against speed rushers... Not real strong or powerful... Needs to improve lower body strength.
The floor is yours, Big Blue View amateur general managers.