Judging by last season’s meltdown on defense, the pundits have been poring over the short list of defensive free agents and eligible draftees the Giants should bring in this spring.

When I look at the roster, the defense is not the only shaky unit I see.

The offensive line is cracking, the running game has disintegrated and – believe it or not – they could use an impact player at tight end.

Plus, if David Carr goes elsewhere, they will need some security at quarterback behind Eli Manning.  I don’t think Rhett Bomar is ready for that role yet.

The best part of all of this is that we don’t need to do anything at WR, except sign Steve Smith to long-term deal.

In free agency, the Giants will look to get some holes filled in areas where it makes sense. But on draft day, they will take the best available player on the board.

This has always been the strategy. They need help almost everywhere, so why take a subpar player out of need when they could draft a star at another position?  The objective is to better your roster, and I think they will do that in the next two months.

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.

A little less than two weeks back, ESPN NFL draft aficionado Mel Kiper Jr. came out with his first NFL mock draft. The following is what he came up with for first the Gmen, and then the rest of the NFC East squads.

New York Giants:(15) Carlos Dunlap, DE: Florida: “This is a high-value pick for the Giants, whose defensive line depth I feel has been overstated. There are makeup questions surrounding Dunlap, but for much of this past season, he was considered the premier pass-rusher in the college game. He has the potential to be like Jevon Kearse — the healthy version.” (Kiper)

I also think this would be a good pick for the Giants. We all know the defensive line starters (and backups) did not play anywhere near what they were expected to this season and it is to be expected that a few of them will be gone come the 2010 season. Osi may be gone, wouldn’t be surprised if Canty and one of the other DT’s were gone as well, so a strong defensive end  like Dunlap who seems to know how to get to the quarterback may be a good fit with Tuck and Kiwanuka for the future.

I would like to say that the Giants should look for some help at the CB position in the first round, however it just doesn’t seem like there’s anybody out there worth the selection this year except Joe Haden from Florida. I do not see the Giants trading up for the kid.

RB also wouldn’t be a bad way to look either, however according to Kiper the only one worthy of the first round is Jonathan Dwyer out of GT, whom I personally think wouldn’t be a good fit in New York.

Dallas Cowboys: (27): Bruce Campbell, OT: Maryland: Jerry Jones knows he needs to address the tackle position after the debacle he witnessed against Minnesota in the divisional round of the playoffs, and Campbell, while still learning, is a tremendous talent at this position. (Kiper)

I can see the ‘Boys going one of two ways with this pick. If Mr. Jones is feeling ballsy, he can try and trade up and go after one of the many safeties projected to go in this first round. If he wants to play it safe, he can wait on his pick, maybe hope the player “with the most potential” (that’s me I’m quoting) Taylor Mays is available, or just take an OT like Campbell. The Cowboys definitely showed a bit of weakness this season in terms of depth at the OL position, so drafting a young guy to replace the aging Columbo and Adams in the future would certainly not be a bad move.

Philadelphia Eagles: (24) Navorro Bowman, OLB: Penn State: The Eagles need an athletic OLB, and they get a lot of value by landing Bowman here. Bowman lacks size, but any parsing on measurable can’t overcome his great play on film. Could end up as the best at his position in this class. (Kiper)

Like the pick here for the Eagles. Clearly, their most glaring need is at the linebacker position. Akeem Jordan and Chris Gocong just aren’t going to cut it anymore. Love Bowman, frankly, i’d maybe like to see the Giants show him a little consideration as well.

Washington Redskins: (4): Sam Bradford, QB: Oklahoma: Mike Shanahan and the Redskins can get a quarterback here who might have been the top player taken had he opted to come out last year. The Redskins need to find their franchise quarterback, and when healthy, Bradford is an exceptionally accurate passer with an underrated arm. Shanahan also hit on his last QB selection when he drafted Jay Cutler in Denver. (Kiper)

Not much to say here. Shanny’s in town, and there’s no better way of sending the message that this team is his now than drafting the franchise QB for years to come. Obviously, the injury comes to mind, but I do not think anyone could question the potential this young kid has. Assuming he’s on track, this looks like the right selection in order to restore any faith from the Washington fans back in this team.