Loading ...Many Giants fans and draft “experts” assume the team is targeting and will draft Alabama Middle Linebacker Rolando McClain with the 15th pick of the first round. The organization may have some questions on McClain, does he have the pure sideline to sideline speed the Giants are looking for? Is he better suited for the 3-4 defense in the NFL? How will his battle with Crohn’s disease impact him on the next level? Will he even be on the board when the Giants are on the clock? This is the scenario I am looking at right now, what do the Giants do if McClain is off of the board? Over the next few weeks, I will debate what the Giants will do if McClain is gone. There are many directions Jerry Reese and the front office could go. I am not predicting this WILL be the Giants pick, I am just considering it as an option.
With the 15th pick, should the Giants select Jermaine Gresham, TE - Oklahoma?
Will he be on the board at #15? 95% chance. Unless someone reaches (I’m looking at you, Al Davis) for the most dynamic tight to enter the NFL since Vernon Davis was selected by the 49ers with the 6th pick of the 2006 NFL Draft. Most scouts think Gresham will be drafted in the low to mid 20′s.
Why the Giants should select him - Jermaine Gresham is one of the best playmaking tight ends I have ever seen in the college ranks, and should be a star right away in the NFL. He has a great blend of size (6’5, 261lbs) speed (4.71 in the 40) and athleticism (35″ vertical jump) and strength (20 reps on the bench) at the combine while recovering from a knee injury, and I expect him to improve on these numbers at Oklahoma’s Pro Day. A good blocker at 261lbs, Gresham is lean at that weight, could easily add more muscle to his frame and not lose his speed and quickness. I am a big fan of Kevin Boss, he is a tough player who was a major steal with the 153rd pick of the 2007 draft, because he is tough and has good hands. Jermaine Gresham would be an upgrade over Boss in every way, he can make big plays, gain yardage after the catch and is a mismatch nightmare (too fast for linebackers, too big for safeties.) He is a better pure athlete than Boss, and has a nose for the end zone. As a sophomore in 2007 Gresham had 37 catches for 518 yards and 11 TDs and as a junior in 2008 he had 66 catches for 950 yards and 14 TDs. He missed all of his senior season due to cartilage damage in his knee, which he will be fully healed from by the start of football activities. The Giants lack depth behind Kevin Boss, with just Travis Beckum, who is more of an H-Back/Slot and unknowns Scott Chandler, Carson Butler and Bear Pascoe. The addition of Gresham would provide Eli Manning another stud offensive weapon and instantly give the Giants one of the biggest threats at the tight end position in the NFL. A threat at tight end, like Gresham, would really open up the rest of the offense and force defenses to focus on the middle of the field in the passing game. Imagine a two tight end set in the Red Zone, with Boss and Gresham tight and Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden split out. That would be scary, if the team decides to actually play Barden this season, that is.
Why the Giants should pass - Kevin Boss is still developing as a tight end and had a very good season in 2009, catching 42 balls for 567 yards and five touchdowns. He has struggled as a blocker but is getting better as he adds bulk to his frame. He is also tough as nails, getting up quickly and returning to action after a few punishing hits last season. Although Jermaine Gresham is more of an offensive threat than Boss will likely ever be, he is not the upgrade that the Giants should be looking for in the first round. Travis Beckum will hopefully develop into a great offensive option this off-season as a second tight end and H-Back. Scouts think that Carson Butler should develop into a solid blocking tight end at 6’4 255lbs, and he could be a nice option as the third tight end on the depth chart. Gresham also has some injury concerns, coming off of a serious knee injury that cost him the entire 2009 season. The Giants could use better depth at tight end, but grabbing a great blocker who is also a decent receiver, for example Arizona’s Rob Gronkowski (6’6 265lbs) in the fourth round may be a smarter move. The Giants have other needs to fill and already have a good tight end in Kevin Boss, so grabbing Gresham would be a pure luxury pick.
My Take - The Giants will have a ton of options if Rolando McClain is no longer available with the 15th pick of the first round, or if they decide to pass on them. Grabbing an offensive weapon that would immediately improve the passing game is always intriguing, and Jermaine Gresham could be the next Antonio Gates or Vernon Davis. He should instantly be a threat to score 8-10 TDs in the NFL and his presence as a deep threat in the middle of the field would open up the passing game for Eli Manning and the Giants receivers. However, I think the Giants would pass on Jermaine Gresham. They just have too many other needs, Kevin Boss is a good tight end who is still developing, and Giants fans and management seem to want Boss to keep his starting position. If the Giants were to make a luxury pick at #15, I would rather the team take C.J. Spiller, a dangerous running back and return specialist, than a playmaking tight end.
Chances the Giants take Gresham – Not good. Jermaine Gresham should be an instant impact offensive weapon, but the Giants have many other more pressing needs, and already have a solid tight end. I cannot see the Giants taking him at #15, and think they would look to another area first. A weapon with Gresham’s ability is always intriguing, but at the end of the day, I say pass.
Where does he end up? In my latest mock draft, I have Gresham going to the Cincinnati Bengals with the 21st pick. Carson Palmer needs pass catchers, and by drafting Gresham, they would give him another tool to succeed.
NOTES: The Rams have signed two more ex-Giants, cornerback Kevin Dockery and tight end Darcy Johnson, to contracts. Steve Spagnuolo continues to build Giants Mid-West, as the team also signed ex-Giants defensive tackle Fred Robbins earlier this off-season, and already has former Giants Defensive Tackle Leger Douzable, and safeties James Butler and Craig Dahl. It is like watching the Giants in the second half of a 2007 Pre Season Game! I love it!
NOTE: The league announced compensatory draft picks yesterday, and the Giants are left without one due to all of the free agents the team signed last off-season.
Schedule: The NFL will announce the opening weekend and Prime Time games today, which they have already delayed 24 hours. Keep it here for updates.
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Haha no. Im not taking a TE with no knees and decent speed at #15.
Oh and Gronkowski in the fourth? Yeah good luck with that. Id rather hope for Suh at 15..
Yeah, the third may be more realistic for Gronkowski. In fact I had that written and edited it. He did not play in 2009 due to a serious back injury that will definitely slide him down boards.
I will be extremely surprised to see Gronkowski slip out of the second. He had a back injury, but was cleared medically. Its not that much of an issue. Its less of a concern then a pass catching Tight End who has had knee surgery on both knees from a torn ACL.
Not a great TE draft though – Top Ten Coming off the board in this order?
1) Jermaine Gresham – first round
2) Aaron Hernandez – secound round
3) Jimmy Graham – second/third round
4) Dorin Dickerson – second/third round
5) Rob Gronkowski – third/fourth round
6) Anthony McCoy – third/fourth round
7) Dennis Pitta – fourth round
8) Garrett Graham – fourth round
9) Ed Dickson – fourth/fifth round
10) Tony Mokei – fourth/fifth round
About the same prospects I have in my top 10, except I have Gronkowski and McCoy a lot higher. McCoy is very underrated imo, great blocker, good receiver who has some legit wheels. I cant believe he hasnt more hype, considering he plays for the biggest hype machine in college ball.
Yeah, I like McCoy a lot too.
Reminds me of another USC product, Fred Davis, who started slow but was a good player for the Skins last year when Cooley went down.
Great blocker, probably best in the class, but in a league so focused on passing now it seems like those guys slip on D-Day.
i love Gresham, but the only way I take him is if the Giants draft a Defensive stud at 15 and then trade up to get him if he somehow slides into very late 1st early second..He would make our offense Elite when combined with Smith, Boss, Nicks, Manningham and a rejuvinated running game. I just think there are 2-3 much more pressing needs than a TE right now.
I dont really get the admiration for Dorin Dickerson either. Yes he ran blazing fast in a straight line. But he still doesnt accelarate out of cuts and he is beyond useless as a blocker. He doesnt have the size to create mismatches either as he is about the size of a big WR.
Sounds like Beckum V2
Totally agree with you on Dickerson. Workout warrior, not even super productive in games.
Travis Beckum v2 is Garrett Graham though. He took over Beckum’s position at Wisconnsin and is almost exactly the same player.
That Mock on PFT is terrible…They have Mays dropping out of the first rd and us taking Davis (Rutgers) at 15….They also have Spiller droping to 28..I think I saw 8 players still on the board at 15 in that Mock that I would take before Davis
Goodell also said he didn’t think the recent rift between the NFL and Jets owner Woody Johnson over the coin flip to decide the host of the first game at the $1.6 billion stadium would impact the Super Bowl bid.
“I don’t think it will have any effect at all,” Goodell said.
http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/giants/super_ny_bid_picks_up_steam_jGWYTAQfaB0gHXpZ3jqZHO#ixzz0j0a9clul
Well even if it did he would never admit it.
McCoy is a lot bigger then Fred Davies. He might not be exactly the same WR, but hes pretty darn close and hes twice the blocker. He has the exact same size/speed combo that Gresham does and with zero injury concerns.
Beckum is 240. Dorin Dickerson is about 225 soaking wet. beckum has elite blocking abilities in comparison.
ROC, if McClain is off the board at 15, why would they switch their focus to the offense? The passing game is not an issue, and while they could use depth at TE, the most glarring need that should be filled with first round talent is at LB. Sean Weatherspoon would probably be the most logical next choice at the position. Gresham is a stud, so I can see where it would be appealing, but the needs are too great on defense to warrant jumping to a TE here. Additionally, I’m surprised you have CJ Spiller as an option…a guy you had dropping out of the first round of the draft in your Mock 1.0. Are you warming up to him or do you think the Giants would jump at least 18 picks early on him?
I just am not sure which direction the Giants are going to go if McClain is not on the board at #15. I am considering all of the options, one of which will be Gresham. I like Weatherspoon, but think he is a pure outside backer in the pros. I am not convinced he can take on fullbacks and guards in the middle, as he relies on his speed as his best weapon. I’ll have a piece coming out soon about ‘Spoon. Do you take him as the heir apparant to Boley on the weakside?
Spiller is a first rounder. Someone will take him in the first. I think Gresham is a luxury pick and so is Spiller for the Giants.
Rick, ok so those werent your rankings but merely a guess on were they will actually be drafted?
That is where I am guessing they are drafted. My tight end rankings would be:
1) Jermaine Gresham
2) Rob Gronkowski
3) Aaron Hernandez – Not a huge fan. Reminds me of a slower less athletic Dustin Keller.
4) Jimmy Graham – Vertical weapon, red zone nightmare.
5) Anthony McCoy
6) Dennis Pitta
7) Ed Dickson
8) Dorin Dickson
9) Tony Moeki