GIANTS 101

With the 2010 NFL Draft is in the books, I would like to offer a few thoughts on each draft pick and the of the undrafted free agents who have signed with the New York Giants.  This is a breakdown of what you could call the Giants full rookie class, including undrafted rookie free agents.  You cannot fully evaluate a class without including the UFAs.  I am not going to go into the players attending on a tryout basis right now, but rookie mini-camp starts Thursday and the 2010 season will be officially underway. 

•  Jason Pierre-Paul, DE – South Florida – Round 1 (pick 15) - It may surprise some of you, but I do not hate this pick.  I wish the Giants went in another direction, but I get it.  Since the draft, reports have come out that the Giants were not as high as we thought on either Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain or Missouri linebacker Sean Weatherspoon.  One reports even said that the Raiders did the Giants a favor by selecting McClain, because the Giants really wanted a defensive end.  Pierre-Paul is an athletic freak of nature who is explosive off of the line of scrimmage and has drawn some comparisons to former Tennessee Titan Jevon “The Freak” Kearse.  Word out of Tennessee is that they were crushed that the Giants drafted JPP with the 15th pick, because the Titans wanted him at 16 overall.  The reason I did not like this pick was Pierre-Paul will likely not be a starter or even a major contributor to the defense early in his career, and he will likely be the fourth defensive end on opening day, behind Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and Mathais Kiwanuka.  I would rather the Giants draft a player in the first round that can make an immediate impact.  I get it though.  The Giants pass rush struggled in 2009, and it is rare to find a defensive end with the pure physical skills of JPP.  I think with a few years of coaching, working with Tuck, Osi and Kiwi and working out, he will develop into a legitimate threat to lead the NFL in sacks and will torture quarterbacks in the NFC East for the next decade. 
• Linval Joseph, DT – ECU – Round 2 (pick 46) – I loved this pick and had it correctly mocked.  Joseph is a beast of a tackle, who has a ton of upside and should be disruptive and a valuable member of the Giants rotation on the defensive line right away.  A mountain of a man at 6′5 328lbs with long arms and great strength to go along with excellent physical quickness, Joseph will make the Giants linebackers better and should contribute quickly as teams focus on stopping the Giants outstanding defensive ends.  He  does need to play more consistently and stay lower at the point of attack, but that will come with coaching.  The only thing that scares me is you cannot help but think back to the last time the Giants drafted a massive defensive tackle named Joseph early on and how that worked out. 
• Chad Jones, S – LSU – Round 3 (pick 76) - A solid pick, Jones will provide depth as a rookie and should contribute on special teams right away, while also serving as insurance for Kenny Phillips‘ knee.  He is blessed with excellent hands and is a big safety (6′2 221lbs) who will find a way to contribute to this team.  Also one of only two collegiate athletes ever to win a national championship in two sports (football and baseball).  You have to wonder if this pick marks the end of the Giants career of Michael Johnson, I would assume that he and Deon Grant would go into training camp battling it out for a roster spot.  If the Giants cut Johnson, he will rejoin Steve Spagnuolo on the Rams by the end of that day.  The Giants safeties have gone from Michael Johnson, C.C. Brown, Aaron Rouse as featured players last season.  That won’t happen again, following the additions of Antrel Rolle, Deon Grant and Chad Jones. 
• Phillip Dilliard, MLB – Nebraska – Round 4 (pick 115) - Dillard struggled to stay healthy at Nebraska, but showed flashes while he was on the field.  He is a stout and stocky linebacker (6′ 245lbs) who plays well in the trenches and digs through the trash to make plays, but does not have great range or quickness.  He is a very instinctive player and a good hitter for his size, and his stock was probably helped a bit by playing behind defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, the second pick in the draft.  I still think middle linebacker is Jonathan Goff’s job to lose, and think Dilliard will provide depth early in his career.  He will compete for the starting spot eventually, I just doubt it will be in 2010.
• Mitch Petrus, G – Arkansas – Round 5 (pick 147) - Another pick that I loved.  I watch a lot of SEC football and have respected Petrus as a player since he was blocking for Darren McFadden and Felix Jones in 2007.  Petrus is a big, tough guard with a nasty streak, who plays with a great motor and works hard every day.  I think that Petrus has an outside shot to win the starting left guard spot right away, and think he is clearly the future of the position for the GMen. 
• Adrian Tracy, OLB – William & Mary – Round 6 (pick 184) - I looked into Adrian Tracy and actually liked him as a 3-4 OLB prospect in this draft.  He was dominant against inferior competition at William & Mary, notching 22 sacks in the last two seasons.  I was a little surprised the Giants drafted him and they will likely use him as a situational pass rusher from the strong side.  I doubt we see much of Tracy in 2010, as the Giants will be developing him, but think he will eventually be the primary backup for Clint Sintim.  There is a shot the Giants view Tracy as an undersized defensive end, but I do not see where he fits on the depth chart there, and see his future as more of a rush linebacker.
• Matt Dodge, P – East Carolina – Round 7 (pick 221) - Jeff Feagles is likely to call it a career this week, and the Giants drafted Dodge, a big punter (6′2 224lbs) with a big leg.  Dodge will compete with G101 Hall of Famer Jy Bond for the teams starting punter job this season.  I think Dodge will win this job.  Two ECU players in one draft!
• Nate Collins, DT – Virginia – UFA - Mel Kiper was shocked that Nate Collins went undrafted, and many scouting sites had him projected as a 5th or 6th round pick.  Collins is best friends and former college roommates with Giants linebacker Clint Sintim.  He is an active and quick defensive tackle who was a fan favorite at UVA.  He finished second on the team last year with 77 tackles (10.5 TFL) and 6 sacks, which is amazing for a kid who was playing nose.  He is athletic for a DT and also returned an interception for a touchdown.  He is my early pick as the UFA who makes the team in 2010.
• Tim Brown, WR – Rutgers – UFA - I was not shocked that Tim Brown did not get drafted due to his diminutive size (5′8 165lbs) but was very excited to see him sign with the Giants as a UFA.  I have no doubt he could contribute to the Giants after watching him play a lot at Rutgers, as a slot receiver and punt returner.  The kid has 55 catches for 1,150 yards and 9 TDs at RU as a senior and deserves a shot in the NFL. 
• Abe Koroma, DT – Western Illinois – UFA – A super talented defensive lineman, who was at one point dominant at Penn State, Koroma was not drafted based on character concerns alone.  He transferred to WIU due to disciplinary reasons, where he was the anchor of their run defense last season.  He is a beast at 6′3 315lbs and looks the part of an NFL tackle on the field.  Go back and watch some of his play at Penn State and you will see flashes of greatness.  He has a chance to make the roster as well, and since I do not think he is taken, I’ll select Honest Abe as my G101 Hall of Famer of 2010. 
• Victor Cruz, WR – UMass – UFA - In two seasons as a starter at UMass, the Patterson, NJ native caught 131 balls for 1938 yards and 11 touchdowns over the past two seasons.  Those numbers are impressive for a 6′ 206lb wideout. 
• Duke Calhoun, WR – Memphis – UFA - Led Memphis with 68 receptions for 923 yards and 5 TDs last season.  Has good size at over 6′2 195lbs and ran a 4.49 40-yard dash at his Pro Day.
• Dennis Landolt – OL – Penn State – UFA - A third team All-America tackle last season, the Burlington, NJ native has a decent shot to catch on with the GMen.  At 6′4 306lbs, he is probably a guard on the next level, and would probably go the practice squad route in order to make the GMen. 
• Lee Campbell – MLB – Minnesota – UFA - Read this stat line back to yourself after I type it up.  As a senior this past year, Campbell had 119 tackles, 1.5 sacks, an interception and five pass breakups.  The 6′3 246lb player struggled at the combine, running a 4.93 and getting 17 reps on the bench, but there is no doubt he can play the game. 
• Leon Wright – CB – Duke – UFA - Had 10 interceptions in 41 games at Duke, and ran two of those picks back for touchdowns on consecutive plays against Army.  The Giants only have four corners who are roster locks right now, so I could see Wright getting a serious look.  The Giants need to find their fifth active corner out of Wright, Vince Anderson (with the team in ‘09), and fellow UFA Seth Williams out of Richmond (see below).
• Seth Williams – CB – Richmond – UFA - Had 245 tackles and 9 interceptions over four seasons at Richmond.  See above for my thoughts on the corners. 
• Dominic Randolph – QB – Holy Cross – UFA - Put up huge numbers as a senior at Holy Cross – 3,776 yards passing with 34 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.  Also added 480 rushing yards and 7 TDs.  Great numbers against inferior competition, but likely a practice squad prospect. 
• Jim Cordle – OG – Ohio State – UFA - This versatile three year starter has played everywhere on the offensive line, starting games at both tackle spots, center and left guard.  He was just right guard short of the offensive line cycle. 
• Ayanga Okpokowuruk – DL – Duke – UFA - Ugh…that was tough.  I am already putting him behind Collins and Komora as the defensive linemen I am rooting for to make the team because I never want to type his last name again.  The equipment manager is thinking the same thing.  He had 10 sacks in 47 games at Duke. 
• Jake Ballard – TE – Ohio State – UFA - A big tight end who is primarily used as a blocker, Ballard only had 14 catches for 150 yards at OSU, but was a blocking force in the run game. 
• Michael Greco – S – UCF – UFA - A former quarterback who made the transition to safety last season, Greco had 47 tackles last season.  I think he was invited to the rookie camp based solely on his 40-time (4.37).