New York Giants 2012 NFL Draft Grades: Solid Marks From The Judges

Sunday I gave you Mel Kiper's take on how the New York Giants fared in the 2012 NFL Draft. Here are some of the NFL Draft grades and opinions from other draft analysts and NFL experts.

NFC East draft analysis - NFC East Blog - ESPN
Nobody in this division does the draft better than the Giants, and it'll be worth remembering that the wide receiver (LSU's Rueben Randle) they picked at the end of the second round was a player they considered taking at the end of the first. Randle is a dynamic talent who now gets a chance to develop behind brilliant and selfless starting wideouts Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz and with the help of quarterback Eli Manning, who has an outstanding record of getting the best out of his receiving targets. Randle could not have been drafted into a better spot for his own development, and he could potentially be an immediate asset for the Giants in the passing game, since he can play the outside spot vacated by free-agent defector Mario Manningham and allow Cruz to stay in the slot position from which he exploded onto the scene in 2011. The Giants managed combine need picks and value picks at almost every turn in this draft, and their second-rounder may turn out to be their biggest prize.

NFL Draft highlights brainpower gap between haves, have-nots - NFL - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com
Entering this draft the Patriots and Giants were the best teams in football. Leaving this draft, the Patriots and Giants are the best teams in football. They only got stronger. That's because they know what the hell they're doing. The Patriots' defense last season was like something from a sitcom. So what does Bill Belichick do? He drafts a quartet of defensive players in the first three rounds. Imagine if even half of them catch on. The Patriots went to a Super Bowl with no defense. What happens if they get one?

The Giants lose guard, er, runner Brandon Jacobs so they pick up back David Wilson. They lose Mario Manningham, and get wide receiver Rueben Randle from LSU. That's how you draft.

If there was a one percent in the NFL it would be these teams: Giants, Patriots, Packers, Steelers and Ravens. They stay at the top (mostly) because at times like this weekend, they make the smartest choices, and those choices have a positive impact for years.

Grading the Draft -- NFC Teams - CBSSports
New York Giants: A - ... Every year it seems the Giants find a falling star in the first round. They have done the same in 2012. Running back David Wilson wasn't widely projected as a first-round pick, but he registered more yards after contact than any other runner in the 2012 draft, including Trent Richardson. Considering the physicality of the NFC East division, that toughness should serve him well as a compliment to Ahmad Bradshaw.

2012 NFL draft -- The most impactful and intriguing picks in the NFC - Todd McShay
Impact pick: WR Rueben Randle (second) -- He's still developing as a route-runner and will never be dynamic after the catch, but Randle has great size and deceptive speed. He can be a good vertical threat and a nice complement to Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz. He needs to get stronger and work hard on the finer points of receiver play, but if Randle responds well to the environment created by head coach Tom Coughlin and QB Eli Manning, he will be a big-time weapon in the passing game.

Intriguing pick: OT Brandon Mosley (fourth) -- Mosley has only been an offensive tackle since signing with Auburn out of junior college in 2010, but he started 11 games that season during the Tigers' national title run and the arrow is pointing straight up. Mosley has good size, and the athleticism to have played tight end and defensive end in junior college. He's quick, has enormous hands to lock on to defenders, a powerful upper body and a nasty streak. There are some concerns about how quickly he can absorb an NFL playbook, but if he can push for a starting job in 2013, it would be a huge boost for a team with plenty of issues up front.

NFL draft grades: Sporting News
New York Giants (B-plus) Key picks: RB David Wilson, WR Rueben Randle. The Super Bowl champs don't have any glaring weakness, so they simply gave Eli Manning improvements over Brandon Jacobs and Mario Manningham.

2012 NFL Draft Grades – Sports Illustrated
Honestly, their worst pick might have been their first one: RB David Wilson (32) has playmaking ability, but he might struggle to make an impact in his rookie season. It was gem after gem from then out: WR Rueben Randle (63), CB Jayron Hosley (94) and OT Brandon Mosley (131) standing out. Grade: B-plus