NFL Draft grades: Mel Kiper, others question Giants’ selections

How did the New York Giants do in the 2017 NFL Draft? Well, the draft grades are in, and analysts are mostly unimpressed with the crop of players GM Jerry Reese selected. As you might expect, that has more to do with what the giants didn’t get — early help of offensive tackle and linebacker — than what they did get.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper gave the Giants a C+:

How bad were the Giants' tight ends last season? They averaged 7.7 yards per reception in 2016, worst in the NFL and almost a full yard worse than the next-lowest tight end group. Now, I don't know if Evan Engram will be called a tight end, but he'll absolutely help out in the passing game. His 4.42 40 at 6-foot-3, 234 at the combine had some teams moving him to the top of their receiver boards. Regardless, this is a big addition for Eli Manning, who targeted Odell Beckham Jr. a staggering 169 times last season. The New York offense needed another dynamic element, and Engram will provide that. Think about a quartet of Beckham, Brandon Marshall, Sterling Shepard and Engram. Yikes. Just don't ask Engram to block.

Taking Davis Webb in the third round raised eyebrows, but that is about where I thought he'd go. I never bought the talk of him being a potential first-rounder. I had Nathan Peterman, Joshua Dobbs and Brad Kaaya all rated higher. Dalvin Tomlinson is probably Johnathan Hankins' replacement, but I had Chris Wormley, Carlos Watkins and Jaleel Johnson, among others, higher on my board. Tomlinson is more than a clogger in space; he'll get in the backfield. I like Wayne Gallman in the fourth round to complement Paul Perkins. He's not very fast (4.60 40), but he runs hard and has good body lean. Adam Bisnowaty is my eighth-ranked tackle, so there's some value here in the sixth round.

The Giants added some useful pieces, though it'll be interesting to see whether Engram is a weapon in this offense, or more of a decoy. And offensive tackle is still a huge concern.

Dan Kadar of SB Nation’s Mocking The Draft gave the Giants a B-:

I wasn’t a big fan of the Giants taking Ole Miss tight end Evan Engram in the first round. He gives the Giants more production from the position, which they need, but I viewed him as a second-round player. Second-round pick Dalvin Tomlinson also filled a need on the defensive line, but I thought No. 55 was somewhat early for him as well.

After that, I loved what the Giants did in this draft. They were aggressive finding the successor for Eli Manning in Davis Webb in the third round. There was some thought Webb would go much higher, so to get him at No. 87 was smart.

Wayne Gallman is a good power running back who could split carries with Paul Perkins. He doesn’t have a lot of flash, but he’s hard to bring down and rarely has bad plays. I liked the pick of end Avery Moss, who fills a need as a system fit pass rusher. New York’s last pick, offensive tackle Adam Bisnowaty, is going to stick as good depth, at least.

The Washington Post gave the Giants a B:

The Giants, with the 23rd overall choice, went with Evan Engram instead of David Njoku as the second TE taken in the draft. That’s a bit questionable. But Engram will present matchup problems for defenses with his WR-like mobility. The Giants used a third-rounder to possibly put Eli Manning’s eventual successor at QB in place, in Davis Webb. The Cal product is an interesting prospect who had some draft analysts convinced he might come off the board even earlier.

NFL.com gave the Giants a B+

Day 1 grade: A-

Day 2 grade: B

Day 3 grade: B+

Overall grade: B+

The skinny: Jerry Reese continued to add to Eli Manning's arsenal with tight end Evan Engram. He's a Jordan Reed clone who will make plays, but will he outshine another intriguing tight end, David Njoku? That will be the question going forward. The Giants picked quarterback Davis Webb, who is at worst a solid backup for Manning, and possibly a future starter (for the Giants or someone else via trade). The team loves big bodies with good motors; picking Dalvin Tomlinson fits that bill, though time will tell whether he'll be enough of a playmaker to earn a second-round slot.

Wayne Gallman isn't great at any one thing, but is a tough guy who will do well with Giants fans for his strength. He and Paul Perkins could be a nice duo in the future. Giants fans will like what Avery Moss can do off the edge at defensive end. Adam Bisnowaty should help their tackle situation, though he's not elite in his pass protection skills.

FOX Sports gave the Giants a C+:

The Dalvin Tomlinson pick might be the best in the draft when it comes to immediate impact. He was one of my favorite players and he went to a perfect place. But Evan Engram's selection in the first round was shocking — a flex tight end/slot receiver at No. 23 when David Njoku was on the board or you could have easily traded up to get O.J. Howard? — and Davis Webb being picked in the third round don't grade well. I do like their day three, but it can't overrule their first-round blunder.

USA Today gave the Giants a C-:

New York Giants: GM Jerry Reese has a reputation for not worrying about need and choosing the best player available, regardless of position, with every selection ... hence a draft that looks a bit befuddling. First-round TE Evan Engram (6-3, 234, 4.4 speed) is an enticing weapon even if he's not much of a blocker. Still, the Giants already appeared set with pass catchers. Second-round DT Dalvin Tomlinson offsets the loss of Johnathan Hankins but won’t push the pocket much. And, yes, perhaps third-round QB Davis Webb, who did generate his share of pre-draft buzz, could take the reins from Eli Manning in the future. We'll find out in a few months, though, if Reese should have prioritized upgrades at linebacker, tailback and offensive tackle.