Upon further review...

I did some more research (reading & video watching) on the new Giants and have some more analysis. I have listed good traits (+), bad traits (-) and made comparisons when possible.

Hakeen Nicks

+ tough, strong, well built

+ played in a "pro-form" offense

+ considered one of the most "NFL-ready" WRs

+ good hands, BIG hands (size 4 XL)

+ good route runner, will go over the middle to make the tough catch

- not a burner (good, but not great speed)

- not an NFL veteran - while he may be great, how much can he help the G-Men this year? The Giants are now in a position to win the SuperBowl with their defense and running game, but will the lack of a proven veteran receiver hold them back? He may or may not become a true #1 receiver, but we need him or someone else (i.e. Manningham, Hixon) to stretch the field to keep the defense honest).

NFL comparison - A lot of people are saying Anquan Boldin, my comparison is Michael Irvin (hopefully just on the field).

Clint Sinton

+ 4 year productive starter

+ tough, strong, good size

+ excels at getting to the QB

+ good run stuffer

- no experience in the 4-3 defense

- not much experience in coverage

- not overly fast

Looks like he will be eased into the SAM role. You can never have too many pass-rushers, right?

NFL comparison - Calvin Pace. Calvin is a big, physical LB in the Jets 3-4. He excels at getting to the QB & is a good run stuffer.

William Beatty

+ athletic

+ quick feet

- only started 2 years at UConn

- good height, but must get stronger

- seemed to rely on his athletic ability instead of toughness

Will he be able to handle the physicality of the NFL? Will have time to be groomed unless injuries ravage our offensive line. Hopefully, he will learn to play with the aggressiveness that our offensive line has demonstrated.

NFL comparison - not really sure at the moment. dare I mention Luke Pettigout

Ramses Barden

+ tall, long arms, big hands

+ good production, 18 TDs both junior and senior year

+ physical presence, good blocker

- does not have great speed

- does not get good separation

- college competition was not good

A definite mis-match problem for defenders. A definite target in the red-zone. DBs can know the fade route is coming, but if they are half a foot shorter, can they stop it? Played against inferior competition, but dominated. How quickly can he learn the playbook/get on the field?

NFL comparison - none really, but everyone will mention Plaxico Burress. Slightly taller than Plaxico, but not the athlete or prospect that Plaxico was when he came out of Michigan State.

Travis Beckum

+ fast for a TE

+ good hands/receiver

+ god route runner

- not a good blocker

- coming off a shortened senior year in which he broke is leg (fibula)

Can be a unique weapon for our offense. He offers a completely different look than Kevin Boss. Can our offensive coaches use him well? Can he handle the physical nature of being an NFL tight end? Can he co-exist with Kevin Boss?

NFL comparison - a smaller Chris Cooley. These guys are more of your H-back then TE. Both can create mis-matches for defenses as they are faster than linebackers.

Andre Brown

+ strong, can move the pile (like Derrick Ward)

+ good receiver out of the backfield (like Derrick Ward)

+ good pass blocker (like Derrick Ward)

- injured quite often (like Derrick Ward)

- never a full-time starter in college. Probably will never be a feature back in the NFL, but has a lot of tools and can excel here behind our great run blockers.

NFL comparison - Derrick Ward (surprise, surprise). Just about the same height, weight & speed (AB is 6", 224 & 4.46 & DW is 5.11, 228 & similar speed). Both are primarily between the tackles runners, with deceptive speed & strength. Both are good receivers & blockers. Both come with multiple past injuries

Rhett Bomar

+ strong arm

+ can make all the throws

+ tough kid

- kicked off the Oklahoma team

- needs to make better decisions

- not accurate (completion percentage was under 60% at a lower level)

A project. He seems like he has the skills, but need work on his technique and his decision-making. Some have questioned how coachable he is/will be.

NFL comparison - J.P. Losman - Strong arm, athletic & mobile, but both need to make better (& quicker) decisions. Both need to mature to succeed in the NFL

DeAndre Wright

+ tough player, battles through injuries

+ has experience as a CB, FS & returner

- not overly tall or fast

- overly aggressive

not enough info to make NFL comparison

Stoney Woodson

+ Giants personnel liked his speed

- Didn't make much of an impact at a weak division 1 school

not enough info to make NFL comparison

Thoughts and Reactions to the Draft

The Giants clearly addressed most of their needs through the draft this weekend, while still managing to draft from among the best available players when their turn came up. The only area of need they didn't immediately address was safety, and I'm not sure if this is because they plan on moving Terrell Thomas back to safety, or they just couldn't find anyone of value when their picks came around. Picking Hakeem Nicks was a no-brainer if the Giants weren't planning on moving anywhere from the 29th overall pick. He's a polished route runner, something Eli Manning desperately needs, with solid hands. Outside of Michael Crabtree, Nicks may be the most out-of-the-box NFL ready WR in the draft. Does that mean he'll be the #1 WR from day one? No, not necessarily. But considering the Giants receiving corps, it's certainly possible.

When the first round ended and both James Laurinaitis and Rey Maualuga were still on the board, I was holding my breath, expecting to see the Giants names appear as they moved up about 10 spots or so to grab one of these guys (Maualuga being one of my favorite LB prospects), and they didn't. I have a feeling the Giants brass might have made a few inquiries, perhaps with the Rams (I think Spagnuolo would probably be a good trading partner), but since the Rams apparently were trying to trade back into round one for Laurinaitis, there was no way they would move down and let us snag their player. Instead the Giants ended up picking Clint Sintim, who I wasn't very familiar with before the pick was made. Afterwards, I have become cautiously optimistic. As an OLB in a 3-4 defense, Sintim made a living as an excellent pass rusher. I love seeing the Giants defense swarm all over an opposing QB as much as any other Giants fan, but we are a defense that has more top-notch pass rushers on our D Line than some entire divisions. Sintim didn't play much coverage at Virginia, and of the few bad images I have of the Giants LB corps last season, it's fast RBs torching them in the open field. Since the GM Jerry Reese has been nothing short of spectacular with his draft picks the past 2 seasons, I'm going to have to give him the benefit of the doubt here and believe he knows what he can get out of Sintim.

Picking up William Beatty was a relief for me, since I have been clamoring for the Giants to spend a first day pick on an OT ever since the team cut "false-start" Luke Petitgout after the '06 season. Beatty is not likely to become a starter this year on an O Line that hasn't seen a player miss a start in over two seasons, but he can definitely replace Kareem McKenzie, who's play has been declining lately, relatively soon, and maybe even push LT David Diehl back to guard eventually, a position where he's much more suitable.

Picking Ramses Barden spoke volumes about how the Giants felt about losing a tall WR like Plaxico Burress. His height creates mismatches all over the place, and although Barden may not see a lot of playing time, you can be sure he'll be seen in the red zone, an area where the Giants offense has struggled for years.

TE Travis Beckum is another pick we're likely to see in the red zone. Since players like Hixon and Smith aren't likely to wrestle away any jump balls in the end zone, running two TE sets with Boss & Beckum, with Barden and Smith on the outside, and the threat of Brandon Jacobs plowing up the middle makes a much more dangerous red zone threat than the Giants had coming into the draft.

RB Andre Brown was picked as a replacement to Derrick Ward and seems to draw a lot of comparisons to him. A good value pick, but likely won't see much time outside of special teams with Jacobs, Bradshaw and Danny Ware already on the roster.

Overall, it seems like the Giants had a pretty solid draft. The previous two drafts seemed much more exciting to me, but that's obviously not the importance here. The point is to draft impact players and build for the future, which the Giants clearly did. I'm now as excited as ever to see the position battles in camp and get this season underway. Go Blue!

day 2 of the draft (one day late)

In the 2nd day of the draft, the Giants made some moves; some great, some questionable.

The Giants did in fact trade for a WR. However, the trade was moving up in the draft order. In the 3rd round, the G-Men, traded up to 85th overall to Philly for the (91st overall) and one of their two fifth-rounders (164th). First of all, it is odd that the trading partner was a divisional foe. Anyhow, the Giants did land the tallest WR in the draft (6.5 feet tall) who is a guy that dominated in college. But it was at the division 1-AA level. It will probably take Ramses Barden a while to get up to speed, but he should immediately be very useful in the redzone as he seemed to have perfected the fade route with his college QB.

Later in the 3rd, the Giants added at TE/H-back receiver in Travis Beckum. He was a great receiving threat in college, but a liability as a blocker.

More offense was added in the 4th as the G-men added their 4th RB to their roster. From what I've read Andre Brown is comparable to the recently departed Derrick Ward (in size, running style, and receiving skills out of the backfield).

The first real head-scratcher, is the 5th round selection of Rhett Bomar. A quarterback selection was a real shock, but I'll leave it as that as the front office obviously has more info on him then I do.

The last 2 picks were CBs and will have to fight for rosters spaces which is typical of most teams' late round picks. CB was is not a need with Webster, Ross, Thomas & Dockery on the roster. I guess we can't expect to land Ahmad Bradshaw's every year in the 7th round.

Overall, it was another solid draft for the G-men. I would have liked to see a kicker, returner & a safety drafted. Keep in mind that the front office always finds integral parts of our roster in the undrafted rookie free agent market (i.e. Kevin Dockery, Chase Blackburn & Rich Seubert). I am very excited with first 6 picks and have high expectations for them as well.

Speaking about undrafted free agents, see the following link & list for guys being brought in.

http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2009/04/new_york_giants_begin_signing_1.html#more

DE Alex Field (Virginia)

S Kenny Ingram (Florida State)

DE Maurice Evans (Penn State)

CB Vince Anderson

S Otis Wiley

S Sha'Reff Rashad (Central Florida)

NFL Draft Day 1 - Giants recap

The Giants made some great picks in the 1st 2 rounds of the draft today.

With the 1st pick, the Giants got a good looking WR, Hakeem Nicks. He broke 13 receiving records at UNC (in only 2 seasons). He is known for having good hands.

In the 2nd round, the giants picked up a pass-rushing LB, Clint Sinton & a big OT, William Beatty. Sinton had 13 sacks last year, but he played OLB in a 3-4 scheme. Beatty was picked in many mock drafts to go in the 1st round.

Overall, it looks like Reese & co made some good moves. Nicks should (keep your fingers crossed) be able to help right away. Beatty will not be replacing Diehl or McKenzie at tackle this year (or pushing Diehl back to guard). Sinton & Beatty will need some grooming time, but should be great additions for years to come.

Can't wait for tomorrow's selections.

nothing going on

but rumors and hype. stay tuned tomorrow for the NFL draft (the most exciting time of the off-season). I will provide my analysis at some point.

2 round mock draft

Thought I'd try a mock draft. It is much easier to criticize than create. I have been working on this for some time & have made a lot of changes. This mock is assuming that the Browns don't trade Braylon Edwards, Brady Quinn & Boldin & Ocho Cinco stay put as well. At this point in time I think the odds of the Giants trading for an established WR are two-to-one.

1. Detroit Lions: Jason Smith, OT, Baylor
(I hear the new staff likes Stanton; not worth the 50/50 gamble on Stafford)
2. St. Louis Rams: Eugene Monroe, OT, Virginia
(almost a sure bet stud LT for the next decade)
3. Kansas City Chiefs: Aaron Curry, OLB, Wake Forest
(arguably the best defensive player, if not best prospect in the draft)
4. Seattle Seahawks: Mark Sanchez, QB, USC
(better fit for their offense than Stafford)
5. Cleveland Browns: Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech
(if they keep BE, can be a lethal combo like Arizona's duo)
6. Cincinnati Bengals: Everette Brown, DE, Florida State
(best pash-rusher in the draft)
7. Oakland Raiders: Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri
(very fast WR, returner, but injury concerns)
8. Jacksonville Jaguars: B.J. Raji, DT, Boston College
(needs help up the middle)
9. Green Bay Packers: Aaron Maybin, DE, Penn State
(Need a complement to Aaron Kampman)
10. San Francisco 49ers: Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia
(Shaun Hill is not a franchise QB)
11. Buffalo Bills: Brian Orakpo, DE, Texas
(No Bill had more than 4 sacks last year)
12. Denver Broncos: Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee
(Makes plays in the backfield, moving up the draft boards)
13. Washington Redskins: Andre Smith, OT, Alabama
(BIG OT for BIG ego owner)
14. New Orleans Saints: Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State
(Could form to be a top CB duo w/ 2nd year man Tracy Porter)
15. Houston Texans: Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois
(If former Dallas castoff Jacques Reeves is your starting CB, you need help)
16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Josh Freeman, QB, Kansas State
(trade w/ SD) move up from 19 to snag Freeman ahead of NYJ; also cost a 3rd)
17. New York Jets: Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Maryland
(Super fast WR has been climbing up the draft boards, could form exciting offense w/ Cotchery, Washington & Keller)
18. Denver Broncos (from Chicago): Knowshon Moreno, RB, Georgia
(Former Bronco star RB, Terrell Davis also was a Georgia Bulldog)
19. San Diego Chargers: Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU
(trade w/ TB move down from 16)
(could be the steal of round 1)
20. Detroit Lions (from Dallas): Peria Jerry, DT, Mississippi
(needs to improve on 32nd ranked run defense)
21. Philadelphia Eagles: Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State
(needs to find backfield help for Westbrook)
22. Minnesota Vikings: Michael Oher, OT, Mississippi
(needs a RT to keep the OL ranked amongst the best)
23. New England Patriots: Rey Maualuga, ILB, USC
(needs to get younger at LB)
24. Atlanta Falcons: Larry English, OLB, Northern Illinois
(lost 2 OLBs in Free Agency)
25. Miami Dolphins: Brian Cushing, OLB, USC
(A Parcells kind of player)
26. Baltimore Ravens: Hakeem Nicks, WR, North Carolina
(a young & talented target for their young signal-caller)
27. New York Giants: Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers
(Trade w/ IND from 29; also cost a 5th - (5A))
After Nicks comes off the board, FO makes a move to get " their man"
(has a chance to be elite)
28. Buffalo Bills: (from Philadelphia from Carolina): Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State
(top TE in the class, a BIG target)
29. Indianapolis Colts: Evander Hood, DT, Missouri
(Trade w/ NYG from 27)
(don't they always need to improve that run defense)
30. Tennessee Titans: Jarron Gilbert, DE/ DT, San Jose State
(first big surprise of draft, big potential/under-the-radar prospect)
31. Arizona Cardinals: Clay Matthews, OLB, USC
(not a lot of production at USC, but impressed in off-season)
32. Pittsburgh Steelers: Eben Britton, OT, Arizona
(Pitt needs to protect Big Ben better)

Round Two
33. Lions: James Laurinaitis, ILB, Ohio State
(along w/ Ernie Sims & Julian Peterson will make a very good LB unit)
34. Patriots (From Kansas City): Darius Butler, CB, Connecticut
(fills a major need for the NE defense)
35. Rams: Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest
(fills one of many needs for the Rams defense)
36. Browns: Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut
(Jamal Lewis is not getting any younger, only averaged 3.6 ypc in 08)
37. Seahawks: Sean Smith, CB/FS, Utah
(secondary ranked 32nd last year)
38. Bengals: Max Unger, OL, Oregon
(poor OL play led to Carson Palmer's injury)
39. Jaguars: Percy Harvin, WR, Florida
(Holt will be good now, Harvin is for the future)
40. Raiders: Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech
(A good complement for Derrick Burgess)
41. Packers: Ron Brace, DT, Boston College
(Need a DT clog for their switch to a 3-4 defense)
42. Bills: William Beatty, OT, Connecticut
(Need a LT after shipping Peters to Philly)
43. 49ers: Duke Robinson, OG, Oklahoma
(Oline gave up 55 sacks last year)
44. Dolphins (From Washington): Fili Moala, DT, USC
(Need a successor to Jason Ferguson)
45. Giants (From New Orleans): Louis Delmas, FS, Western Michigan
(play-making safety could work well with Kenny Phillips)
46. Texans: Patrick Chung, SS, Oregon
(continues the DB overhaul)
47. Patriots (From San Diego): Sherrod Martin, FS, Troy
(will be an upgrade over James Sanders)
48. Broncos: Clint Sintim, OLB, Virginia
(good pass-rusher, better fit in a 3-4)
49. Bears: Juaquin Iglesias, WR, Oklahoma
(need a target for Cutler opposite Hester)
50. Browns (From Tampa Bay): William Moore, S, Missouri
(need a replacement for Sean Jones)
51. Cowboys: Rashad Johnson, S, Alabama
(the Roy L Williams replacement)
52. Jets: Paul Kruger, DE, Utah
(starting DEs are both in their 30s)
53. Eagles: D.J. Moore, CB, Vanderbilt
(no depth behind Samuels & Brown)
54. Vikings: Brian Robiskie, WR, Ohio State
(a possession receiving complement to Berrian)
55. Chiefs (From Atlanta for T Gonzalez - which looks like it will happen): Fenuki Tupou OT, Oregon
(bookend complement to Brandon Albert)
56. Dolphins: Kevin Barnes, CB, Maryland
(good player from a bad team)
57. Ravens: Jairus Byrd, CB, Oregon
(Baltimore really needs a young talented CB)
58. Patriots: Jared Cook, TE, South Carolina
(Does Brady need another weapon; will challenge Ben Watson)
59. Panthers: Chase Coffman, TE, Missouri
(a receiving threat other than Steve Smith)
60. Giants: Phil Loadholt, OT, Oklahoma
(finally, OL depth!)
61. Colts: Alex Mack, C, California
(Jeff Saturday's successor)
62. Titans: Mike Thomas, WR Arizona
(probably the best slot receiver in the draft)
63. Cardinals: LeSean McCoy, RB, Pittsburgh
(Edge is on his way out)
64. Steelers: Mike Mickens, CB Cincinnati
(the other pressing need for Pitt is a young CB)

welcome

Hello Giants Nation! I am a Big Time Giants fan and have decided to share my thoughts about the best football team in the land. This site is a work-in-progress so bear with me as I start.

First things first...

As the NFL draft approaches, I am anxiously awaiting who our great front office decides to add to the roster. As there have been many trade rumors lately around WRs (mainly Edwards & Boldin) it is a very exciting time to be a Giants fan. If there is one piece missing to the puzzle to another championship it is a top notch WR. I am totally for the Giants trading for either Edwards or Boldin as long as the price isn't greater than a 1st & 4th round pick (with a late pick or 2010 conditional pick).

This is all I have time for now as I am still figuring out how this works. I will add some draft content in the next couple of days.