Now that the draft is in the books, two of the most popular things to do are 1) do a mock draft for 2015 (which I won’t do because I am not a sadist) and; 2) grade the drafts, which are truthfully as nearly as senseless as the mock draft craze and may still imply that I am a sadist.
It’s simple. Very rarely, if ever, does a team’s entire draft class produce on all cylinders right from day one. Potential is never right out of the box except for a few very rare occasions. And the top of the draft doesn’t even guarantee passable results. For every Heath Shuler, there’s a Tom Brady. For every RJ Soward, there’s a Victor Cruz (who went undrafted). It’s a total crapshoot that makes even the most ardent of fans look helplessly into their hands as they begin to question if they truly do know what they’re talking about.
And for the record, I am clearly one of those people. Having struck out all six times on what I felt the Giants may do. (I did have Andre Williams on 2.0, albeit two rounds later; that counts for something. …Right?) The Mayocks, Kipers and McShays of the world won’t have to worry about me taking their hot seats at any point in this life, or anytime in the future when we’re all disembodied heads, Futurama-style.
But anyway, all the cool kids do it, so I might do it as well.
The prevailing theme of this draft class for the Giants was clearly leadership. With the current ordeal with Will Hill likely being a current sore spot, as well as leaks about locker room disharmony at various points last season, the Giants decided to clamp down on the potential for further problems by selecting players who were designated as captains. It seems like just looking at the Best Player Available wasn’t going to cut it this time. The need for strong character was going to have to be a strong, if not the core, ingredient of what this Giants team is going to be about on forward. Having lost Justin Tuck, who probably owned the room Strahan-style, the need to support Manning, Cruz, Snee and Rolle as the leaders was probably something that was needed.
Which is to say that had the Titans not selected Taylor Lewan immediately before at 11, chances are pretty good that the Giants would’ve let him pass after the noise and ruckus that he was allegedly involved with. And that I’m not good at this mock draft thing.
All in all, though, a pretty solid class given the premium on intangibles. Here are my grades. Ones that I may rue come week seven.
Giants Draft Grades
Odell Beckham, Jr.–Wide Receiver, Louisiana State: If the primary focus of the draft was solidifying character, the secondary focus was giving Manning some help. And while I didn’t see receiver being the first selection (once Lewan went, it’s still kind of shocking that they skipped Zack Martin), it does make a ton of sense. Out with Hakeem Nicks, in with Beckham, who is an inch or two shorter than the man he’ll likely replace, but is quicker, has a comparable skill-set and doesn’t bring a medical folder that is 100 pages deep. The only reason why this isn’t a straight A+ is because I still think offensive line would’ve been the stronger and surer selection. But it’s hard to find much fault here, especially with what they did in the second round. Grade: A
Weston Richburg–Center, Colorado State: Well, the JD Watson experiment appears to be over before it began with the Giants selecting the top-rated center prospect. A lot to like about this pick, and it could’ve been the Giants were thinking quick-strike before somebody else could grab him. The Giants need an o-line general after the David Baas debacle, and an o-line upgrade period, so I like everything about Richburg. It might’ve been early, but who cares? This is a big-time need pick that could pay off big in the long run. Believe it or not, probably my favorite pick in this year’s class. Grade: A+
Jay Bromley-Defensive Tackle, Syracuse: The strong start to the draft took a bit of a curious turn with the Bromley selection. Defensive tackle was a need after Linval Joseph defected to the Vikings, but with Louis Nix, III being available, this pick feels more like a hat-tip to Tom Coughlin’s Syracuse roots than the best pick that they could’ve made. Maybe the Giants were scared off by Nix’s knee injury. Maybe they truly like Bromley better. But it is telling when Bromley himself didn’t even think he’d go before Saturday. In time, this could be an inspired pick. Right now, though, it’s hard to be enthused about the selection other than the fact that it was a position of need. Nix, by the way, went to Houston soon after. Grade: C
Andre Williams-Running Back, Boston College: Williams, to me just screams Giants. They love to pound the rock at all times of the season, but especially when the leaves change color. And that’s just fine with Williams. An early Heisman dark-horse candidate last season, Williams ran for 2,177 yards–with zero receptions. Williams knows his job is to be the clock-eating battering ram. Think Ottis Anderson. Works for Giants fans. Grade: B+
Nat Berhe-Safety, San Diego State: Hmm. Not much to say about this one other than with the likely suspension/expulsion of Will Hill, it’s a safety depth selection. NFL.com’s profile says that he’s a four-year starter with a “desirable makeup.” He’s a total unknown at this point, so this is where you put your trust in the scouts. But right now? Doesn’t do a thing for me. Grade: C-
Devon Kennard-Defensive End/OLB, Southern California: Another draft, another pass rusher. Nine sacks for the Trojans last year. He’s the son of former offensive-lineman Derek Dennard. Good value pick here. Grade: B
Bennett Jackson-Cornerback, Notre Dame: Depth pick from a guy who I am, as a life-long Notre Dame fan and apologist, very familar with. Not the fastest guy, but the dude battles and has really good hands. If you were to flip Jackson with where Berhe was selected, it would make more sense. (Which, ultimately doesn’t matter since they got him anyway, but you know what I mean.) Tremendous value for their last pick, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him make an immediate impact as a nickel or dime corner. Grade: A
Overall Draft Grade: B+
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