Giants Draft: Carl Banks Theory

In 1984, with the #3 overall pick in the NFL draft and with Hall of Fame Linebackers Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson, as well as good prospects like Andy Headen and Byron Hunt already on the roster, the Giants went ahead and took Carl Banks with their unusually high pick. The Giants didn't have a linebacker problem on the horizon, but Banks was by their judgement the BPA, and they had nothing against making a great unit even greater. In the 4th round that year they took Gary Reasons, which gave them the 4th piece to the unit that would win Superbowl 21. Adding more talent to already great talent put them over the top in two years.

We could have called it, Lawrence Taylor theory, since the Giants had Carson, Van Pelt, Kelly, Lloyd and Marion already when they picked LT. Of course, that's not just BPA, that may have been a BPE pick. In other words, if arguably the best player ever is available when you're up, you take him. A Carl Banks type makes it more of a judgement issue, but you always go for overwhelming strength wherever you can get it.

That's why when the Giants are up Thursday, I won't be bummed out of they take yet another DE or WR. The pass rush is the life blood of our championship defenses, and as long as we have Eli we can never give him enough weapons.