Giants: Draft Day

So, the NFL Draft is finally here, and I've never been less excited.   It think it's a couple of things.  First, I don't think the Giants did enough in UFA before the draft to take the pressure off the picks.  So they're heading into this with major needs, not just wants.  Second, because of the inturies to Jaylon Smith, Myles Jack, and others, the top 10 of the draft, and indeed the first round is talent challenged.  Third, for over a month, there's been a persistent rumor that the Giants are taking Georgia LB Leonard Floyd, and he's tackle challenged.

The smart offseason would have seen the Giants fix the OL in the first two days of UFA, then target Zeke Elliot in the first round.  However; that's not what they did, and they now go into the draft having to find a starting caliber RT.  So Jack Conklin makes a ton of sense for them at 10.  He's been a riser, but frankly, Ronnie Stanley who I loved last year, had a down final season and questions about his want to and toughness arose.  So Conklin is the guy they should target.  No questions about his toughness or character.

The concern is is they'll draft Floyd. Floyd is a talented guy, who can rush the passer and run with receivers and TE's.  He blew the the doors off the combine and is an official freak.  Also, he has an impressive wonderlic for a front 7 defender. The Giants have been looking for a player with those traits for a generation.  The problems with Floyd are sort of two fold, first, he'll be 24 when the season starts, second, he can't tackle and isn't physical.

Having said all that, I can absolutely understand the Giants excitement about getting a "swiss army knife" or a player who's like the "queen on a chessboard" in terms of attack angle.  But they are going to have to teach him to tackle, and that fact that he will already lived 24 years without doing so, will make it a real challenge

In any event, I'd still pick Zeke Elliott and hope to get lucky with a right tackle in round two.