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Read: Kiper’s Take on Giants’ Needs

by Jon Schneider on January 30th, 2010 at 12:23 pm

Not everyone has ESPN insider, but I do. If you have insider, I’m sure by now you’ve read Kiper’s take on the Giants’ needs heading into the NFL draft. If you don’t have insider, here’s a look at what he had to say.

Assuming this his order of importance: Top needs: MLB, DL, CB, S, RT, RB

Kiper explains in his little blurb that the reason DL is above CB or safety is because nothing helps a secondary more than a pass rush and the Giants were quietly in the bottom half of the league in terms of producing them.

Kiper also explains that taking Dunlap would be like getting “top-5″ talent at 15.

He may be right on this one. Think about it. Dunlap’s little DUI situation has to be hurting his draft stock at least a little bit, and could be knocking his stock down from a potential top-5 guy to a mid-to-late first round guy. If he’s that talented, then it’s worth the pick.

One guy Kiper wrote down as a possible 2nd round pick for the Gmen is Kyle Wilson out of Boise St. I personally can recall quite a few plays I saw Wilson make throughout this college football season. I recll thinking to myself that this guy was gonn be a quality NFL player.

I remember feeling the same way about Jets MLB David Harris before he declared for the draft, and I turned out to be pretty dead-on with that one.

Wilson seems like the exact kind of CB the Giants would want. a smart guy who won’t dazzle you, but at the same time makes the routine plays without missing a beat.

In terms of possibly their most pressing need (LB), Brandon Spikes would be a good pick if he’s there in the second round, however I doubt that comes true.

If the Giants were to look LB in the first round (which most fans seem to think they should), I think they’d have their pickings of some fine young talent. Rolando McClain may be there, Bowman as I said earlier, and even Sergio Kindle may all be good fits with the Gmen.

Kindle is more of a hybrid guy, but I can definitely see him stepping in and helping with that pass rush.
  • igs

    In my first Giants mock of the season, I find myself souring on Taylor Mays. It is nice to have an athlete like that on your team, and you wonder what he could do with some real NFL coaching, but the reports I’m hearing from the Senior Bowl is that he has stiff hips, which means he’ll be a very good weak side linebacker when the smoke clears. And that’s just not not a position of need for the Giants.

    Round 1, #15: Brian Price, DT, UCLA, 6-2-300 – This is a bit of a reach, but Price is the pass rushing DT that the Giants need to make this line work. Most importantly of all, he is athletic. I bet he beats out Cofield and Robbins in his first season.

    Round 2, #14: Nate Allen, FS, South Florida, 6-0.5-205 – Here is the play-making safety the Giants need. If Phillips does come back (not likely with this kind of injury), he can play opposite of him. Michael Johnson needs to be upgraded anyway. And let’s assume – and pray – that we don’t see Aaron Rouse or C.C. Brown next season.

    Round 3, #12: Daryl Washington, MLB, Texas Christian, 6-1.75-226 – Maybe Daryl Washington can use those freakishly long arms (33.75 inches) to swat down all those passes that Antionio “Six-Piece” Peirce kept just missing. Let’s face it. It’s not age that has taken Fat Sal down a notch. It’s that huge gut and fat hanging out over his uniform belt. But Pierce is very smart and has strong leadership, much like I hear about Washington. And forget about Goff. He’s a good backup but he was reach just to be drafted and is has shown with him and Kehl. Washington is the future.

    Round 4, #17: Jared Veldheer, OT, Hillsdale, 6-9-321 – Is this guy big or is this guy big? Here’s your future franchise RT. He’ll swallow DEs and LB alike.

    Round 5, #16: Ed Dickson, TE, Oregon, 6-4-244 – I like Kevin Boss’ moxy, but he lacks a certain niftiness in the passing game, which is part of the reason he takes so many hard hits. Dickson is good receiver and blocker. If the Giants give him enough work he could have a better pro career than college, which was just above average. The Giants could also take another sleeper, Andrew Quarless out of Penn State, for similar potential.

    Round 6, #15: Joique Bell, RB, Wayne State, 5-10.75-223 – Tiki Barber would have been perfect for the kind of offense the Giants are trying to mold themselves into. Well Bell is a very similar back to Tiki-Bear and he’s used to being a big part of the offense. Not to mention that he offers a better version of what they lost in Derrick Ward.

    Round 7, #14: Matt Dodge, P, East Carolina, 6-1.5-223 – Jeff Feagles is ready have Y.A. Title moment any time now. The Giants shouldn’t tempt the fates for too much longer with him. Like my favorite kicker, Jay Feely, Dodge has the body of a linebacker. Hopefully, like Feely, he can stay in the gym and give you an extra tackler.

    • touchdownmaker

      I love this draft. If this were to happen, I would do backflips. I think teh Giants have been lacking at DT for a long time. Price will allow the LBs to run free a bit more. I don’t think he will be a reach at 15 though. He would be a top five talent in next years draft, and I think teams know this.

      I would love to have Nate Allen fall to us in the second round, but I see him being taken at the top of the that round.

      Daryl Washington would be great no doubt, but he is pretty light dude. It would be huge if you can pick him up in the third round.

      I don’t know much about Veldheer, but I like the idea of restocking the OL.

      • igs

        Thanks Touchdown,

        Washington’s light, but don’t you think it’s about time we had a light LB? VS the ones that drag their bellies behind them? I don’t know much about Veldheer, but I tend to put a lot of faith in guys that come off the top ranks of small schools. The draft is pretty deep at safety so if not Allen, there is maybe Chad Jones or a couple other guys that may fit in that role.

  • igs

    Yes, we continue to ignore the fact that this secondary was devestated by injuries last season and took the Giants to the SB then conference in the last 2 seasons. Between Terell Thomas, Aaron Ross, Cory Webster, Bruce Johnson, and Kevin Dockery, how is CB the 3rd highest need for this team and why would the Giants take Kyle Wilson in the 2nd round? Poppycock.

    Also, Carlos Dunlap – between issues of lapses in effort, a lack of pass rush moves, and a slow first step – is not a top 5 talent. Forget it. He’s not Mario Williams or Jevon kearse. And the Giants simply don’t need a DE.

    • Jon Schneider

      Igs,

      I appreciate your comments and I respect your opinion to the utmost. However, I do have to respectfully disagree with you in terms of your opinion about the CB position.

      First off, Aaron Ross is as injury-prone as they get, and there’s no telling whether or not he’ll be able to play the cornerback position at as high of a level as he did during that Super Bowl campaign ever again.

      I think both Terrell Thomas and Kevein Dockery are good, but not good enough to be starting CB’s in this league. I like Thomas as a 3rd corner and in nickel schemes, and personally I’d rather see Dockery off the team come the 2010 season.

      The only legitimate starter (in my opinion) at the CB position heading into this season right now is Webster, and even he is a fringe number one corner in many eyes.

      I think we’ve all seen how much an absolute shut-down corner can affect the way a team plays defense. So why not get one of those over on our side?

      • touchdownmaker

        Well, Terrell Thomas had a very good year while starting opposite Webster last year. Why could he not do it again? We drafted two guys last year also. It would be nice to get a first round CB next year, but as of now, we are pretty deep at CB.

      • igs

        I hear you John but,

        I wouldn’t call Aaron Ross “injury prone”. The problem with hamstring injuries is that, that player is gone for the season. And teams always try to work him back too early. And it inevitably ends in re-injury. Ross hasn’t earned the “injury prone” label quite yet. let’s give him another year. TT played great this season and I think showed that he can start in the NFL. The Giants have never had spectacular corners. But their guys were always able to play well within the system when successful. That’s how they won a SB.

        While it wouldn’t hurt to work a late round corner in, I would’t call CB a high priority this offseason.
        And you have to remember that these CBs were playing with huge liabilities at safety.

  • igs

    And why would the Giants take Brandon spikes, whose last 40 yielded something like a 4.75 to play in a 3 man LB set? Makes no sense to me. He’s a 3-4 ILB and McClain wont get past Denver. Trust me. I draftnick year round. Daryl Washington is the LB that the Giants want.

  • rcfriedberg

    I think there is a chance of Rolle (S) falling to the 3rd round. I want that guy. Brilliant, hard-working, good instincts, easy to coach up. I’d have no problem picking 2 safeties in the first 3 rounds. Considering we actually have no safeties worth fielding (because who knows what Phillips will be when he comes back). And if we end up with 3 safeties who can really play – better yet.

    In the first, I agree that Denver goes after McLain at 10 (or 11), but if he falls past there, we need to jump up to get him. Price would be a fine pick, so would Thomas from Texas.

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