Future NY Giants prospects

The consensus grade for the Giants draft was B / B-. The Redskins early pick of Scherff forced the Giants hand and they went for the next best bet in Ereck Flowers. Some feel this was a bit of a reach, but if the Giants felt they had to address the OL early and if Flowers develops into a quality LT, this is a great pick. Even if he has to move over to RT or inside to guard, still a good pick. Flowers is 6-6, 329 with a mean streak so the Giants got bigger and badder on the front line, which was a serious need.

Moving up to get Alabama SS Landon Collins was a good move. He was graded as a first-round talent and it is a need position, so you get quality, value and fill a need on the roster. Collins is a sturdy strong safety at 6-0, 228 and well coached.

Owa Odighizuwa is an athletic 6-3, 270 DE from UCLA who has been described as Justin Tuck 2.0. That would be a good deal. He's a bit of a combine warrior who needs to translate his athletic gifts into useful football skills.

Texas DB Mykkele Thompson is versatile and big at 6-2, 191. Maybe more safety than CB, if he contributes as expected in nickel and dime packages, the Giants pass defense should be improved.

Sixth round WR Gerry Davis, 6-2, 216 from Connecticut, is probably a back up, possession type receiver and FSU guard Bobby Hart, a seventh rounder will provide depth and size on the OL at 6-5, 329.

Bottom line is the Giants added a guy who should come right in and start in Collins, a possible project in Flowers, who should contribute in first year, if not start immediately. Odighizuwa and Thompson are the wild-cards. How early and often they contribute will decide in hindsight how good this draft is for the Giants. They did get good value out of Collins and Odighizuwa at the top of the draft and a few draft pundits targeted Thompson as a sleeper pick (ie: good value). Hart could develop down the road.

Overall, it looks like a good draft for the Giants who really needed one at this point. I give it a solid B grade. They still need to address the LB position, but the addressed the need for a pass rusher and the offensive line.


Analysis from NFL.com


1.9 Ereck Flowers
http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/profiles/ereck-flowers?id=2552452

OVERVIEW

As a junior in 2014, started all but one game at left tackle and was second-team All-ACC selection. Flowers suffered a knee injury in the middle of the season and reportedly underwent a surgical procedure to repair the injury but missed only one game because of it. Admonished for using an obscene gesture toward Nebraska fans after an on-field skirmish. In 2013, started all 13 games at left tackle. In 2012, started four games as a freshman at right tackle. Ranked as a four-star prospect by Scout and Rivals coming out of Miami Norland High School. Helped lead team to a 15-0 record and Class 5A state championship. Was the only player at the NFL Scouting Combine who decided not to hire an agent.

PRO DAY RESULTS

Vertical jump: 27 inches

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS

 Big, athletic frame carrying more than 320 pounds with ease. Ascending mauler in the run game. Bender who is low man off snap and pops hips into block to leverage defender at the point. Combines hips, arm extension and upper-body power to consistently turn his man when base blocking. Once he gets upper hand in run game, he usually sustains and finishes. Secures combo block with a vengeance. Has feet to become solid zone blocker. Mean and highly competitive. Wants to dominate and gets surly when beaten on a snap. Special foot quickness in pass protection. Able to mirror and counter two-way rushers or B-gap blitzers. Uses quick feet and loose hips to turn, scramble and recover when beaten. Pass-set depth and technique improved as year progressed. Has played both tackle positions.

WEAKNESSES

 Pass protection needs plenty of work. Footwork gets sloppy and undisciplined, causing base to narrow. Ducks head into contact and is a leaner in pass pro, creating balance problems. Rarely flat-footed upon initial hand contact. Throws hands rather than firing authoritative punch. Hands ride too high and too wide. Content to become grabby around framework of defender. Flagged for six holding penalties over last two seasons. Slow to secure and climb on combo blocks and is often lacking balance on the way to target. Doesn't bring feet under him to sustain second-level blocks. Knocked off balance by smaller pass rushers due to poor balance. Hips looked tight and struggled to gain ground when asked to pass set in combine drills.

DRAFT PROJECTION

 Round 1

NFL COMPARISON

 Jack Mewhort

BOTTOM LINE

 Flowers has good size and short area foot quickness, but he also features some lower body tightness and struggles to get proper depth quickly to consistently meet edge rushers. Some of Flowers' pass protection issue may be difficult to overcome. On the hand, his strength as a run blocker and ability to uproot his man and get them turned is undeniable. Flowers may be drafted as a tackle, but his best position could end up being as a guard where I would put a draft grade on him of 6.12.

2.40 Landon Collins http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/profiles/landon-collins?id=2552454

OVERVIEW

Played 41 career games, starting the last 23. As a junior in 2014, voted unanimous first-team All-American. Was first-team All-SEC selection and a finalist for the Nagurski Award, Lott IMPACT Trophy and Jim Thorpe Award. Led the team in tackles (103) and interceptions (3). Played both safety spots and started three games at dime back during three seasons at Alabama. Second-team All-SEC selection as a sophomore in 2013. As a freshman in 2012, tied for team lead with 10 special teams tackles and blocked a punt. Was rated No. 1 safety in the nation and top-10 overall prospect by 247sports.com coming out of Dutchtown (La.) High School. Became first player in Louisiana Sports Writers Association history to earn 5A All-State honors on both sides of the ball (rushed for 1,218 yards and 21 touchdowns).

PRO DAY RESULTS

Bench press: 16 reps of 225 pounds

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS

 Thick safety with a no-nonsense demeanor typical of a Nick Saban-coached player. Decisive against the run. Gets high to low quickly and is all over the ball. Leverages running backs to sideline and keeps contain. A true sheriff against the run. Tracks and stalks ball carriers with patience. Hits the gas and explodes into his tackles with purpose. Feet are under him and balanced when ready to strike. Aggressive and tough with a desire to intimidate. Disciplined eyes -- is not easily moved around field by quarterbacks. Wrap-up tackler. Physical enough to match up against tight ends and has the feet to carry big, slot targets. Transitions to throws quickly in zone coverage and limits yards after catch. Finds and tracks ball and times his leaps well. Aggressive in playing the ball and disrupts the catch with his physicality. Core special-teams player.

WEAKNESSES

 Average hands. Dropped easy interceptions against Texas A&M and Arkansas. Looked much quicker in 2013 than he did in 2014. Can be beaten in a foot race. Average recovery speed. Sometimes shows too much confidence in recovery speed. Gets caught peeking into backfield and can be beaten over the top after a late jump. Inconsistent route recognition. Beaten for game-tying and game-winning touchdowns by Ole Miss. Shows some hip stiffness when asked to open up and run. Might be carrying too much bulk.

DRAFT PROJECTION

 Round 1

NFL COMPARISON

 Johnathan Cyprien

BOTTOM LINE

 Collins is a tempo-setter who can energize a defense with his downhill, aggressive style. He is at his best when he can attack rather than sit back in coverage and process. Collins' tackling, pursuit angles and speed to the sideline can help a defense shut down rushing attacks, but his inconsistencies in coverage will be tested by NFL offenses.

3.74 Owa Odighizuwa http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/profiles/owamagbe-odighizuwa?id=2552275

OVERVIEW

Participated in 2015 Senior Bowl. Selected second-team All-Pac-12 in 2014, tying for team lead with 11.5 tackles for loss and finishing second on team with 6 sacks. Granted medical redshirt in 2013 after missing entire season following surgery on both hips. Played in 38 games from 2010-2012 with 8 starts. Was a Parade All-American and USA Today second-team All-American in high school, where he also lettered in basketball and track.

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS

 Absolute Greek God with the pads off. Shredded physique with very little body fat. Strong at the point of attack. Plays with desired anchor and strong lower body. Run defender who can close down creases. Gets off ball with good pad level and has potential to convert speed to power. Hands are violent and active. Relentless and competitive. Never gives up on a pass rush. Expected to be a core special-teams talent. Can play 4-3 defensive end or 3-4 outside linebacker.

WEAKNESSES

 Not skilled as a pass rusher. Won't win around the edge often and must prove he can counter back inside. Has dealt with two surgeries on his hip and missed all of 2013 because of it. Lateral agility is limited. Range in pursuit in question. Could be mismatched if forced to cover in space. More unit fit than talented player.

DRAFT PROJECTION

 Round 2

SOURCES TELL US

 "He's not Courtney Upshaw, but he could be used kind of like that. I can see him playing in both 4-3 or 3-4, but he can't be counted on as a pass rusher and you have to know that he will be limited to just being a run stopper." -- AFC national scout

NFL COMPARISON

 Sam Acho

BOTTOM LINE

 Odighizuwa has some scheme versatility, but he's not necessarily a versatile player. Some scouts believe that he could open some eyes with his straight-line speed in his workout, but his marginal pass-rush skills and average athleticism could stunt his draft stock.

5.144 Mykkele Thompson http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/profiles/mykkele-thompson?id=2553438

OVERVIEW

Appeared in every game (52) during his four seasons with the Longhorns.

PRO DAY RESULTS

40-yard dash: 4.47 and 4.48 seconds
Vertical jump: 36 inches
Broad jump: 10 feet, 6 inches
Short shuttle: 4.46 seconds
3-cone: 6.97 seconds
Bench: 18 reps of 225 pounds

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS

 Versatile and can play corner and safety. Has good length and is a plus athlete.

WEAKNESSES

 Lacks bulk and strength and was a very inconsistent tackler who didn't always take good angles.

6.186 Geremy Davis 
http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/profiles/geremy-davis?id=2552654

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS

 Broad-shouldered target who makes himself presentable for the catch. Proficient route runner. Good use of leverage in his routes to create room at top of his routes. Makes heavily contested catches in the middle of the field. Keeps cornerbacks posted up on his hip. Plays with extended catch radius. Not a physical blocker, but walls off and shows flashes of getting after it with defender.

WEAKNESSES

 Lost snaps to younger players during 2014 season. Slow receiver lacking necessary timed and play speed for an NFL wide receiver. Doesn't have foot quickness to free himself from press coverage. Tight-hipped with prolonged gear-down into his break. Struggles to separate against quality cover corners who mirror and match him. Leans into routes, giving away his intentions. Won't do much after the catch.

DRAFT PROJECTION

 Undrafted

BOTTOM LINE

 Davis is a big, reliable target who simply falls well below the NFL standard for functional play speed at the wide receiver position. Maybe he will surprise at his workouts, but the tape doesn't show a player who can get much separation with necessary athleticism. He might not be strong enough to handle it, but additional weight on his frame could make him a candidate for a shot as a move tight end.

7. Bobby Hart  http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/profiles/bobby-hart?id=2552335

OVERVIEW

2014: Third-team All-ACC. Started all 14 games at RT. 2013: Honorable mention All-ACC. Started all 14 games at RT. Blocked for a Heisman Trophy winner in Jameis Winston and helped lead FSU to an ACC championship and BCS national championship. 2012: Played in eight games as a backup guard and member of the field goal kicking team. 2011: Played in 11 games, serving as a reserve in the first two weeks and starting in the final nine games of the season at LT. Replaced injured senior Andrew Datko and maintained his starting role.

PRO DAY RESULTS

40-yard dash: 5.67 seconds
Vertical jump: 27 inches
Broad jump: 7 feet, 11 inches
Short shuttle: 5.07 seconds
3-cone: 8.08 seconds
Bench press: 22 reps of 225 pounds

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS

 Bubble butt with power in his lower half. Improved from being a neutralizer to run-block winner in 2014. Can reestablish line of scrimmage when asked to maul. Wins in short yardage and near goal line. Gets hand on defender first and can latch on in pass protection. Turned 20 years old in August and body is still developing.

WEAKNESSES

 Stiff knees and hips limit his bend and leverage. Comes out of his stance too high. Shuffles feet rather than chops in pass pro, causing his base to narrow. Struggles to make his back-side cutoff blocks. Frenetic hands with too much wasted motion. Limited, small-area, guard-only prospect. Lethargic feet after contact.

DRAFT PROJECTION

 Round 6

NFL COMPARISON

 Ramon Foster

BOTTOM LINE

 Young, soft-bodied prospect who is best suited to play guard in the NFL. Tape doesn't always treat Hart kindly, but his issues in pass protection as a tackle won't be same issues he faces in the NFL as a guard. While he has physical limitations, Hart is a competitive player who flashes NFL power potential.