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BBV Community Mock Draft 2011: With The 52nd Pick, The Giants Select ...

Stefen Wisniewski, C, Penn State. [Full profile]

Yep. Nobody Beats The Wiz. In the guessing game over who I would grab for the New York Giants in this spot those of you (Simms-McConkey) who banked on me taking Wisniewski, the Penn State center/guard, were on the money.

When discussing the draft a few weeks ago Giants general manager Jerry Reese said fortifying areas where the Giants had injury concerns was a priority. Coach Tom Coughlin specifically mentioned the center position, where Shaun O'Hara is coming off two leg surgeries and will be 34. So, getting an interior lineman capable of playing both center and guard -- and getting on the field early in his career -- is a high priority.

I am always a believer in drafting the best player available regardless of position and I believe the Giants try to do that. Let's be realistic about BPA, though. Every NFL team's judgment of the best player available is shaped by its needs and overall philosophy, meaning the way the team plays and the type of players it likes.In other words, the philosophy winds up being 'best player available -- for your football team.'

At this point in our Big Blue View Community Mock Draft Wisniewski is the best player on the board for the Giants. He offers them many things they like, and need. He is the best center prospect on the board -- apologies to Rodney Hudson fans. He offers the Giants the positional flexibility they crave in offensive linemen at two positions where they have questions -- center and guard. He is athletic enough to pull, trap and reach the second level -- something the Giants always seem to look for in their interior linemen.

The one knock on Wisniewski, 6-foot-3, 313 pounds, is that he is not a mauling, push-the-pile run blocker. In reality, what Giants' lineman is? Maybe Shawn Andrews when he is healthy, that's it. Better question is when have the Giants ever drafted the massive, straight-ahead mauler types for the interior of their line? That's not O'Hara's game, or Rich Seubert's, or even Chris Snee's. The Giants want linemen who can move, who can lead, who can get up the field. Even last year's fifth-round pick, Mitch Petrus, is a guy who was a former tight end and has the athleticism to block in space.

Wisniewski offers the Giants the type of interior lineman who seems to fit their profile, and he offers them a player who should be able to get on the field quickly at a position where they have huge question marks. Not much wrong with that, from where I sit.

Were there other players on the board I found it difficult to pass up? Without a doubt.

Passing on Illinois running back Mikel LeShoure was difficult. He's great value at this point in the draft and would fit with the Giants. Yet, you can't run -- or keep Eli Manning in one piece -- if you can't block. There are a plethora of running backs who will be available in Round 3 or later who can plat at the NFL level. In this draft, there doesn't appear to be another NFL-ready center quite like Wisniewski.

Passing on Villanova offensive tackle Ben Ijalana was also not easy. There is no doubt he is a player the Giants are interested in, otherwise they would not have sent four team officials to the Villanova Pro Day. Ijalana has the athleticism, long arms and high upside the Giants love in offensive tackles -- it would be sort of like drafting Will Beatty all over again. With the current state of their offensive line, though, can they really draft a guy they might have to wait two or three years for when there is a player with good value on the board (Wisniewski) at a position of need who can likely help immediately.

The other guy it isn't easy to pass on is Virginia cornerback Ras-I-Dowling. I read a stat the other day that 70 percent of starting NFL corne rbacks arre drafted in the first two rounds. That tells me that if you are going to get a truly good one you better take him early. Again, the value is there and it is at a position I could see the Giants addressing. Yet, I think Wisniewski's value for the Giants as currently constructed is greater at this point in the draft.

OK, gang. The floor is yours. Your thoughts on this pick?

Round 1

Pos Team Player Pos School Drafter
1 Carolina Cam Newton
QB
Auburn
Tito
2 Denver Nick Fairley
DT
Auburn
Mike Fiammetta
3 Buffalo Patrick Peterson
CB
LSU
Bigbluethruandthru
4 Cincinnati Blaine Gabbert
QB
Missouri
BitterEli
5 Arizona Von Miller
OLB
Texas A&M
gmen2thebowl
6 Cleveland Marcell Dareus
DL
Alabama
Bobely
7 San Francisco
A.J. Green
WR
Georgia
Pat19
8 Tennessee Da'Quan Bowers DE
Clemson
RealLT
9 Dallas
Prince Amukamara
CB
Nebraska
Simms-McConkey
10 Washington Julio Jones
WR
Alabama
jcalafiore
11 Houston
Robert Quinn
DE/OLB
North Carolina
daddyzander
12 Minnesota Tyron Smith
OT
USC
RolloT
13 Detroit Anthony Castonzo
OT
Boston College
Ed Valentine
14 St. Louis
Aldon Smith
DE
Missouri
GiantNomad
15 Miami
Mark Ingram
RB
Alabama
HenneGivenSunday
16 Jacksonville Cameron Jordan
DE
California
ct17
17 New England
Mike Pouncey
OG/C
Florida
Ryan Valentine
18 San Diego
J.J. Watt
DE
Wisconsin
Anthony P
19 N.Y. Giants Akeem Ayers
OLB
UCLA
Ed Valentine
20 Tampa Bay
Jimmy Smith
CB
Tampa Bay
willgfass
21 Kansas City
Phil Taylor
DT
Baylor
The Blood Of Eli
22 Indianapolis Gabe Carimi
OT
Wisconsin
dannymac56
23 Philadelphia Nate Solder
OT
Colorado
JimmyK
24 New Orleans
Ryan Kerrigan
DE
Purdue
Charles L.
25 Seattle Jake Locker
QB
Washington
Ejaay
26 Baltimore Justin Houston
OLB
Georgia
LarrySoprano
27 Atlanta Kyle Rudolph
TE
Notre Dame
pataroons
28 New England
Derek Sherrod
OT
Mississippi State
DManInBLUE
29 Chicago Corey Liuget
DT
Illinois You're my boy, Blue
30 New York Jets
Adrian Clayborn
DE
Iowa
PlaxicoBurress
31 Pittsburgh Muhammad Wilkerson
DE
Temple
stephen_ross
32 Green Bay
Danny Watkins
OG
Baylor
NYG28

Round 2

Pos Team Player Pos School Drafter
33 New England
Jabaal Sheard
DE
Pittsburgh
DManInBLUE
34 Buffalo Christian Ponder
QB
Florida St.
Bigbluethruandthru
35 Cincinnati Stephen Paea
DT
Oregon State
Ed Valentine
36 Denver
Brooks Reed
DE/OLB
Arizona
Mike Fiammetta
37 Cleveland Martez Wilson
OLB
Illinois
Bobely
38 Arizona
Ryan Mallett
QB
Arkansas
gmen2thebowl
39 Tennessee Brandon Harris
CB
Miami
RealLT
40 Dallas Cameron Heyward
DE
Ohio State
Simms-McConkey
41 Washington Andy Dalton
QB
TCU
jcalafiore
42 Houston Aaron Williams
DB
Texas
daddyzander
43 Minnesota Rahim Moore
S
UCLA
RolloT
44 Detroit Mason Foster
OLB
Washington
BigBlueIntervention
45 San Francisco
Christian Ballard DT
Iowa
Pat19
46 Denver
Marvin Austin
DT
North Carolina
Mike Fiammetta
47 St. Louis
Randall Cobb
WR
Kentucky
Ed Valentine
48 Oakland Orlando Franklin
G
Miami
G Fan In England
49 Jacksonville
Kelvin Sheppard
ILB
LSU
ct17
50 San Diego
Torrey Smith
WR
Maryland
Anthony P
51 Tampa Bay
Sam Acho
DE
Texas
willgfass
52 N.Y. Giants Stefen Wisniewski
C/G
Penn State
Ed Valentine
53 Indianapolis



dannymac56
54 Philadelphia


JImmyK
55 Kansas City



The Blood Of Eli
56 New Orleans



Charles L.
57 Seattle


Ejaay
58 Baltimore


LarrySoprano
59 Atlanta


pataroons
60 New England



Ryan Valentine?
61 San Diego



Anthony P
62 Chicago



You're my boy, Blue
63 Pittsburgh


stephen_ross
64 Green Bay



NYG28