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The general consensus from outside the New York Giants organization is that they need another piece to complete their offensive line. Whether that means left guard, right guard, or right tackle will largely be determined by how the Giants feel about Geoff Schwartz and Justin Pugh.
We've gone back and forth over the top prospects at offensive line, to the point of devolving into increasingly painful puns with regards to one of them. So let's take a look at a Day 2 prospect who is somehow lumbering under the radar, Donovan Smith of Penn State.
Pros
- Ginormous human being. Stands 6-foot-6, 340 pounds, and plays up to his size
- Long arms (34 3/8 inches) and big hands (10 5/8 inches) means he can control defensive lineman
- Plays with power and tenacity. When he locks his block in, the play's over for that defender
- People mover who plays through the whistle
- Started 31 games
- Intelligent, graduating with a degree in criminology
Cons
- A bit lumbering, probably doesn't have the feet to stay outside.
- Technique inconsistencies
- Can get a bit lost in space
- A bit slow on pulls
Does He Fit With The Giants?
At tackle, no. Smith might be able to hang as a right tackle, but Justin Pugh is (much) better there.
At guard, however, I think he could be a Day 1 starter. The Giants seem to like their guards to be big, long, powerful maulers, and Donovan Smith absolutely is that. His feet are marginal to play on the outside (although he handles Randy Gregory well in the tape below), they are more than good enough for guard. He is a good pass protector as well as a nasty run blocker, both of which should appeal to the Giants.
Prospect Video
Big Board Rankings
Big Blue View - 83rd overall
Mocking The Draft - Not in top 100
CBS Sports - 102nd overall
Draft Countdown - 116th overall
Draft Tek - 57th overall
Final Thoughts
I'm not sure how somebody 6'6, 340 pounds can go relatively unnoticed, but Donovan Smith has done so. However, as a guard prospect, he should be getting more press than he is. The massive Smith has more than enough power to blow open holes in a power/man blocking scheme, and good enough feet to hang in a zone blocking scheme. If we're going in for comparisons, he reminds me of a cross between D.J. Fluker and Larry Warford. The rankings on Smith are all over the place, but I think Smith is ultimately a third-round selection.