Loading ...Here we sit, combine complete, pro days around the corner and a little more than a month from the draft. What's usually the off–season for casual fans and a period of meticulous waffling on draft prospects for the rest of us seems overtaken to some degree by the labor uncertainty.
With coverage of the negotiations locking up airspace and web links that used to go to mock drafts and scouting reports, we thought it was time to turn the focus back to where it should be: trying in vain to figure out who the New York Giants first–round pick will be.
So, let's take a first look at the pre–pro day mocks. See if we see any names on here that we can start hitching our bandwagons to:
Colorado OT Nate Solder: ESPN's Mel Kiper and CBS' Rob Rang both have the Giants taking the former Tight End. With an aging and injured group of offensive lineman, it would be hard to blame the Giants for grabbing an offensive tackle. Pop quiz: name a Giants offensive lineman that DIDN'T get hurt last year.
Boston College OT Anthony Castonzo: The boys over at PFT, Walter Football and NFP both have the Giants taking a tackle…see a theme here? Florio at PFT points out the Giants assistant offensive line coach was at Boston College when Castonzo got there. This year's offensive tackle class seems to underwhelm the scouts and the Giants may be able to get the second or third tackle off the board at 19. Whether they like Solder, Castonzo or someone else is anyone's guess. Throw in Bleacher Report on the Castonzo bandwagon.
Illinois ILB Martez Wilson: Wilson isn't even on any of the other first–round mocks, but CBS' Chad Reuter has the Giants going for him. Many might think this one is out of left field but then again many of us thought the same thing when Jason Pierre–Paul was selected last year. Did Jonathon Goff earn the job last year? Probably not, but I'd find it hard for the Giants to pass on a good offensive or defensive lineman for a guy like Wilson.
It's honestly kind of surprising to flip through seven mock drafts and see only three names, but it seems like everyone is convinced the Giants are honing in on the offensive linemen. The picture might get a bit clearer as pro days and workouts send guys shooting up and down draft boards, but in reality we'll be guessing up until the Giants are on the clock. Even if we got inside Jerry Reese's head and figured out who he liked best of the guys we'll mention between now and April 28th, you never know what happens if a top end defensive lineman or cornerback falls in his lap.
Until then, we'll debate Castanzo vs. Solder. Have at it, boys.
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I thought with the negotiations going on and the uncertainty of a CBA agreement any time soon that the draft would have become the primary vehicle for a team to upgrade and fill in its gaps . If you dont know what is going to come out of the CBA , how can they with certainty rely on free agency since nobody has any idea what may or may not be negotiated ?
I don’t think it’s so much that the Giants are looking at OL. It’s more that the way the draft is breaking it seems like the value picks at #19 are OL.
However I’m guessing that it will be another surprise selection. Maybe a player who drops and is deemed irresistible. Yeah, like JPP. Anything can happen if your 1st round philosophy is ‘best player available’.
I was out of town the past several days, so I just saw the Tiki news.
One observation for those who believe Tiki’s 4 year hiatus from the league means he can’t be at 34 what he was at 30, Plax has been out of the league for 21/3 years following a gunshot to the league and he is 34 going on 35 — perhaps he can’t be what he was!
1) Tiki is 36, not 34
2) Running backs are finished after 30. Can you name a 36 yr old RB that has done anything the last 10 years?
3) WR and RB are completely different positions and the wear and tear is nowhere near the same
4) Plax is a FREAK at close to 6’6 and with nearly a 7 foot wingspan. The Physical mismatch he causes with DB’s (most of whom are smaller than 6’1) is very unique
5) Plax is perfect cure for Eli’s tendency to be wild high. He was also a big reason we won the SB and our offense (running game in particular) has not been the same without him
Other than that, great comparison :-)
I knew I could wake you up
my comment was meant to suggest, multiple years away from the game for any athlete in his thirties is not a positive
I was wrong about Tiki’s age though; had it in my head that he retired at 30
Eagles coaching staff got some awards…
“… Mornhinweg won assistant coach of the year from Pro Football Weekly, and the trainers were named the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society’s Athletic Training Staff of the Year for 2010, in voting by their peers.”
Our trainers won the annual “Hamstring Heisman Trophy”… again.
I found it very interetsing that the Plax poll is divided exactly 50-50. It would interesting to see what a poll would reveal about Tiki’s return.
Of the two, I would take Solder. Like JPP, I think his ceiling is higher. I want a LT who can handle the speed rushers and protect Eli as he enters his prime. Pass blocking means more to me than a great run blocker. I think Constanza excells in the latter and he reminds me of Diehl way to much.
I think Wilson is the pick and I d be completely fine with grabbing an OT in round 2. I see Martez as the second best option at LB, number one is Von and we won’t even get a sniff of him. I m not ready to replace Goff but Martez could hold down the SAM spot with that speed maybe even replace Boley.
Akeem Ayers. Mark it down
Maybe the sintim experiment changes the way they look at ayers, plus Im in favor of taking a guy who is a LBr not a speed rusher
Demo – for the reasons you mentioned Tiki is very likely not to be succesful in his return. While not at the same extreme, many of those same things apply to Plax.
1) How many 34 year old WRs are still really good? There are a few exceptions like Owens and Rice but really all of those that were really good at that age were HOFers or borderline. No matter how much Plax did for us he’s nowhere near a HOFer.
2) At the tiem they departed Tiki was the better player. I know Plax was key in us winning the SB but Tiki was the better player and near HOFer when he retired.
3) You cannot assume either can return to form. The years off usually is for a younger player – Ricky Williams came back at 30 not 34 or 36.
I still think that Plax has a better chance to return to a productive player but both players are far from givens to return at a productive level. We have other very good players at both positions. Plax is much more plausible because his teammates still like him.
Very good point, though the differences in the two men and the way their time off has been might be the key. While Tiki was out impregnating his wife, bangin’ a college girl, leaving his wife, being an awful journalist and losing his job(s), Plaxico has been serving time in jail, separated from his family, pumping iron and trying to make it through his time there. One man has become soft and gushy; the other has been doing hard time while his family has grown up without him. I believe that will have made Plax tougher and bitter, ready to regain his spot.
I think Martez Wilson is a real possibility if we grade him as a top 20 talent. It seems to me that Wilson has more upside as a real 4-3 LB. Ayers just seems to be a Sintim with more upside/polish. I know Wilson played the OLB early in his career and switched to MLB. I think his skill set fits what we need in a SLB more than another 3-4 LB conversion. Our SLB is not a heavy pass rush position, we need guys that can run, tackle and cover.
I like Wilson because it appears that he’s athletic enough to play all 3 of the LB spots in our scheme. Goff’s failing last year was that he was a liability when he was asked to drop back and cover a zone. I know Demo’s expose on the Cover 2 might suggest otherwise, but it does seem that our linebackers have the responsibilities of the LBs in that scheme. So they’ve gotta have speed and the ability to be a force not only in the running game, but also in the short to intermediate passing area. Goff seems decent at the former, but the latter doesn’t seem to be his strong suit.
It’s why I thought Weatherspoon would have been a fine MLB for us; his speed and size would’ve been great for this scheme. Wilson could be the same.
I like Wilson but if we’re gonna go LB, i like Bruce Carter better.
Bruce Carter could be a plug-in SAM whereas Wilson could possibly succeed Goff, should he underwhelm.
Actually, I like Carter too. I go with Wilson over Carter bc Carter seems to be a WLB only. I don’t think we could play Carter or Boley at SLB. Carter also has injury questions. Carter could be available in the 2nd round. I doubt Wilson would be availble for us in the 2nd round.
I’m happy with JPP. Goff was pretty good and can improve. Weatherspoon probably will be better than Goff but Goff still can be good. JPP can be great, a top 3 player in the 2010 draft.
I don’t dispute that JPP is going to be looked upon as one of the better players in this past draft. He, Suh and Bradford are going to be at the top, for sure. Still, I would be lying if I felt my opinion at the time regarding our need for a linebacker like Weatherspoon has been changed by what I’ve seen out of JPP. I hope someday it will.
That’s being honest. I hated picking another DE but having seeing a few USF games his talent did intrigue me – I was trying to watch Seilve but JPP just jumped out as an athlete on the opposite side. I also wasn’t sold on Weatherspoon as a MLB, if I was I probably would have felt the same way though.
Wilson is not JPP as an athlete but he is also a top athlete. He’s was a very good college player and not the risk that JPP was. I just don’t get why as a 4-3 LB we would pick Ayers ahead of Wilson. Ayers skills seem to translate more to a 3-4 OLB.