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Todd! Todd! Todd! Todd! Todd! Todd! Sorry, whenever I see Todd McShay release a mock draft I can't help but flash to "Mel Kiper III" shouting at him. And as it so happens, McShay released his third mock draft in the wake of the NFL Scouting Combine, and he eschews conventional wisdom when it comes to the New York Giants.
10. New York Giants
Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
Defense -- specifically DE, LB and CB -- are all bigger needs, and Clemson DE Shaq Lawson could be a good fit if the Giants are unable to lure Jason Pierre-Paul back to New York. However, after a good performance in Indianapolis, I think there's a strong chance Elliott goes in the top 10, whether it's to the Giants or via a team trading up. At 6-foot and 225 pounds, he has the frame and skill set to be an every-down back in the pros. And his 4.47 40-yard dash at the combine confirmed what we saw on tape: Elliott has breakaway speed once he gets a crease.
Raptor's Thoughts: Value ... Need ... Position ... What's right here? For me, how I feel about this pick depends entirely on what the Giants do in free agency. If they can re-sign Jason Pierre-Paul and Robert Ayers, sign George Iloka (my personal top safety), sign a cornerback -- Prince is still my favorite, but I wouldn't turn my nose up at Sean Smith or Janoris Jenkins -- and sign Danny Trevathan away from the Denver Broncos, I think I could get behind this pick.
Elliott is absolutely one of the 10 most talented players in this draft and is the premier offensive weapon. As it so happens, the Giants only have two offensive weapons on the team: Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. Adding Elliott would give defenses a true "pick your poison" threat to Beckham and Will Tye, help Eli's pass protection, and ultimately the red zone offense.
The Giants are "fine" at running back as it is. I happen to agree with McAdoo that fans and the media are giving up on Andre Williams too soon and that used correctly he can be a good back for the Giants (that is, given more than five carries per game, and run out of an 'I' or 'Pistol' formation, where he is 5-8 yards behind the line of scrimmage and behind the quarterback). Also, Shane Vereen is a great option for the passing and screen game. But as much as I like Rashad Jennings, he's a dependable three-down back and a mentor to the younger players, he is getting up there in years.
If the Giants can fill the holes on the roster in free agency, I think we can all live with one year of four running backs, as long as they're used more wisely than they were for much of 2015.