Giants: Drafting TE's

During the Coughlin Era that began in `04, the Giants have almost always had a guy who could make plays.  Shockey, then Boss, then Ballard, then Bennett.   That broke down last year with Meyers.  But it had really been put in Jeopardy with the selection of TE Travis Beckham in 2009 who was undersized and unproductive, and TE Adrian Robinson in 20012, who had the size and sick measurables, but just couldn't get on the field.

The four TE's the Giants have had success with could play inline, though Boss was just game there more than super solid.    Beckham and Robinson were more 'move' TE's.   Guys who can split out or motion or come out of the backfield on the snap.   It's hard to know if the Giants would find more use for the move TE in their new offense, but they haven't had any yet.

To be clearer, an inline TE can block as an extension of the OL, and you're lucky if a move TE can block downfield when being used as a decoy.   The Giants have literally never had much luck with these guys in the pass happy era.  And I'm not sure they can afford to take one right now.

That's why I'm not as high on Ebron to the Giants as I was back in January.   I'm not sure if my misgivings would have been allayed had Mike Pope still been the TE guru, but as the staff is not conducted we have an ex-TE coach at OC and a relative to Pope (who's actually a relative to Gilbride) tyro as the TE coach in Kevin Gilbride Jr.   Btw, I'm open to the idea that he's a great young coach, and not to any conspiracy theories that involve the Giants agreeing to keep Junior as long as Senior left.  Seems like TC brought in a layer of more experienced coaches, but still likes the idea of bringing some young, talented guys along.

Here's the deal with Ebron.  He is a very good athlete (hasn't shown great at the combine or his pro day) who can get down the field and make WR plays.  He also has some drops, but he can high point the ball and has big hands, so his drops are just ponderous.   He can be a weapon for the Giants or anyone who drafts him, but will be best utilized as a move guy since his inline work has been less than acceptable and he would need lots of development in that aspect.   He would be an intriguing pick, but I don't thin the Giants can go their, unless they see Ebron as a focal point of their new O.  In that case, take him and throw it to him 90 times.

No, what I think the Giants are more likely to do is draft a guy with receiving skills who can also play inline.   I liked Jace Amaro early in the process, and like that I've seen him getting in extra blocks on run plays or plays to other receivers.  I also like that he weighs 265 to Ebron's 250, and project to an easier transition to inline blocking.  But maybe not.  Texas Tech plays in a gimmicky O and, in general, players coming from these spread O's have had trouble making the transition to pro-style.  Also, he only has 9 inch hands.  I'd like a TE with mitts that are closer to or over 10.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins is three pounds lighter than Amaro and has 9 3/4 hands.   He's a smooth play maker who would need some work on his blocking and has DUI in his past.  He's also from Washington. That's a little reminiscent of Aaron Pierce (who could really play, btw, but couldn't get out of his own way).   Jenkins would be another intriguing pick.

Having said all that Troy Niklas seems like the best Giant pick to me.   And he's got 10 inch hands. He's bigger than the first three and can really block.  He's also made a lot of big plays in the passing game, even though he's no gazelle and has only been playing TE and offense for 2 years.  He went to ND after USC and Stanford all offered him -- and they all offered him at different positions!   This make sense because he is actually part of that Matthews NFL clan, that just mints football players.   I'm not sure if he will be in our 3rd round window, so we might have to move to get him, and I really don't want to move up in this draft, the Giants should be looking to move down and get more picks.

Some folks like Iowa's CJ Feidorowicz from Iowa, and he has big hands, too.  But I think his blocking is overrated and he's just a short area receiver in the passing game, who I don't think can get down the seem.   We'll see.

There are some more guys, like Georgia's Arthur Lynch who needs a little more weight and Joe Don Duncan who's a little overaged and would also need extensive instruction.

So I think the Giants should either take Niklas in the second or after a trade down that nets an extra pick, or find some small school gem and just use Robinson and Donnell as the move guys in the new O.