The National Football League’s regular season has come to a close, signaling for many teams a turn of attention to April’s rookie draft process. For the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants, that change in focus is undoubtedly unwelcome considering the alternative. It’s necessary however, if they’re going to return to the “Big Game” and reclaim their title in the near future.
General manager Jerry Reese has fared well in the NFL draft. Since being hired in 2007, he has put together many of the key pieces found on the current Giants’ roster. He will have a lot of work to do in the off-season though, to bring the team back to prominence; competing with the likes of the new stalwarts of the NFC East — the Washington Redskins.
With another fantastic group of incoming rookies, New York will have some serious scouting to do to decide which players will be good fits.
Here’s a look at my projections for the Giants’ 2013 NFL draft:
Round 1, 19th pick overall: Eric Fisher, LT, Central Michigan
In today’s NFL, the key to winning is highly dependent on the security of the quarterback. The Giants’ Eli Manning was sacked less often than any other starting quarterback this season. This had more to do with his ability as an elusive pocket passer however, than the protection in front of him.
Manning’s offensive line had been one of the stronger units in the NFL in years past, but the group has regressed rather dramatically over the last two seasons. Right tackle David Diehl is no longer a plausible starting option at either end of the offensive line and left tackle Will Beatty’s injury history and lack of consistency makes it necessary to address his position in the off-season.
Central Michigan’s offensive lineman Eric Fisher is a versatile athlete that would fit well in the Giants’ zone blocking scheme. He has good size at 6’8” tall and 305 pounds, and he excels as a pass blocker. Despite often playing against a less elite level of competition at CMU, Fisher performed well against top-flight programs like Michigan State and Iowa this season.
Round 2, 49th pick overall: Sheldon Richardson, DT, University of Missouri
The Giants struggled stopping the run at times this season, finishing the year ranked 25th in run defense. It does not appear that 2011 second-round draft pick Marvin Austin is going to fulfill his potential and that leaves New York with a need at the defensive tackle position.
Sheldon Richardson comes from Missouri with an impressive resume. Against Alabama early this year, Richardson recorded 14 tackles and a sack while lined up against promising offensive tackle prospect D.J. Fluker.
The Tiger plays with a high motor and is always in pursuit. His minimal experience as a starter can be a negative or a positive, but the physical tools he possesses will unquestionably catch the Giants’ attention.
Round 3, 81st pick overall: David Amerson, CB, North Carolina State
There is no denying the Giants’ secondary is in shambles and must be addressed as soon as possible. Reese hinged his 2012 hopes for the defense on the return of Terrell Thomas, but another ACL injury to the cornerback landed an early blow to their defense.
New York’s veteran cornerback Corey Webster took a large step backward in 2012 and he found himself as a frequent target for opposing quarterbacks. As a result, this secondary position has become an alarming need for New York and it must be addressed in the draft.
At 6’2”, Amerson has outstanding size for his position. He set the ACC record with 13 interceptions last season and he’s proven to be a brilliant cover corner.
To land the NC Wolf would be a big win for the Giants and would instantly boost their secondary unit. However, it’s hard to gauge whether or not Amerson will — or should — even be available this late in the draft.
Round 4, 113th pick overall: Le’Veon Bell, RB, Michigan State
Though the Giants’ rushing attack played better than it had last season, running back Ahmad Bradshaw may not be back with Big Blue in 2013 and there’s no telling if they’ll get the same performance out of teammate Andre Brown (5.3 yards per carry) again.
Michigan State’s Le’Veon Bell is a big back with loads of potential. He finished 2012 with 382 carries for a Big Ten conference-leading 1,793 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Though not terribly slow, Bell’s size and running style would provide a comparable partner to split carries with the speedster David Wilson.
Such a combo would have the potential to evolve into the “Thunder and Lightning” duo the Giants dreamed of having with Ron Dayne and Tiki Barber back in the day. Unfortunately, the combo of Wilson and Bell has an equal amount of potential to pan out the way “Thunder and Lightning” really did — an absolute bust.
Round 5, 145th pick overall: DeVonte Holloman, OLB, South Carolina
The Giants are and have been in desperate need of depth at every linebacker position. At outside linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka has proven he is better-suited along the defensive line and Michael Boley does not appear to be in the Giants’ long-term plans.
DeVonte Holloman comes from the South Carolina Gamecocks with the type of athletically-gifted skill set Reese cannot resist.
Formerly a safety, Holloman has potential as Kiwanuka’s replacement at the strongside linebacker position because of his coverage ability. This season alone, Holloman recorded three interceptions from the “spur” position — a hybrid of the linebacker and safety positions at South Carolina.
Holloman’s versatility could make him a favorable prospect for the Giants in defensive coordinator Perry Fewell’s scheme, where the Gamecock could be used as a coverage linebacker or a third safety up at the line of scrimmage.
Round 6: Quanterus Smith, DE, Western Kentucky
The Giants’ vaunted pass rush could be decimated this off-season.
Defense end Osi Umenyiora may not be back and teammate Justin Tuck is a shell of his former self. Without them, there’s only so much damage D-lineman Jason Pierre-Paul can do on his own; double teams limited him this season as it was.
Though likely not to be quite the golden goose as JPP was for the Giants in the 2010 draft, Quanterus Smith has some similar physical tools that could enable him to blossom into a dependable and dangerous pass-rushing force.
Smith has a nose for the football and never slows up. With sub-4.7 speed, he has the ability to chase down the ball carrier and often-times beats opposing offensive lineman off the line of scrimmage.
This defensive end recorded 12.5 sacks this season for Western Kentucky before going down with a torn ACL. He was a presence for the Hilltopper defense with one of his most impressive performances coming against Alabama’s D.J. Fluker, in which he tallied three sacks against the defending National Champions.
Round 7: Mike Edwards, CB, Hawaii
Hawaii’s Mike Edwards enters the draft following an impressive Junior season in which he recorded 43 tackles and two interceptions.
His stock takes a hit due to a robbery arrest in 2009 that earned him a dismissal from the University of Tennessee, but the Ohio native has kept out of trouble since then.
Legal troubles aside, the Mountain West first-teamer is a gifted, young athlete that presents some potential. With a need at cornerback, an attempt to add some depth at the back end of the draft couldn’t hurt the Giants.
Edwards is not afraid to get physical with receivers at the line of scrimmage, a surprising but impressive trait for the undersized cornerback — he is only 5’10”. He is an aggressive player with a nose for the football.
Edwards saw time at running back and wide receiver during his time at Hawaii and could be a serviceable special teams player at the NFL level.
Louis Musto is a contributor to the Sports Journey Broadcast Network. You can follow him on Twitter @LouisMusto.