REESE: WE'LL STILL DRAFT TALENT OVER NEED

[RoanokeFan]

REESE: WE'LL STILL DRAFT TALENT OVER NEED

"Whether he is picking 15th or has the last pick of the draft at 32, <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/nyg/new-york-giants">New York
Giants</a> general manager Jerry Reese says not much changes when it comes
to his thought process and approach.




</p>

Reese insists he is still going to go for the best player available when the
Giants are on the clock.
</p>"I don't think it's more gray area when we pick at 32," Reese said when asked
about his approach with the last pick of the first round. "You just wait and see
if somebody is going to fall to you or if there is somebody you may be able to
move up for, that you're in love with. It's always a good problem to have when
you're picking 32."




</p>

Reese believes there are a lot of players with "the same kind of value" from
pick 15 to 32. If a player like North Carolina defensive end <a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/28090/quinton-coples">Quinton
Coples</a>, Syracuse defensive end <a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/29006/chandler-jones">Chandler
Jones</a> or Illinois defensive end <a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/28967/whitney-mercilus">Whitney
Mercilus</a> falls to 32, the Giants will likely be pretty happy. One prospect
who could go in the neighborhood of where the Giants select is Alabama
linebacker Dont'a Hightower. The Giants had him in for a visit according to
ProFootballTalk.com. Early indications are that the Giants are interested in
Hightower, LSU wide receiver <a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/28986/rueben-randle">Rueben
Randle</a> and Georgia Tech wide receiver <a href="http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/29011/stephen-hill">Stephen
Hill</a> -- three prospects who could be drafted in the late first round. </p>




</p>

Hightower has been projected by many to go to the Steelers at 24. Hill's
stock has been on the rise since the combine and he is often projected to be
drafted before the Giants are up. Hill or Randle could potentially help the
Giants replace Mario Manningham, who signed with the 49ers
in free agency.</p>




</p>

Ramses Barden, Jerrel Jernigan and Domenik Hixon will compete for the third
receiver spot. </p>




</p>

The good thing for the Giants is that they know what it is like to wait
through the entire first round before drafting. They did just that in 2008 after
winning the Super Bowl.</p>

"The last time we picked [last], we picked some pretty good players that have
helped us win a lot of football games," Reese said. "So there are good players.
You just have to look deep and find them."</p>




</p>

The last time Reese drafted coming off a Super Bowl victory, he had the 31st
overall pick and he came away with safety Kenny Phillips. The Giants would emerge from
that draft with four players who eventually became starters.</p>




</p>

Phillips (first round), cornerback Terrell Thomas (second round), Manningham
(third round) and linebacker Jonathan Goff (fifth round) all have started
games for the Giants. Phillips and Thomas remain while Manningham signed with
the 49ers in free agency and Goff remains an unsigned free agent.</p>




</p>

In that draft, Reese went defense with his first two picks. He has done the
same thing in each of the past two drafts, taking defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and defensive tackle Linval Joseph with his first two picks in
2010 and then selecting cornerback Prince Amukamara and defensive tackle Marvin Austin in the first two rounds in
2011.</p>




</p>

Reese reiterated in his pre-draft press conference that he will go with the
best player on the team's board regardless of position and that drafting off a
Super Bowl win doesn't change a thing when it comes to his approach for drafting
best talent over need.
</p>"The only difference is you see a lot of really good players come off of the
board in front of you," he said of drafting last. "But again, we feel like there
is going to be from pick 15 down to pick 32, there are going to be some very
similar kind of players that we like in the row."




</p>

The Giants could always trade down if they think there are several players of
the same value available when they pick. But Reese does believe a good player
will be there at the end of the first round.</p>




</p>

"More likely, somebody we have ahead of our 32nd pick in our first row [on
the team's draft board], somebody will be down there where we want to pick,"
Reese added. "At the bottom of that first row, we think those guys are
second-round picks, unless we have somebody pretty high that falls. We could
easily have somebody fall down. I think guys are going to come off the board all
over the place early on."</p>


</p>

[CDN_G-FAN]

Good. </P>


Every draft board i see hasthe Giantstaking the best player available for one of our needs, and with only a couple exceptions this FO has taken whomever appears highest on their draftboards. almost irrespective of position.</P>

[RoanokeFan]

[quote user="CDN_G-FAN"]

Good. </p>


Every draft board i see hasthe Giantstaking the best player available for one of our needs, and with only a couple exceptions this FO has taken whomever appears highest on their draftboards. almost irrespective of position.</p>[/quote]

I know that's the way we draft and I'm not sure if we've always done that or not. But I've been wondering how successful we'd be with BPA if TC were not the head coach?

[CDN_G-FAN]

[quote user="RoanokeFan"][quote user="CDN_G-FAN"]


Good. </P>


Every draft board i see hasthe Giantstaking the best player available for one of our needs, and with only a couple exceptions this FO has taken whomever appears highest on their draftboards. almost irrespective of position.</P>


[/quote]

I know that's the way we draft and I'm not sure if we've always done that or not. But I've been wondering how successful we'd be with BPA is TC were not the head coach?
[/quote]</P>


i've never considered that.</P>


from a step back and look big picture point of view, taking what you perceive as the BPA will fill your team with more talent than any other system.</P>


But an article awhile ago that the giants picked based on position, not BPA or position of need, was an interesting angle.</P>


but i don't have an answer as to whether a kiwi and JPP would be more or less successful based on a different coaching philosophy.</P>


My gut says less successful, but i'm biased towards thinking TC is a phenominal head coach.</P>

[nygsb42champs]

I know we trust in JR but I just do not understand the need for a WR in round 1.

[slipknottin]

[quote user="RoanokeFan"]I know that's the way we draft and I'm not sure if we've always done that or not.* But I've been wondering how successful we'd be with BPA if TC were not the head coach?
[/quote]

Coach doesnt really matter in terms of draft strategy.

If you draft for need, and take guys who arent as good football players just to fill holes, then you eventually end up with a team of average to poor football players. Giving you needs everywhere.

I think Coughlin and his staff do a great job of finding players that fit their scheme and developing them, but the draft philosophy has to be BPA to build a successful team.

[RoanokeFan]

[quote user="CDN_G-FAN"][quote user="RoanokeFan"][quote user="CDN_G-FAN"]


Good. </p>


Every draft board i see hasthe Giantstaking the best player available for one of our needs, and with only a couple exceptions this FO has taken whomever appears highest on their draftboards. almost irrespective of position.</p>


[/quote]

I know that's the way we draft and I'm not sure if we've always done that or not. But I've been wondering how successful we'd be with BPA is TC were not the head coach?
[/quote]</p>


i've never considered that.</p>


from a step back and look big picture point of view, taking what you perceive as the BPA will fill your team with more talent than any other system.</p>


But an article awhile ago that the giants picked based on position, not BPA or position of need, was an interesting angle.</p>


but i don't have an answer as to whether a kiwi and JPP would be more or less successful based on a different coaching philosophy.</p>


My gut says less successful, but i'm biased towards thinking TC is a phenominal head coach.</p>[/quote]

I'm not trying to say that players are more talented because of TC but that they become part of the TEAM under his guidance. Reese must have a great deal of faith in Coughlin's ability to make it all work regardless of needs.

[RoanokeFan]

[quote user="slipknottin"][quote user="RoanokeFan"]I know that's the way we draft and I'm not sure if we've always done that or not. But I've been wondering how successful we'd be with BPA if TC were not the head coach?
[/quote]

Coach doesnt really matter in terms of draft strategy.

If you draft for need, and take guys who arent as good football players just to fill holes, then you eventually end up with a team of average to poor football players. Giving you needs everywhere.

I think Coughlin and his staff do a great job of finding players that fit their scheme and developing them, but the draft philosophy has to be BPA to build a successful team.[/quote]

I would argue that not every coach can just take what they're given and have the success Coughlin has had. I understand TC doesn't have a say in who they draft.

[slipknottin]

[quote user="RoanokeFan"]I would argue that not every coach can just take what they're given and have the success Coughlin has had.* I understand TC doesn't have a say in who they draft.
[/quote]

I would argue that any coach can find a use for good football players. Give any coach in the league bad football players at positions of need and hes not going to be successful.

TC has a huge say in who they draft

[Tommy_Ribs]

[quote user="CDN_G-FAN"][quote user="RoanokeFan"][quote user="CDN_G-FAN"]


Good. </p>


Every draft board i see hasthe Giantstaking the best player available for one of our needs, and with only a couple exceptions this FO has taken whomever appears highest on their draftboards. almost irrespective of position.</p>


[/quote]

I know that's the way we draft and I'm not sure if we've always done that or not. But I've been wondering how successful we'd be with BPA is TC were not the head coach?
[/quote]</p>


i've never considered that.</p>


from a step back and look big picture point of view, taking what you perceive as the BPA will fill your team with more talent than any other system.</p>


But an article awhile ago that the giants picked based on position, not BPA or position of need, was an interesting angle.</p>


but i don't have an answer as to whether a kiwi and JPP would be more or less successful based on a different coaching philosophy.</p>


My gut says less successful, but i'm biased towards thinking TC is a phenominal head coach.</p>[/quote]

To Dove-Tail to this, the GIANTS do pick BPA in general, but I think their board is situated in a way where some positions have a premium over others. In other words, I think DE, Corner, and OT will be picked over say C, G or Safety, if they have the same grade.

Reese definitely puts a premium on Big, Strong Fast DL. When we picked JPP there were probably other players on the board that had a similar or the same grade, but he HAD to Pick JPP b/c his position.

Take last year for example, Reese grabbed Prince b/c he was the highest rated guy on the board available, and he played a premium position.

I think the only thing that would put BPA out the window entirely was if you needed a QB. As Mike Mayock says: Franchise QB Trumps all.