Giants Draft: Back Seven

Now, it's also possible that a back 7 player could be the BPA for the Giants at 32. However; I think this is pretty unlikely. There are only 2 players I think the Giants might consider for a back 7 job and both would have to fall to be there at 32. They are Alabama Safety Mark Barron and Boston College LB Luke Kuechly. Now both of these guys are pretty much exactly what the Giants seem to like or be evolving toward.

Barron is a back seven playmaker who could immediately step in and take over those 3rd safety responsibilities as well as come off the edge and cover. Just an all around football talent who would allow the Giants the ability to let Rolle or Phillips go after next season for cap relief. But it would be pretty surprising if he was there. And putting him aside there doesn't seem to be a corner or safety who will be in the mix at 32 with 1 exception and I will talk about him later. Fear not, though, there are bunch of small school corners as well as some major college safety sleepers who can be had later in the draft and the Giants will probably take 1 of each. Oh, and Notre Dame fan, though I am, Harrison Smith tested better than he played, and should not be in the Giant picture at 32.

Luke Keuchly is to the 4-3 LB position what Barron is the safety position: just what you're looking for. He can do it all and cover, and the Giants seem to be evolving toward a linebacker scheme that will emphasize coverage responsibilities. Why else would they trade a 5 for Rivers? Rivers is a Boley clone and if you're going to have them both on the field, as well as Williams, you're expecting the other team to pass and to take away the TE and the flats. Luke could also handle the drop for the cover 2.

Frankly, I find it a relief that the Giants are finally adding 4-3 LB's for their 4-3 scheme and no longer peddling the "hybrid" idea that led to the drafting of Torbor and Sintim. Those were both good passrushers who didn't do a lot of passrushing and got exposed in coverage a lot -- as you would expect them to! Adrian Tracy is another tweener they took that I hope they find a passrush roll for, because he is a rocket going forward and I don't want him having to learn to cover or drop.

Last year, the Giants took Jones and Williams, then signed Herzlich and Paysinger in the UDFA period and that was the first time they really threw a cluster at the 4-3 LB position. And it paid off. Williams looks like a future steal, and Herzlich was showing flashes of his old self before he got hurt. Paysinger and Jones helped on Specials, but with offseason conditioning, OTA's, mini's and full camps all 4 of them could still be around. Thus I think if the Giants are going to take a 4-3 LB to crack the group it would have to be Keuchly at 32.

I don't think Dont'a Hightower is their kind of guy right now. He's kind of Sintim-y, and they finally seem to be coming around to the idea that running a non-"hybrid" 4-3 with a hell on wheels front and LB's who can cover and fill might not be such a bad thing.

The other back seven guy is Janoris Jenkins. Of the three, he is the one who is most likely to be there. And it's because he may just be insane. This guy could have been a top 10 pick as a playmaking corner who also excels on returns, but instead, he got tossed out of Florida and depending on who you believe might have acted up at North Alabama. But he is the goods and in personality type is the anti-Prince. Might be fun to have both. It would be sort of out of character for the Giants to take him at 32. If; however, he has screwed up badly enough to fall to the last pick of round 3, I'd expect the Giants to pounce, just like they did on Mario. And I would expect Janoris to excel with the Giants. The Giants have good luck like that because they do things the right way.