2015 NFL Draft: Mike Mayock's Positional Ranking And The New York Giants

With the 2015 scouting combine now in the rear view mirror, NFL Network draft expert Mike Mayock has released the second draft of his positional rankings. With the Giants picking at No. 9 overall, it seems pretty likely that whoever they pick will be listed somewhere in these rankings.

Not all of Mayock's rankings changed with the combine. For a quick refresher, we'll take a quick look at those rankings before moving on to the rankings that have changed.

Quarterback
1. Jameis Winston, Florida State
2. Marcus Mariota, Oregon
3. Bryce Petty, Baylor
4. Brett Hundley, UCLA
5. Garrett Grayson, Colorado State

Running back
1. Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin
2. Todd Gurley, Georgia
3. Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska
4. Duke Johnson, Miami (Fla.)
5. Tevin Coleman, Indiana

Interior offensive linemen
1. Brandon Scherff, Iowa
2. Cameron Erving, Florida State
3. Laken Tomlinson, Duke
4. A.J. Cann, South Carolina
5. Tre' Jackson, Florida State

Interior defensive linemen
1. Leonard Williams, USC
2. Danny Shelton, Washington
3. Malcom Brown, Texas
4. Arik Armstead, Oregon
T-5. Jordan Phillips, Oklahoma
T-5. Eddie Goldman, Florida State

Of these 21 players, only three will likely be in play for the Giants. Those guys are Brandon Scherff, Danny Shelton, and Malcom Brown.

By process of elimination, we can safely assume that all the other rankings have changed in some manner. Let's start with the offense.

Wide receiver
1. Kevin White, West Virginia
2. Amari Cooper, Alabama
3. DeVante Parker, Louisville
4. Jaelen Strong, Arizona State
T-5. Dorial Green-Beckham, Missouri
T-5. Breshad Perriman, Central Florida

The first three positions haven't changed, however fourthth and the tie for fifth have changed tremendously. Neither Jaelen Strong nor Breshad Perriman were in Mayock's top 5 prior to the combine. Meanwhile Green-Beckham was fourth, just above Devin Funchess, who was fifth. However, if the Giants do select a wide receiver, it will more likely be one of White, Cooper, or Parker.

Tight end
1. Maxx Williams, Minnesota
2. Clive Walford, Miami (Fla.)
3. MyCole Pruitt, Southern Illinois
4. Blake Bell, Oklahoma
5. Nick O'Leary, Florida State

Williams and Walford maintained their positions at the top of the tight end class. Pruitt and Bell, however, weren't ranked at all. That's particularly surprising for Bell, who only has one year of experience at tight end, and is transitioning from quarterback.

Offensive tackle
1. La'el Collins, LSU
2. T.J. Clemmings, Pittsburgh
3. Andrus Peat, Stanford
4. Ereck Flowers, Miami (Fla.)
T-5. D.J. Humphries, Florida
T-5. Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M

The big change here is La'El Collins jumping Clemmings and Peat, but otherwise the rankings are unchanged. Of the offensive tackle prospects, Collins would likely be the one to keep your eye on. The Giants obviously have strong ties to LSU, and they value positional versatility in their offensive linemen. Collins' ability to play guard or tackle could boost his appeal.

Edge rusher
1. Dante Fowler, Jr., Florida
2. Shane Ray, Missouri
3. Vic Beasley, Clemson
4. Randy Gregory, Nebraska
5. Bud Dupree, Kentucky

No new edge rushers in Mayock's top 5, just some jockeying for position among Ray, Beasley, and Gregory. As of right now -- and without further insight into what kind of defensive scheme Steve Spagnuolo is going to implement -- we should assume that  Dupree will likely be the top target for the Giants

Linebacker
1. Paul Dawson, TCU
2. Eric Kendricks, UCLA
3. Stephone Anthony, Clemson
4. Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi State
5. Denzel Perryman, Miami (Fla.)

To me, the surprise here is Paul Dawson maintaining his top spot. Granted, his film is very strong, however there have also been red flags raised regarding Dawson's football character and commitment. That was before his surprisingly bad combine workout. Two years ago, the Giants' own DaMontre Moore was considered an excellent prospect with very strong tape. Then similar accusations about his work ethic, backed up by a disappointing workout, dropped his stock from a potential top-5 pick to the Giants' 3rd round selection.

Of the other players, Stephone Anthony is a guy to keep your eye on as a potential Day 2 selection. He has the size, length, and athleticism the Giants covet in their defenders.

Cornerback
1. Trae Waynes, Michigan State
2. Jalen Collins, LSU
3. Marcus Peters, Washington
4. Kevin Johnson, Wake Forest
T-5. Byron Jones, Connecticut
T-5. P.J. Williams, Florida State

Assuming the Giants aren't once again ravaged by another historic rash of fluky injuries, they have excellent depth at the cornerback position. Except for Byron Jones leaping up into the top - 5 (6), the only thing that's changed is a change in order behind Trae Waynes. Collins and Johnson moved up, Peters and Williams moved back.

Safety
1. Landon Collins, Alabama
2. Shaq Thompson, Washington
3. Derron Smith, Fresno State
4. Damarious Randall, Arizona State
5. Jaquiski Tartt, Samford

The only change here is Damarious Randall jumping from off the list to the 4th spot, pushing Tartt down to 5th and Ibraheim Campbell off the list.

Personally, my opinions on the safety position differ greatly from Mike Mayock's. However, I'm viewing the position through a "Giants" lense, boosting the importance of the free safety over a strong or box safety. The only free safety in Mayock's rankings is Derron Smith of Fresno State.

Also, I don't view Landon Collins or Shaq Thompson as safeties.

As of right now -- before free agency rewrites which teams need what position -- the Giants are in dire need of a free safety, but there likely isn't a true 1st round safety in this class, certainly not at a good value at ninth overall.