Giants Post-Draft Review
RD1 #19 Justin Pugh OL Syracuse- Pugh was definitely a low risk selection, and one we have come to expect from Jerry Reese in the first round of the draft. Pugh is a very versatile piece for the Giants, the kind they can move around to any position on the offensive line. David Diehl has had some strong years in blue, but it is clear he cannot start for this team anymore. He can give the Giants one last contribution by taking Pugh under his wing for this season and showing him how to play multiple positions along the line. Many people will say that the Giants ignored their needs on draft day, but I think protecting Eli is as big a need as any.

RD2 #49 Johnathan Hankins DT Ohio State- One thing I have noticed is that Jerry Reese enjoys taking risks in the second round. He also enjoys taking Defensive Tackles, which he has taken in 3 of the last 4 drafts. Hankins is both of those, coming off of a sub-par season playing for the undefeated Buckeyes. After last season Hankins was thought of as a first round pick but returned to school and didn’t play as well. I like this pick because there will not be any pressure on Hankins to produce right away, he can learn from the 4 veterans who are in front of him on the depth chart. A pick that will pay off later.

RD3 #81 Damontre Moore DE Texas A&M- The Giants got some value with the Moore pick because he was also rated to go much higher. Reese loves to rate pass rushers high on his draft board, and Moore was to juicy to pass up on in the 3rd round. Moore was a productive player in college and has two of the best pass rushers in the league to learn from. Tom Coughlin expressed concern over Moore’s practice habits and off the field issues, but the Giants have a no nonsense policy so if Moore has the desire to succeed, he will. This is a risky pick and reminds me of the Marvin Austin selection who hasn’t panned out (yet).

RD4 #110 Ryan Nassib QB Syracuse- This was easily the most talked about pick the Giants made and the one which took me a long time to understand. I happen to like the pick for a number of reasons. The first being that the Giants have not successfully developed a Quarterback from scratch since they drafted Eli Manning. Rhett Bomar, Andre Woodson, Ryan Perilloux, and  Jared Lorenzen all did not pan out, and the Giants were forced to look to free agency to sign backup David Carr. I love Carr as a backup, but I’m not a fan of his $1 million salary taking up room on the cap. If Nassib shows progress, then he can backup the durable Eli for half the price and the Giants can use that extra cash elsewhere. Another reason is that if Eli happens to go down (knock on wood), and Nassib comes in and shows promise, we can use him as a trade chip. Using Matt Flynn and Kevin Kolb as examples, Quarterback hungry teams will pay top dollar for a QB who shows even the least bit of a chance to become a star. Giants fans know that this team starts and ends with it’s star Quarterback  Eli Manning, but Reese stays one step ahead of the game with this pick.

RD5 #152 Cooper Taylor S Richmond- Taylor hails from a small school and is a pick I would compare to the Tyler Sash pick from a few years ago. He has a big 6’4″ frame and ran a quick 4.49 40 yard dash, which means Perry Fewell can use him to cover Tight Ends and some big Wide Receivers. The Giants currently employ two ball hawking safeties in Antrel Rolle and Stevie Brown, and a strong backup in Will Hill. This means that Taylor will likely have to make his presence felt on special teams, much like Sash. Taylor has the size and speed to be a contributor on specials now, and on the defensive end in the future.

RD7 #225 Eric Herman OL Ohio- Herman is just known as a nasty and gritty player, who fits the Giants mold in what they want from an offensive lineman. He was nicknamed “pancake” because of his ability to put opposing defenders on the ground on every play. The Giants are looking for contributors along the line, so Herman will definitely get his chance to play and maybe start.

RD7 #253 Michael Cox RB UMass- Cox is a good mix of size and speed and will be in the hunt to make the team as a 3rd or 4th RB. The Giants once struck gold in the 7th round with Ahmad Bradshaw, so the chance of Cox becoming a contributor is not that long. Cox will have to show his explosiveness in the preseason in order to earn a spot on this team.

Dougie