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We've been spending a lot of time looking at the top of the draft. But what successful teams are built in the middle part of the draft. The Giants had great success in the middle rounds by drafting high-character, high work ethic team leaders in 2014. That philosophy landed them Andre Williams, Nat Berhe, and Devon Kennard in consecutive picks. All of those players gave the Giants significant contributions in the 2014 season.
So with that in mind let's take a look at one of the most "Coughlin" players in the draft, North Dakota State defensive end Kyle Emanuel.
Pros
- Motor runs white hot. Never gives up on a play.
- Solid football IQ. Consistently takes good angles to the ball.
- Very quick feet. Embarrasses D-II tackles
- Very strong work ethic
Cons
- Undersized for a DE at 6-foot-2, 255 pounds
- Short arms, 31 inches
- Played at a lower level of competition
Does He Fit With The Giants?
As a DE? Nope, no way. But as a SAM linebacker, I'll give that a definite "Yuup"
Watching Emanuel at the scouting combine, I was thinking to myself "That guy's a linebacker" even before Mike Mayock brought it up. He has incredibly quick feet and fluid movement skills to hold up in space. He also has plenty of power to stack and shed blocks as a linebacker. He also has that "frenetic" quality to his play that makes me love watching Daryl Washington (when he's not suspended) or Kiko Alonso (when he's not injured).
But what really made me take notice was the note by the crew announcing at the Scouting Combine that while other prospects were watching or relaxing between drills, Emanuel was practicing them. That kind of work ethic and dedication is sure to catch Tom Coughlin's eye, and fit in perfectly with the type of player the Giants have drafted the last two years.
Prospect Video
Big Board Rankings
List here of where he is on BBV/MTD/CBS and maybe a couple of other Big Boards ... like Draft Countdown (one of my favorites) and maybe WalterFootball or one more.
Big Blue View - Not in top 100
Mocking The Draft - Not in top 100
CBS Sports - 209th overall
Draft Countdown - Not in top 100
Draft Tek - 266th overall
Final Thoughts
Kyle Emmanuel won't be a Day 1 or Day 2 pick. He'll probably go somewhere in the fifth or sixth rounds, though he might even go undrafted. But he is a football player, plain and simple, and the kind of player Tom Coughlin loves to have. I also think the can at worst be a good special teamer and a solid back-up SAM linebacker. He won't be a high pick, but if we're using baseball terminology, Emanuel is the guy who will hustle his butt off to beat the play at first to earn the "hit".