Loading ...After months of buildup, speculation, and projecting, The NFL Draft got underway this past Thursday. In an offseason which has been centered around improving the defensive side of the ball, Jerry Reese and company continued their efforts through the draft, picking 4 defensive players with the first 4 picks.
Time to examine the Big Blue class of 2010.
- Jason Pierre- Paul, DE, USF
With his highest pick yet as General Manager of The Giants, Jerry Reese was determined not to reach for any particular particular player. This line of thinking prompted Reese to make perhaps his most controversial selection yet in Jason Pierre- Paul. What The Giants got in Pierre- Paul was a physical freak, he stands at just over 6’6” and weighs about 270 lbs. The controversy surrounding the selection of Pierre Paul is not in regards to his ability, but to his role with New York.
Why draft a 4th defensive end with the 15th overall selection?
A great question.
What Reese and his staff saw in 2009 was not only a porous secondary, but also a unit which lacked the ability to rattle opposing quarterbacks. The defensive line, depicted on the cover of Sporting News in the summer of 2009, was a grossly underachieving unit. $42 million defensive tackle Chris Canty missed most of the season with various injuries, Justin Tuck played through a torn labrum, and Osi Umenyiora was coming off of knee surgery (which was coupled with a badly damaged ego). The Giants entire scheme is predicated on this unit playing well, particularly on 3rd downs, and when it plays as badly as it did in 2009 bad things happen across the board.
I can not speculate as to what the fate of Osi Umenyiora and or Mathias Kiwanuka will be at the conclusion of the 2010 season, but I can project what Pierre- Paul’s role will be in 2010.
Paul will likely see the field on 3rd downs at various spots on the defensive line. In 2007, The Giants generated the most pressure when they used their 4 defensive ends on the line of scrimmage all at once. Surely this is a strategy they would like to get back to. Paul is versatile enough to line up all over the line, as is Justin Tuck.
Sometimes it is simply the presence of one more guy which can put a team over the top, and Reese undoubtedly saw Pierre- Paul as that guy for his defensive line.
The type of versatility which The Giants sport in their front 4 will surely please defensive coordinator Perry Fewell as he attempts to create mismatches for his opponents on gameday.
2. Linval Joseph, DT, ECU
The NFL is a league which is now seeing more and more variety in terms of packages on defense, as teams attempt to adapt to the situation at hand (like a goal line package for example). In Pierre- Paul, The Giants bolstered their ability to rush the passer. In Linval Jospeh, The Giants got their run-stuffer.
Both should see time in packages designed to do those very things early on in their career.
Barry Cofield currently holds one of the starting defensive tackle spots alongside Chris Canty, but The Giants did not extend him a contract this offseason, as they merely tendered him due to his restricted free agent status.
The Giants may choose to let Cofield walk at the conclusion of this season, which would leave them with Canty and Joseph (and possibly Bernard but he could be put out of his misery even sooner). All that said, the need at defensive tackle was quite obvious.
Joseph will bring his run- stuffing ability to a unit which proved bereft of any such ability during the 2009 season. At East Carolina, Joseph recorded GUYGUIYGUIG tackles for a loss. Jospeh is adept at not only navigating his way into the backfield and blowing up running plays, but he is also a phenomenal “pocket pusher” who can help prevent opposing quarterbacks from stepping up in the pocket.
Eventually, I expect Jospeh to be a full time defensive tackle for New York, but in 2010 he should see action in relief of Barry Cofield and down near the goal line (where Fewell’s Bills were ranked 2nd in the AFC in 2009).
Yet again, Fewell has the ability to systematically rotate players in at the line of scrimmage based on the situation.
3. Chad Jones, S, LSU
What The Giants got in Chad Jones is a very tough player, and an amazing athlete. Jones was a relief pitcher for LSU’s national championship baseball team in his time there, and he has garnered a lot of attention for his tendency to deliver jarring hits all over the field.
Jerry Reese’s draft savvy really started to become visible with this selection, as many draft experts had Jones ranked as a first round selection.
I do not think that Jones selection is a reflection of Kenny Phillip’s health. What I do think is that it spells the end of Michael Johnson. Also, newly acquired safety Deion Grant is on the wrong side of 30, so Jones will move up to the nickel safety spot in no time.
Jones also has the ability to return punts. At LSU, whenever they needed a returner not to fumble, Jones was put out there in those situations.
While he looks to be a part of a very crowded defensive backfield in 2010, I expect to see Jones a lot in the coming years, as I think he has the ability to be a starter down the line.
The Giants did a phenomenal job of projecting what their needs will be in future years. This is the beauty of drafting and Jerry Reese is cognizant of this concept.
While Giant fans see a gaping hole at middle linebacker, Reese sees one of the youngest positions on the team where competition will surely yield a starter which can perform with great players around him.
But at the all important positions of defensive end, defensive tackle, and safety, Reese saw question marks in the form of Barry Cofield, Rocky Bernard, Osi Umenyiora, Mathias Kiwanuka, Justin Tuck, Chris Canty, Kenny Phillips, and Michael Johnson.
Some of these names may seem suprising to when placed in the “question mark” category, but when was the last time Tuck was healthy? Can Canty transition to the tackle position? Will Cofield, Umenyiora, and Kiwanuka stay?
Reese thankfully brought in some serious insurance in the forms of “JPP”, Jospeh, and Jones for all of those respective positions.
4. Phillip Dillard, MLB, Nebraksa
Giants fans finally got their coveted middle linebacker in the 4th round. Dillard had the pleasure of playing behind Ndamukong Suh at Nebraska, but will prove to be another body at the middle linebacker position to compete with Jon Goff, Gerris Wilkinson, and Chase Blackburn in camp this summer.
Dillard is 6’0” 245 lbs, and possesses a lot of intriguing qualities for a middle linebacker. He played in 45 games with 17 starts for Nebraksa and played in different positions on The Nebraska front including weak side linebacker as well as middle. Dillard covers a lot of ground, (including in coverage), and during his time with The Cornhuskers he recorded 173 tackles.
The Giants could use a guy with athleticism in the middle this coming season.
If the competition for the middle spot is completely fair (and it isn’t always) Dillard has as good a chance of winning that job as does anyone.
5. Mitch Petrus, G, Arkansas
In Mitch Petrus The Giants got another great value pick, as he was projected to go anywhere beginning in the 3rd round. Petrus is 6’3” 310 lbs, and played in 49 games for Arkansas with 25 starts on the line. Until 2006, Petrus was a full- back. Petrus clearly has some great ability to move and block people on the edges (pulling), and this is a perfect fit for an offensive scheme which is very much predicated on that.
Petrus will prove to be some excellent depth early on in his career and eventually be able to replace Rich Seubrt at the left guard spot.
Two quick hits on Petrus: He was names First Team All- SEC by the coaches in 2009, and secondly, he set a combine record with 45 reps of 225 lbs on the bench press this year.
Wow. Whether it translates to football or not you simply have to admire such a display of raw strength.
When I look at Petrus I see a guy who belongs.
6. Adrian Tracy, DE, William and Mary
In the 6th round The Giants looked to top off their tank of pass rushing fuel with Adrian Tracy. William and Mary is not known for its football players (though it did produce Darren Sharper) but Tracy is a low risk, high reward pickup for New York. He is 6’3” 248 (really undersized for defensive end), and was fairly productive at William and Mary recording 20 or more sacks the last two seasons.
The Giants may view this guy as a linebacker in The NFL, he will need to adjust to that after moving from his end spot in college though.
Interestingly enough, Mike Garafolo has some notes concerning his possible transition:
“One of his trainers, Brian Martin of TEST Sports Clubs in Martinsville, tells me via text Tracy “adapted to LB drills quicker than any other DE hybrid type guy we’ve ever had.”
He will be worth keeping an eye on in camp with regards to his role.
7. Matt Dodge, P, East Carolina
Wow, after years of need in the special teams area The Giants passed on opportunities to improve that area in the draft and this offseason they have brought in Sam Swank, Jy Bond, and now Matt Dodge.
Dodge averaged 45 yards per punt this season and had a long of 70 yards. He was widely viewed as the best punter in The Draft.
There just might be hope for The Giants coaching staff after all.
I am pleasantly surprised that The Giants have paid so much attention to their special teams future with Feagles likely on his last leg (09 was a disgrace, I think he single handedly lost ig Blue the Arizona game) and Tynes always on the fringe, this was a great pick.
Despite what some believe about these first few picks, I believe that it is a testament to Jerry Reese’s drafting prowess. In his time as General Manager, no team has drafted more starters and retained more of its draft picks than has New York. While so many are focused on 2010, this draft has incredible prospects for the future of the team. I see at least 4 potential starters from this group, and Reese projected future needs very well, while coming away with incredible value at those positions.
I am among the people who like The Pierre- Paul pick, which is apparently not many. With Dallas and Philadelphia having such strong drafts (not going to lie Dez Bryant in Dallas scares me) it is imperative that The Giants have the ability to get to the quarterback. Doug free is Dallas’ weakness on the offensive line, and it is time The Giants use their wealth of pass rushers to abuse the likes of him in an attempt to stop what is an otherwise stacked offense.
In Philly, the interior line is their weakness. With the defensive front that The Giants now sport (adding JPP, Joseph, and others), I think they have a much better chance of stopping offenses with dynamic players all around.
Year after year it is proven that the team with the best pass rush can dominate even the best of NFL offenses.
Other Notes:
- Punter Jeff Feagles is considering retirement after encountering some offseason issues.
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Cant wait for training camp…
Should be awesome man
Here’s the Madden 2011 QB rankings in full
Top 10
Peyton Manning – 99
Drew Brees – 99
Tom Brady – 95
Aaron Rodgers – 93
Phillip Rivers – 93
Brett Favre – 92
Ben Roethlisberger – 91
Donovan McNabb – 90
Tony Romo – 89
Matt Schaub – 89
Awareness
Peyton Manning – 99
Agility
Vince Young – 88
Stamina
Tom Brady – 99
Throwing Power
Matthew Stafford – 97
Toughness
Brett Favre – 99
Accuracy
Drew Brees – 99
Peyton Manning
Strength – 64
Agility – 54
Speed – 60
Acceleration – 55
Throwing Power – 95
Vince Young
Overall – 79
Strength – 69
Speed – 85
Acceleration – 90
Awareness – 71
Throwing Power – 89
Carrying – 76
Tom Brady
Short Throw Accuracy – 93
Medium Throw Accuracy – 91
Deep Throw Accuracy – 89
Throw on the Run – 52
Play Action – 95
Injury – 89
Toughness – 95
Matthew Stafford
Agility – 63
Speed – 71
Acceleration – 68
Awareness – 66
Carrying – 64
Brett Favre
Short Throw Accuracy – 88
Medium Throw Accuracy – 87
Deep Throw Accuracy – 84
Throw on the Run – 67
Play Action – 83
Injury – 90
Stamina – 95
Drew Brees
Short Throw Accuracy – 99
Medium Throw Accuracy – 98
Deep Throw Accuracy – 92
Throw on the Run – 82
Play Action – 88
Injury – 93
Stamina – 95
http://www.pastapadre.com/2010/04/24/madden-11-top-qb-ratings
NJ_Giants: Coughlin says Feagles is “having some physical issues” that popped up during offseason workouts.
Might we see the official end to the Feagles era?
im sorry but eli is so underrated its not funny. guy has done nothin but get better every year! he won a SB lost “key” players every year hes been here and he jus continues to post good numbers and getting his 1st 4000 yrd season. i dont get it
Overall I’m pleased. I didn’t like the JPP pick, but I can certainly understand it and hopefully he will turn into a monster. It just scared me because I feel he has bust potential.
I think the most interesting is probably Tracy. Not sure where we fit in another tweener/pass rusher. But sounds like he has the skills to be an immediate impact on coverage teams and maybe we’ll be seeing him climb up the depth chart in a few seasons. A guy who could fit in the 3-4 if we want to keep the option of going that route on the table in future years too.
Yup. 1 more notch in that belt. Eventually people on here won’t be able to say that we don’t have the personnel for the 3-4.
i think we have people to fill the ‘backer slots for 3-4, we just dont really have the linemen to do it.
i like the 4-3, lets just run it right…
Certainly. I’m one who doesn’t think it’d be the best use of our personnel right now, but adding guys like this a little at a time is certainly one way to get there/make it a more realistic option.
It’s better than the teams that try to bring in all the pieces at once. You’re just asking for a down year or two with that approach. Bring in a couple guys for one or two years in a row who can play either style (Sintim, Canty last year) and soon you have enough guys that one or two pick ups can complete the roster needs.
I’m still a fan of the 4-3 myself, but if the staff wants to switch, I’d rather see them get pieces this way than just jump into it all the sudden.
I love Feagles, but he really looked like he was done last year.
If there were no roster limits, I’d love to carry him as a situational punter…only bring him in when we’re punting from the 50…but that’s just not the way it works. You’ve gotta be able to leg it out from the shadow of your own goal post from time to time to, and he just can’t get that job done anymore, not even mediocre, he’s just flat out terrible when he has to try for a long one.
i gotta say, as a NC resident with numerous friends that go to ECU, i feel like i shoulda gone out to Greenville and checked out some games now that the Giants went with 2 Pirate selections
YARRRRRRRRGGHHHH!!!!!!
yeah everytime I head out to an ECU game I never make it to the game…the parties there are unreal…haha
Jpp will be a force in two years, love the joseph pick, but to say chad jones is ” he has garnered a lot of attention for his tendency to deliver jarring hits all over the field” is flat out just not true. Have you watched sec football. the only reason this guy was around in the third is because he was not known as a hard worker and shys away from contact at times.
Heard from a weightlifting buddy of mine that the 225lb bench press reps don’t mean much as far as strength goes…
He claims that at his best he could bench 700lbs, but could only do 17 225 lb reps.
And he was a competitive weighlifter, so he was pretty serious when he was younger.
Here’s his exact quote.
I didn’t say “weak”. I said “I sucked at it.” The “it” being high repetition bench pressing. I weighed 320 and had a 500 raw bench press, 600 with a shirt. And I only got 27 reps with 225? That sucked. But that wasn’t what I was training for. I was training for a one rep maximum. Frankly, if getting less reps with 225 made me a 700-lb. bencher, I would have done that trade in a heartbeat.
Its not about brute strength. Its about stamina and how much time a prospect is in the weight room getting stronger. High repetition shows that you have a very good foundation and you didnt just start lifting for the combine and how much strength endurance you have.
Weightlifters arent really known for their endurance..
You beat me to that. It’s strength over time…
That doesnt mean that benching 225 for 45 is easy. And thats an abnormally low number for your friend
I don’t know a thing about it, but isn’t it possible that those are two different skill sets?
Might it be more important for a guy to be able to bench 225 all day long than 700 once when projecting a football player?
Again, I have no idea, just speculating.
I don’t know either. But I usually default to Rocco when I hear any strength and conditioning stats. He went to Ohio St. and was part of that first group of West Side weightlifters.
lol,KD, cmon….rocco?
your weightlifting friend is named Rocco?
not sayin you’re making him up but, are you making him up?
not at all.
have the giants made themselves a better football team goin into the new year? ima say yes! woulda been a lot more comfortable had we added a quality guy in the middle but over all we are a much more dangerous team than the one on the field last season