Kruunch's Take on the Draft

[Kruunch]

Because you all desperately want to know my opinion on the draft ... scroll to the bottom for the summary if you don't want to read a lot.

1) Justin Pugh (OT) - This was a solid pick. Forgetting his draft projection for a moment (2nd round prospect) he was probably the last OT in the top tier, THE best 5 position OL in the draft and most definitely wouldn't have survived either the Bears or Cowboys picking right after us, both of whom reached much further back for their picks. He's an immediate upgrade and potential day 1 starter at RT and with this move, Jerry Reese locks up the OTs for the rest of Eli's career.

2) Jonathan Hankins (DT) - We all thought that we bought a year with the addition of Jenkins and Patterson and the re-signing of Rogers to the DL but apparently the Giants wanted to put an exclamation point on the DL this year. This move also has the added benefit of serving notice to Marvin Austin that he better get his butt in gear (and insurance if he doesn't). The player himself is a playmaker when rested and the Giants now have the depth to have a really nice DT rotation in place for the 2013 season. The downside is if he gets trapped on the field in a no-huddle scenario, he can wear down and disappear pretty quickly. There's also a question as to how he'll handle TC's coaching style. While I understand the pick, I'm not a fan of it. Especially when I saw Arthur Brown and Jon Bostic still on the boards when we picked here.

3) Damontre Moore (DE) - Big value pick as Moore was mocked in the first round almost through the entire draft building process. One of the few speed rushers in this draft, it's very easy to see why the Giants picked him up. Look at Moore and think "Osi-lite". However I'm not a fan of this pick. I think there was more value to be had with Okafor (who I think is a better DE overall) and Moore's shortcomings are against the run, already a weak point for us. He could end up being a good pass rusher for us ... my fear is that we'll stick 15-20 pounds on his 250 lb. frame and he'll disappear.

4) Ryan Nassib (QB) - This was the huge head-scratcher of the draft ... not only for Giants fans but football fans in general. To Jerry Reese's credit, we drafted a huge value here, getting a potential first round QB (originally linked to the Bills in the first round) in the fourth round. Realistically we traded up and drafted trade-bait and the clipboard holder for the next few years since our franchise QB who is in his prime has yet to miss a regular season game in his career. You can't argue against the insurance logic as law of averages says that Eli has to get hurt sooner or later but all I saw with this pick was Shamarko Thomas (S), Khaseem Greene (LB), Barret Jones (C/OG) ... all of whom would have been value picks, all of whom would have helped immediately with the Giants (either as depth or as starting competition) and all of whom were on the boards when we picked Nassib.

5) Cooper Taylor (S) - Really strange pick here ... a 6'5" (!), 230 lb Safety with mediocre speed, injury history and a heart condition. One assumes that he'll be translated into a LBer. When watching him on the field, he does catch the eye ... very aggressive sort of player who closes VERY fast on the ball (great burst). I don't really know what to make of this pick other than keep an eye out for him (but hey, 5th round is 5th round).

I won't bother with the 7th round picks other than to say we got an OG (Eric Herman) which we need depth at and a RB (Michael Cox) which we don't need at all.

I will go on record here and say that I think the Giants are making a mistake by ignoring the LBer position as much as they have been. We've already seen the results of bad LBer play (gave 6k+ yards in 2012) and we've seen the results of good LBer play (both the Ravens and 49ers showcased why LBers are an integral part of your defense ... even in todays NFL).

Summary: Not a fan of this draft. Love our first pick and I'm "ok" with our third pick. So from an untested standpoint, I give this draft a C- (not a D because of the value angle ... even if it was value we didn't need).

[Captain Chaos]

Don't agree with some of your analysis, particularly with Taylor. Think he fits well with the 3 safety package and with the QBs we have to cover in the East he should prove his worth.

Thought the top three picks were all awesome. And thought that our 7th round OG was absolutely worth the flier, strong hands and durable.

Regarding Nassib, after watching his game tape against Rutgers was totally unimpressed.

I agree with RB, just didn't see why they spent a draft pick on this guy but they know more than we do.

[giantsfam04]

How is 4.49 mediocre speed for a safety of his size.

[Kruunch]

Don't agree with some of your analysis, particularly with Taylor. Think he fits well with the 3 safety package and with the QBs we have to cover in the East he should prove his worth.

Thought the top three picks were all awesome. And thought that our 7th round OG was absolutely worth the flier, strong hands and durable.

Regarding Nassib, after watching his game tape against Rutgers was totally unimpressed.

I agree with RB, just didn't see why they spent a draft pick on this guy but they know more than we do.

7th round is 7th round so I can't really say any pick is a disappointment there. I understand the picks ... as with most 7th rounders, none of them really excited me (although the description of Eric Herman makes him sound a lot like Seubert which I liked).

We ran a 3 Safety Nickel because we didn't have the third CB who could keep up. It's not what we want to run but more what was dictated by personnel. Taylor's knock is his straight line speed. He has good burst on the ball. Alternatively, his speed (clocked at 4.55 - http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/p.../cooper-taylor ) becomes pretty decent if we're talking about a LBer instead of a Safety. Either way, he's a 7th rounder ... so camp fodder until he proves otherwise.

If our first three picks pan out, this is a great draft. Heck if even only two of them become quality starters it's a successful draft.

Just not a huge fan of most of the picks themselves .. the caveat being I'm just a shmoe and JR and company get paid a lot of money to do what they do

[Kruunch]

How is 4.49 mediocre speed for a safety of his size.

4.55 and for a Safety, yes that's mediocre. For a LBer (if he transitions to that) it is good.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/p.../cooper-taylor

[bigjeep]

We will have a better Idea come July!

[JJC7301]

I pretty much agree with your analysis:

I really like Pugh after mulling it over.
I'm fine with Hankins.
I also would have preferred Okafor over Moore.
I understand Nassib, but would have preferred a LB (Greene) or another player in the secondary besides...
Taylor, who I like the sound of and like him more than you do.
Herman sounds fine and like the sound of him being a mauler.
I don't understand Cox since it doesn't sound like he really stands out in anyway IMO.

I give our overall draft a B- because we did address the lines, which needed to be done more than anything else, but thought that we could have gotten better value than Hankins and Moore. But I do trust how our FO, as much as any other FO, evaluates players so I'll wait and see.

I have to say that this is the most uncertain I've felt with one of their drafts for a long time.

[G.I. Ants]

Good analysis. I do think that Pugh was a smart move since he was the player they coveted. With the OL rush at the beginning of the draft, JR had to do a necessary reach.

The Moore pick was an excellent pick. He was one of the top sack artist and competed against elite competition in college. He literally lost millions falling so far in the draft and may play with a chip on his shoulder. He might even register more sacks than Tuck in the upcoming season. I wanted Okafor as well, but Moore was a great pick.

I too wanted Author Brown in the 2nd round, but management decided to draft a nascar package specialist, Cooper Taylor. At 6'5, 230lbs and 4.5 speed, he could make an impact.

Nassib was all about the future, whether he gets on the field in a few years to replace Eli or is kept as trade bait for another top tier prospect.

[Kruunch]

Good analysis. I do think that Pugh was a smart move since he was the player they coveted. With the OL rush at the beginning of the draft, JR had to do a necessary reach.

The Moore pick was an excellent pick. He was one of the top sack artist and competed against elite competition in college. He literally lost millions falling so far in the draft and may play with a chip on his shoulder. He might even register more sacks than Tuck in the upcoming season. I wanted Okafor as well, but Moore was a great pick.

I too wanted Author Brown in the 2nd round, but management decided to draft a nascar package specialist, Cooper Taylor. At 6'5, 230lbs and 4.5 speed, he could make an impact.

Nassib was all about the future, whether he gets on the field in a few years to replace Eli or is kept as trade bait for another top tier prospect.

I understand the Moore pick but I have a bad feeling about him. Between taking plays off and getting totally run on, he scares me as a prospect. I think his value was due solely to being in a poor draft class. Had he been drafted last year, he's probably a 3rd or 4th round prospect (much less pick).

People are going to say we got value for him because he was prospected in the first round on many boards, but I think we drafted him about where his talent and upside levels are.

[Bing Crosby]

Summary: Not a fan of this draft. Love our first pick and I'm "ok" with our third pick. So from an untested standpoint, I give this draft a C- (not a D because of the value angle ... even if it was value we didn't need).

Plus 1. I agree in general. I think this was just a weak draft class when it came to the "glory" positions. Had you told me we wouldn't have drafted a CB or an official LB before the draft I wouldn't of believed you, but here we are.