Big Blue View Mailbag: More NFL Draft questions

It is time for another edition of the Big Blue View Mailbag. Questions for this one were solicited from Twitter. Here goes:

@bigblueview will the lack of a minicamp hurt guys like Kennard who might need that extra look at their skills before workouts? #bbvmailbag

— Brandan Edwards (@consciousb) May 16, 2014

Answer: That is an interesting question, and it's one we really won't know the answer to until the season starts. The Giants made the calculated decision to throw the rookies right into the fire with the veterans right away because of the late NFL Draft on the theory that it was the best use of time for the entire team. The good part is the Giants have a fifth preseason game due to being in the Hall of Fame game, so the young guys will get more actual playing time than normal before the season starts. The lateness of the draft is, I believe, one of the reasons the Giants placed such a value on intelligence and leadership skills. These guys have less time to learn, so they need to be able to soak up information quickly.

@bigblueview have you heard anything about what the gmen would have done if Lewan was on the board at 12? Would they take him over ODBJ

— Eddie Bouton (@gbouton2011) May 16, 2014

Answer: There is no way to know that, although I have a pretty strong suspicion based on everything else the Giants did in the draft. Every player they selected was a leader on their college team and what they called a "clean" player. Before the draft I thought there was no way the Giants would pass on Taylor Lewan if he was available at 12, but now I'm not so sure. For all his talent and all the scouts and personnel types I talked to who minimized character concerns about Lewan, he was neither a leader nor a "clean" player. I suspect they might well have gone ahead and chosen Odell Beckham Jr. even with Lewan still on the board.

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