Giants Postional Rankings (Pre-Draft)

9. Tight End - The tight end position is something the Giants will likely upgrade in the draft at some point. Newly acquired Rhett Ellison is known as blocker, Will Tye is more pass-catcher than blocker, and Jerell Adams is a combination of both. Any productivity from this group, can help alleviate some of the pressure off the wide-outs.

8. Offensive Line - The Giants offensive line is not great right now. It's not for lack of trying on managements behalf. Jerry Reese has tried to upgrade the group through the draft, with two first round and one second round pick in the last four years. No running game, and constant pressure on Eli leads to this ranking. Justin Pugh and Weston Richburg are solid, but the fate of this unit, depends on the improvement of Ereck Flowers.

7. Running Backs - The running backs were just as bad as the offensive line last year. The two groups success goes hand and hand. Below average run blocking made it hard for the running game to get any traction. Paul Perkins had a decent rookie season, and should improve with more touches. Shane Vereen, if he can stay healthy, should be a receiving threat out the backfield.

6. Linebackers - The linebackers actually played decently last year for the first time in awhile. Jonathan Casillas,Keenan Robinson, and Devon Kennard return and BJ Goodson will likely see his first extended action of his career. Another likely position that may get upgraded in the draft.

5. Quarterback - Some might read this, and wonder why quarterback is only at #5. Make no mistake about it, if Eli gets hurt, the Giants season may be over. With that being said, some of Eli's best seasons the team didn't even make the playoffs.

4. Safety - The safety position is young and talented. Landon Collins was a first team All-Pro and DPOY candidate last year. Darian Thompson has fans salivating over his play-making potential. Andrew Adams played solid for an un-drafted free agent thrust into the spotlight.

3. Wide Receivers - If you take Odell Beckham Jr. off the Giants, the offense would struggle mightily. Hence the reason this is the highest ranked offensive positional group. Sterling Shepard should improve on his rookie season and Brandon Marshall should provide a red zone target and veteran leadership.

2. Defensive Line - When the defensive line is doing their job, it makes the other levels of the defense play well. We'll have to wait until the season to see how much the loss of Jonathan Hankins impacts this group, but a lot of talent returns. Olivier Vernon should be more comfortable in his second season in New York. Damon Harrison will continue to eat blocks, and JPP has a full year under his belt playing with the injured hand.

1. Corners - The cream of the crop of positions groups on the Giants is the corners. Janoris Jenkins lived up to his large free agent contract and had his best season as a pro. DRC showed he was a team player, by switching to nickel and excelling at it. Eli Apple had his ups and downs as a rookie, but overall played well and should take that next step this year.

3 players the Giants should trade up for

Reuben Foster

There are some Giants fans who would love to see BJ Goodson get his shot middle linebacker. There are others, who would love the Giants to draft Zach Cunningham from Vanderbilt or Jarrad Davis for Florida. The one linebacker in the draft who looks like a sure fire day-one starter is Reuben Foster from Alabama. He's a play-making, sideline-to-sideline linebacker who can cover backs and tight ends. There is some character concerns that come with Foster, but his talents may be worth the risk. He would provide the Giants with another young cornerstone to build the defense around.



OJ Howard

Another position that seems to be popular during this draft is tight end. OJ Howard is arguably the best tight end in the draft and would provide pass-catching and athletic ability the Giants haven't seen since the Jeremy Shockey days. In a draft deep with tight ends, is it really worth trading up? Trading up, usually involves giving away picks. You want to be sure that the player you are trading up for is going to be worth it. Howard was underused at Alabama. A lot of people have an idea what type of player he projects to be. If he can live up to those projections than it's worth moving up.



Christian McCaffrey

The Giants running game was beyond terrible last season. Having a running game is important, but make no mistake about it the Giants are a passing team. Christian McCaffrey is the best all-purpose back in the draft. He is a mismatch for linebackers in the passing game and would add another weapon to the Giants offense. Although he is viewed as an all-purpose back, he comes from a power-running school, and should be able to translate that part of his game to the NFL. A lot of recent mocks have him going to his hometown Broncos. The Giants would likely have to move up for slots in order to steal him away. An all Pac-10 combo of McCaffrey and Paul Perkins wouldn't be too bad.

Potential unsung players for the Giants in 2017

It's Easter Sunday. Easter is the holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Every season there are a few players who themselves step out of the shadows and elevate their team to be contenders. There are a few potential Giants who can help resurrect the team back to the Super Bowl.

Jay Bromley

With Jonathan Hankins chasing a couple more million and leaving the Giants for the Colts, a void was left at the defensive tackle position opposite "Snacks" Harrison. A lot of fans are yearning for the Giants to replace Hankins, by way of free agent leftovers or in the draft. The most likely solution may be on the roster already. The upcoming season will be the third for Jay Bromley, a 3rd round pick out of Syracuse. After a forgetful rookie year, where he couldn't make an impact on a historically bad Giants defense, Bromley was able to improve and become involved in the defensive line rotation. Last season, Bromley had 36 tackles and showed a little more promise than the previous season. Wouldn't surprise me if he is starting on day one, but his play will determine how long that will last.

Darian Thompson

Another former 3rd round pick, Darian Thompson, only played in 2 games during his rookie season. He won the starting free safety job out of camp, but then sustained a foot injury that kept him out the rest of the year. In his absence, Andrew Adams stepped in and did an admirable job. Adams didn't make the splash plays, but didn't make a ton of mistakes that cost the Giants any games (well, maybe the Redskins game). Thompson was known as a ball hawk in college, and was lauded for his leadership during the camp by the coaching staff. If he can stay healthy, he can provide an already good secondary with another weapon with his ball skills. Adams played solid enough to make this a competition in camp. We will see which direction the coaching decides to go.

Jerell Adams

If there is one position the Giants have been waiting for someone to take charge of, and be that guy, that position is tight end. Larry Donnell had his shot, but had fumbling and blocking issues. Will Tye made plays, but is not much of blocker. Here is where Adams comes in. Although in limited action, one thing Adams showed he could do is catch the ball. He is also a more sound blocker than Tye and Donnell have been. Rhett Ellison was signed this off season, but he is basically a glorified tackle and blocking fullback. This draft is filled with athletic tight ends who fit the mold of the position in this new era. If the Giants decide not to draft one of those guys that could mean that they have a lot of confidence in Adams. With all the coverage the wide outs will receive this year, there are going to be lots of opportunities for whomever is tight end this year.

The NY Giants will be Super Bowl contenders if.........

The dream for every NFL team and fanbase is to be holding up the Lombardi trophy after the winning the Super Bowl. Only one team gets to fulfill that, and usually the stars align too make that happen. So what needs to happen for the Giants to accomplish that goal?

1. Ereck Flowers needs to rebound from his horrible 2016

Any Giants fan or any fan for that matter, knows Flowers was terrible last year. He repeatedly got beat, and resulted to holding the majority of the time. His inability to block the guy in front of him, made it extremely hard for Eli Manning to ever get comfortable. For this offense to reach its full potential, Eli is going to need time to make plays, especially from the blindside. If Flowers plays up to his potential, the offense should improve

2. Develop a running game

The Giants ended the season with the fourth worst running game in the league. There are a lot of things that factored into that being the case. Bad blocking from the offensive line, Rashad Jennings, predictable play calling, Rashad Jennings, backs not seeing the holes, oh and did I mention Rashad Jennings. The simple fact that he is not on the team any longer, should improve the running game. Although he's no star, Paul Perkins showed in spurts, that he is a much more capable back than Jennings. As of right now, hes the starter, and hopefully some improved blocking and play calling he could have a solid year.

3. Odell continues to be Odell

Brandon Marshall was a good signing, a proven vet who looks like he has something left in the tank. Sterling Shephard had a good rookie year and should build upon that the second time around. Make no mistake about it, Odell Beckham is what makes the Giants offense go. He dealt with a lot of double and sometimes triple teams last year, but was still able to produce the season he had. Beckhams big play ability tends to wipe away all whats wrong with the Giants offense in one play. He should see alot more single coverage with Marshall on the other side. That should translate into a big year.

4. Eli Apple has a fringe Pro Bowl type of year

Apple had a very solid rookie year. He had some ups and downs as is expected with any rookie. If he can take that next step, and give the Giants two shutdown corners and DRC in the slot, it will benefit the defense tremendously. A little tighter coverage will turn a lot of those hurries, OV and JPP had into sacks. This will also allow Landon Collins to be more in the box and make plays all over the field like he did last year.

5. Belief

When the season started last year, no one really knew what to expect from the Giants. After having the kind of season they had, everyone knows what kind of team this can be. There should be a little belief in East Rutherford that this team can do something special. From game 1, the Giants need to play with a swagger and believe, that they are the team to beat. We seen this once before back, in 2008. The Giants was clearly the best team in the league. Plaxico Burress then shot himself in the leg, and the season went downhill. But before this incidence, you could see, the Giants played and acted like they was the best team in the NFL.

ALL New York Giants Team Since Eli has been Quarterback

Running Back

Tiki Barber
Best season: 2005 - 1860 rushing yards - 54 receptions - 530 receiving yards - 11 tds

Brandon Jacobs
Best season: 2008 - 1089 rushing yards - 15 tds

Wide Receiver

Odell Beckham Jr.
Best Season: 2014 - 11 games - 1305 receiving yards - 13 tds

Plaxico Burress
Best season : 2005 - 1214 recieving yards - 7 tds

Victor Cruz
Best Season: 2011 - 1536 recieving yards - 9 tds


Tight End

Jeremy Shockey
Best Season: 891 receiving yards - 7 tds

Left Tackle

David Diehl
Best Season: 2008 - 2nd team All-Pro

Left Guard

Justin Pugh

Center

Shaun O'Hara
Best Season: 2008 - 2nd teal All-Pro

Right Guard

Chris Snee
Best Season: 2008 - 1st team All-Pro

Right Tackle

Kareem Mckenzie

DEFENSE

Defensive End

Osi Umenyiora
Best Season: 2005 - 14.5 sacks

Jason Pierre- Paul
Best Season: 2011 - 16.5 sacks

Defensive Tackle

Linvall Joseph

Damon Harrison
Best Season: 2016 - 1st team All Pro

MLB

Antonio Pierce
Best Season: 2006 - Pro Bowl

OLB

Michael Boley

Mathias Kiwanuka

Corner

Corey Webster

Janoris Jenkins
Best Season:2nd team All Pro

Safety

Landon Collins
Best Season: 2016 1st team All Pro

Antrell Rolle
Best Season: 2 time Pro Bowl Selection with Giants

Mel Kiper and Todd McShay latest Mock draft selections for Giants

Mel Kiper Jr

Jarrad Davis - ILB - Florida
6'2 238 lbs



Reason why its a good pick:

Davis is a very explosive athlete, and would upgrade the linebacker group the moment his name is called. One of his strenghts is making plays in the backfield. Besides Keenan Robinson last year, its been a long time since the Giants had a linebacker who consistently makes plays in the backfield. I watched his pro day, and he looked extremely athletic and not stiff at all. He definetely looks the part as well. Players from UofF seem to play with swagger and an aura of confindence, and he fits that mold.

Reasons why its a bad pick:

I personally like Davis. The only downside I see to this pick is BJ Goodson. We didnt re-sign Kelvin Sheppard, who was serviceable but nothing to write home about. That signaled to me that Goodson is ready to take over. Goodson didnt play much last year, but the coaches are with him everyday and know more about his development than fans do. So is it really worth using a 1st round pick on a position that we might have a starter already in house?



Todd McShay

Malik McDowell - DT - Michigan State



Reasons why its a good pick:

I seen McDowell play a handful of times during his Michigan St career. One game that stands out to me, was his game against Notre Dame last year. Me being a Notre Dame fan, I got to witness the terror he can create firsthand. He was absolutely dominant in that game, and made it hard for Notre Dame to get anything going offensively. With the unknown of Jonathan Hankins return, we are in need for a DT. I am not convinced that Bromley is the answer, although I think the rest of the line can mask his deficiencies.

Reasons why its a bad pick:

Like I stated earlier, I watched a handful of his games, and he was dominant against Notre Dame. But the other games I've seen of him he didnt pop off screen to me. The likelihood of McDowell being selected may hinge on if Hankins return or not. With the three headed monster ( Vernon, Harrison, and Pierre-Paul) we are currently deploying on the front, is DT really that pressing of a need to commit a 1st round selection on? Those three will be able to make up for whoever starts at DT next year.

Draft Preview

With the draft slowly approaching, I wanted to take a look at some of the prospects I would love to see the Giants. There are a few factors I am going to focus on, in thinking about the potential prospects we should draft. The first factor is, Eli Manning is in the tail end of his career. We are in a win now mode, so all prospects that will take time to help us, I will not look at. The second one is, although we beat the Cowboys twice last year, they are not going anywhere. We need to draft people that are going to help us defeat them. With that here is my wish list.

1. Dalvin Cook - RB - Florida St Its being said that Cook, is dropping down the draft board because of injury. This is definitely a risk I would be willing to take. I watched about 10 to 12 games of Cooks career, and has been dreaming to see him in a Giants uniform for some time. After being so jealous of the Cowboys and the impact Ezekiel Elliot had this season, had me yearning for the same kind of impact. Our running game completely sucked last season. Its no secret that our O-line sucked as well, which made it tough for our backs too ever get anything going. With that being said, a lot of the failure falls on the backs simply not being able to make someone miss or read blocks. This is two things that Cook is excellent at, and not to mention he is an exceptional pass catcher with game breaking abilities. He can make our O-line look half way decent. I like Paul Perkins, I just like Cook a lot better, and the two of them could be a nice 1-2 punch.

2. Ryan Ramczyk - OT - Wisconsin Ereck Flowers stink that is not breaking news. Its just our luck that this is not a deep draft for tackles. Ramczyk is one of the best ones and comes from an offensive line factory in Wisconsin. Lets be realistic, Flowers was a top ten pick just two years ago and I dont see the Giants giving up on him yet. So if drafting Ramczyk to play Right Tackle over Hart, than I wouldnt mind it. Somehow, someway Eli needs better protection in order to get our recievers the ball. I hate drafting offensive lineman in the first round, but look how it worked out for the Cowboys. Other possible picks: David Njoku-TE-Miami Cam Robinson-OT-Alabama Zach Cunningham-LB-Vanderbilt Christian McCaffrey-RB-Stanford