Straight Talk with Jim Sabo: Draft Day 1

[Barens]

http://giants.scout.com/2/520094.html

 

 

Straight Talk with Jim Sabo: Draft Day 1

 

By: Jim Sabo

Giants Insider

Date: Apr 13, 2006

 

The Giants have almost their full complement of picks in this draft, one in each round except the sixth, which they surrendered for Jason Whittle in a 2004 trade. Take us through your thinking on what may happen on draft day.

 

At a minimum it’s good to have as many of your picks as possible. The trade with San Diego for Eli Manning has now been paid in full. They did not receive any compensatory picks. They still may make a few moves in free agency before the draft, but except for one big decision they need to resolve, the draft needs are fairly well set. The one thing still hanging as we go to press is LaVar Arrington. Technically, they are still in the running for Arrington along with Miami, Jacksonville and Cincinnati.

 

As much as we think he could help the Giants at weakside linebacker, our gut feeling is he will not sign with the Giants. His high asking price has kept him from signing anywhere thus far. We also heard that former Redskins coaches were trashing him to other teams when they would call to inquire about him. There is also a reported rift between the Giants coaches and the front office about the signing. Most believe the front office wants him and the coaches don’t. So, for the purposes of this exercise we will assume Arrington will not be a Giant.

 

Critical team needs at present are: a weakside linebacker as well as LB depth, a wide receiver, a defensive tackle to replace Kendrick Clancy, a running back for the future and more help in the secondary. If we can fill these needs through the draft, that would be good. So let’s get into it.

 

Round One – The Giants are picking in the 25th slot. At that time of the draft it appears that there are a good number of linebackers and corners who will be available to them. They might also get a crack at one of the top four running backs. Let’s look at the LBs who could be there. D’Quell Jackson from Maryland, Demeco Ryans from Alabama, Bobby Carpenter from Ohio State and Kamerion Wimbley and Ernie Sims from Florida State. They won’t all be there, but there is a chance two or three will be. Jackson and Wimbley are better suited to a 3-4 defense. Sims is the most logical weakside backer. Some think Carpenter’s best position would be strongside, but we believe he is athletic enough to play weak. If we were going to go with a linebacker our choice would be Carpenter, but our fallback pick would be Sims.

 

We believe there are only two wide receivers with first round grades and they are Chad Jackson from Florida and Santonio Holmes from Ohio State. Both of them should be long gone by the Giants’ pick at 25. Teams needing WR help will grab them early because of the sharp drop-off in talent.

 

At some point they will need to be concerned about a replacement for Tiki Barber. We believe they could have their choice of Laurence Maroney from Minnesota or DeAngelo Williams from Memphis. While RB is important to consider, we don’t see them pulling the trigger on a first round back.

 

Good corners will be available. Players like Tye Hill from Clemson, Antonio Cromartie from Florida State, Johnathan Joseph from South Carolina and Ashton Youboty from Ohio State could be available to them.

 

We don’t see the need to trade up with this pick. Value will be there and that means no need to give up picks to move up. We would consider a trade down here but only at an attractive price and we wouldn’t go too low. With the offseason work they have done in the secondary we think it would be wise for them to get a linebacker in round one.

 

So, with the 25th pick in round one our selection would be Bobby Carpenter from Ohio State. He is the son of former Giants’ running back Rob Carpenter. You will recall that Rob Carpenter was a real tough back. He ran hard and played with intensity. Bobby is a lot like his old man. He has that same toughness and love of the game. He is very athletic. He runs well and he can cover, which is essential for a weakside backer. He’s smart and has shown explosion in blitz situations.

 

Round Two – We made a need pick in round one, but it was also a good value pick. It’s always good when your need coincides with talent at the top of your value board. In round two we will still be concentrating on need, but we want to make sure we don’t force a need pick and overlook obvious talent. In this spot we will be looking for a wide receiver, a defensive tackle, a corner, safety or a running back.

 

We think WR is a position they can still do something about in free agency. We would like to see them sign veteran receiver Ricky Proehl. He has always wanted to play for the Giants and he is the kind of receiver that would help Manning tremendously. He catches the ball and with Manning’s current lack of accuracy that means a lot. So, our point is if they get Proehl they can look to fill another need. If they don’t we would consider Maurice Stovall from Notre Dame here. They are also putting a lot of faith in Corey Webster being ready to assume a starting corner role. If they look at a corner with this pick, we would consider Demario Minter from Georgia as the pick.

 

There are a couple of DTs that would also be of interest here. Orien Harris from Miami and John McCargo from North Carolina State are solid candidates. Of these two we would prefer McCargo. He is a no-nonsense guy who is not afraid to do the dirty work. He’s a tough blue-collar guy who doesn’t look good in shorts, but is a player. He knows how to play the game and we like guys like him. Running back is another consideration here. Joseph Addai from LSU is a complete back that blocks and catches well. Jerious Norwood from Mississippi State is one of our sleeper picks; we like his slashing running style. Of the two we would prefer Norwood.

 

So the choice would come down to Stovall, McCargo and Norwood. Our choice for the Giants with their second round pick is Jerious Norwood, RB, Mississippi State. You may ask why take a running back when Tiki Barber gets better with age. Well, Tiki is 31 now and his budding media career is waiting for him. We are not comfortable that his replacement is not presently on the team. Norwood could be that guy. Much like Barber, Norwood is not a jumbo back. He is fast and quick. He shows a lot of flash when he runs and he can use power too if he needs to. We like his field vision, which is important for a running back. He has reliable hands and he is a willing blocker.

 

Round Three – So now we have an LB and an RB in our pocket. We still have needs to fill, but we can’t ignore obvious talent to force a need pick. There are two TEs we like that could be available. We like Tony Schleffler from Western Michigan and Joe Klopfenstein from Colorado. Schleffler is an emerging player. Scheffler was the closest TE to Vernon Davis at the Combine in athletic ability. He has good size and his 4.59 at 254 pounds is very good speed. We like his hands and though he needs some work, he is a willing blocker. Klopfenstein is a lot like former Giants TE Dan Campbell. He’s a good blocker who can also catch. We would consider a TE because Visanthe Shiancoe still cannot be trusted.

 

A corner like Will Blackmon from Boston College would also be an option. We are aware of the Boston College connection with the Giants. Blackmon was a CB/WR but his pro position is CB. Joseph Scott, an OT from Texas, could be there as well. We are not enamored with Luke Petitgout at LT. Someone to challenge him would be a good idea in our opinion. Again, assuming they don’t sign Proehl, the WRs we like in this spot are Greg Jennings from Western Michigan and Mike Hass from Oregon. Hass is one of our favorite players. He’s fairly slow on the stopwatch, around 4.6 in the 40, but we really like his hands. He is field fast. He knows how to get open and is a great technician when it comes to routes. This would be a very difficult choice, but of these two we would chose Jennings.

 

All things considered our pick for the Giants in round three would be WR Greg Jennings from Western Michigan. Jennings is not a burner at 4.48 in the 40, but we like his production on the field. He plays faster than he runs on the clock. He has only average WR size, but he has very good hands and he has good route skills. The most important thing he would bring is the ability to catch the ball.

 

Here’s how the Giants’ final day one draft board should look:

 

Round One – LB Bobby Carpenter, Ohio State

 

Round Two – RB Jerious Norwood, Mississippi State

 

Round Three – WR Greg Jennings, Western Michigan

[Martin]

i would not be happy with 1 LB a WR and a Rb in the 1st 3 rounds!

 

Absolutely insane!!!

 

try LB LB and DT or LB LB and CB or S

 

then go with a WR or RB in the late rounds.

 

 

DEFENSE !!!!!!!!!!!!

[NeMesiS]

JC

 

I give 2

[Barens]

i would not be happy with 1 LB a WR and a Rb in the 1st 3 rounds!

 

Absolutely insane!!!

 

try LB LB and DT or LB LB and CB or S

 

then go with a WR or RB in the late rounds.

DEFENSE !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Even if we did happen to go in that direction, I just think the quality of players he selected were pretty poor.

[HOUND]

At least he mentioned the need at OT. I'm simply amazed at all the chatter I keep hearing about how we must find a guy to replace Toomer yet nobody mentions Luke. We're presently deeper at WR then we are at Tackle. Luke's cap hit next year is simply too big to swallow. We REALLY need to find a possible replacement in this draft. I rate Left Tackle as a far greater need than WR or RB on offense.

 

As much as I agree that we need to add a Defensive Tackle it just seems as though the guys projected to be available at our slots seem like reaches, the better prospects figure to be taken when we pick. For as well as linebacker and corner are predicted to look for us in this draft, Defensive Tackle isn't doing us any favors.

[Martin]

At least he mentioned the need at OT. I'm simply amazed at all the chatter I keep hearing about how we must find a guy to replace Toomer yet nobody mentions Luke. We're presently deeper at WR then we are at Tackle. Luke's cap hit next year is simply too big to swallow. We REALLY need to find a possible replacement in this draft. I rate Left Tackle as a far greater need than WR or RB on offense.

 

As much as I agree that we need to add a Defensive Tackle it just seems as though the guys projected to be available at our slots seem like reaches, the better prospects figure to be taken when we pick. For as well as linebacker and corner are predicted to look for us in this draft, Defensive Tackle isn't doing us any favors.

 

 

i agree about OT and Luke.

 

i dont know alot about the talent at DT but from what most

of you guys say out there it seems to be very weak pickings

at that position which when you consider our 4 DT's in Joseph

Robins, Allen and Ducket its a very concerning situation unless

they pull someone off the street. I still am trying to figure out

what direction the FO is going in and still scratching my head.

[Martin]

At least he mentioned the need at OT. I'm simply amazed at all the chatter I keep hearing about how we must find a guy to replace Toomer yet nobody mentions Luke. We're presently deeper at WR then we are at Tackle. Luke's cap hit next year is simply too big to swallow. We REALLY need to find a possible replacement in this draft. I rate Left Tackle as a far greater need than WR or RB on offense.

 

As much as I agree that we need to add a Defensive Tackle it just seems as though the guys projected to be available at our slots seem like reaches, the better prospects figure to be taken when we pick. For as well as linebacker and corner are predicted to look for us in this draft, Defensive Tackle isn't doing us any favors.

 

 

if anything toomer was what held down the fort in the second

half of the season. He has a few very good years left.

I dont see him as a liability at all.

[Guest Nutty Sack]

if anything toomer was what held down the fort in the second

half of the season. He has a few very good years left.

I dont see him as a liability at all.

 

 

The defense must be addressed in the first three rounds...........anything less would be insanity and proove that EA's days are done. Thank God TC and his staff want no part of Lavar.

[HOUND]

i agree about OT and Luke.

 

i dont know alot about the talent at DT but from what most

of you guys say out there it seems to be very weak pickings

at that position which when you consider our 4 DT's in Joseph

Robins, Allen and Ducket its a very concerning situation unless

they pull someone off the street. I still am trying to figure out

what direction the FO is going in and still scratching my head.

 

One possible silver lining to Defensive Tackle issue is that we feasibly could get away with a 3rd round or later selection due to the fact that we frequently rotate our Tackles anyway. We likely aren't going to get an everydown DT in this draft unless we trade up which I don't think is a good idea. However we may be able to snare a guy who will add quality depth and flash playmaking ability. Think of how a guy like Sam Rayburn was effectively used in spot duty by the Eagles.

[Money]

Sabo is clueless.

[Frank_Grimes]

Sabo is clueless.

I hope so

[Martin]

One possible silver lining to Defensive Tackle issue is that we feasibly could get away with a 3rd round or later selection due to the fact that we frequently rotate our Tackles anyway. We likely aren't going to get an everydown DT in this draft unless we trade up which I don't think is a good idea. However we may be able to snare a guy who will add quality depth and flash playmaking ability. Think of how a guy like Sam Rayburn was effectively used in spot duty by the Eagles.

 

 

at this point if there are no realistic FA's to go with then the options are slim.

We can only hope that robbin comes in camp ready physically to play and

that Joseph is more consistant. LOTS of Rotation.

[Pizan]

http://giants.scout.com/2/520094.html

Straight Talk with Jim Sabo: Draft Day 1

 

By: Jim Sabo

Giants Insider

Date: Apr 13, 2006

 

 

Round One – The Giants are picking in the 25th slot. At that time of the draft it appears that there are a good number of linebackers and corners who will be available to them. They might also get a crack at one of the top four running backs. Let’s look at the LBs who could be there. D’Quell Jackson from Maryland, Demeco Ryans from Alabama, Bobby Carpenter from Ohio State and Kamerion Wimbley and Ernie Sims from Florida State. They won’t all be there, but there is a chance two or three will be. Jackson and Wimbley are better suited to a 3-4 defense. Sims is the most logical weakside backer. Some think Carpenter’s best position would be strongside, but we believe he is athletic enough to play weak. If we were going to go with a linebacker our choice would be Carpenter, but our fallback pick would be Sims.

 

We believe there are only two wide receivers with first round grades and they are Chad Jackson from Florida and Santonio Holmes from Ohio State. Both of them should be long gone by the Giants’ pick at 25. Teams needing WR help will grab them early because of the sharp drop-off in talent.

 

At some point they will need to be concerned about a replacement for Tiki Barber. We believe they could have their choice of Laurence Maroney from Minnesota or DeAngelo Williams from Memphis. While RB is important to consider, we don’t see them pulling the trigger on a first round back.

 

Good corners will be available. Players like Tye Hill from Clemson, Antonio Cromartie from Florida State, Johnathan Joseph from South Carolina and Ashton Youboty from Ohio State could be available to them.

 

We don’t see the need to trade up with this pick. Value will be there and that means no need to give up picks to move up. We would consider a trade down here but only at an attractive price and we wouldn’t go too low. With the offseason work they have done in the secondary we think it would be wise for them to get a linebacker in round one.

 

So, with the 25th pick in round one our selection would be Bobby Carpenter from Ohio State. He is the son of former Giants’ running back Rob Carpenter. You will recall that Rob Carpenter was a real tough back. He ran hard and played with intensity. Bobby is a lot like his old man. He has that same toughness and love of the game. He is very athletic. He runs well and he can cover, which is essential for a weakside backer. He’s smart and has shown explosion in blitz situations.

 

I would be happy with this pick. Recently I expressed my feelings on Carpenter and said he would be my backup option to Sims. This guy has Sims as his backup plan to Carpenter. If we selected Carpenter over Sims, I would be slighty pissed off for that moment then quickly gather myself as I counted down from 10.

 

 

Round Two – We made a need pick in round one, but it was also a good value pick. It’s always good when your need coincides with talent at the top of your value board. In round two we will still be concentrating on need, but we want to make sure we don’t force a need pick and overlook obvious talent. In this spot we will be looking for a wide receiver, a defensive tackle, a corner, safety or a running back.

 

We think WR is a position they can still do something about in free agency. We would like to see them sign veteran receiver Ricky Proehl. He has always wanted to play for the Giants and he is the kind of receiver that would help Manning tremendously. He catches the ball and with Manning’s current lack of accuracy that means a lot. So, our point is if they get Proehl they can look to fill another need. If they don’t we would consider Maurice Stovall from Notre Dame here. They are also putting a lot of faith in Corey Webster being ready to assume a starting corner role. If they look at a corner with this pick, we would consider Demario Minter from Georgia as the pick.

 

There are a couple of DTs that would also be of interest here. Orien Harris from Miami and John McCargo from North Carolina State are solid candidates. Of these two we would prefer McCargo. He is a no-nonsense guy who is not afraid to do the dirty work. He’s a tough blue-collar guy who doesn’t look good in shorts, but is a player. He knows how to play the game and we like guys like him. Running back is another consideration here. Joseph Addai from LSU is a complete back that blocks and catches well. Jerious Norwood from Mississippi State is one of our sleeper picks; we like his slashing running style. Of the two we would prefer Norwood.

 

So the choice would come down to Stovall, McCargo and Norwood. Our choice for the Giants with their second round pick is Jerious Norwood, RB, Mississippi State. You may ask why take a running back when Tiki Barber gets better with age. Well, Tiki is 31 now and his budding media career is waiting for him. We are not comfortable that his replacement is not presently on the team. Norwood could be that guy. Much like Barber, Norwood is not a jumbo back. He is fast and quick. He shows a lot of flash when he runs and he can use power too if he needs to. We like his field vision, which is important for a running back. He has reliable hands and he is a willing blocker.

 

If we take a RB on the first day I would be jacked. There is one position that you can count on every year to have good prospects and thats RB. We do not need to draft someone to develop behind Tiki because the transition to the nfl from college at RB is one of the easiest transitions to make for the average back. Also I am not willing to give up on Brandon Jacobs yet. He was a 4th round pick that still has tons of potential to fullfil. People seem to forget sometimes he came from southern illinois and was a raw prospect. With Tiki, Jacobs, Ward, and Morton I feel we have a very solid core of RBs but lets face it, if Tiki goes down we are screwed no matter who is replacing him.

 

Round Three – So now we have an LB and an RB in our pocket. We still have needs to fill, but we can’t ignore obvious talent to force a need pick. There are two TEs we like that could be available. We like Tony Schleffler from Western Michigan and Joe Klopfenstein from Colorado. Schleffler is an emerging player. Scheffler was the closest TE to Vernon Davis at the Combine in athletic ability. He has good size and his 4.59 at 254 pounds is very good speed. We like his hands and though he needs some work, he is a willing blocker. Klopfenstein is a lot like former Giants TE Dan Campbell. He’s a good blocker who can also catch. We would consider a TE because Visanthe Shiancoe still cannot be trusted.

 

A corner like Will Blackmon from Boston College would also be an option. We are aware of the Boston College connection with the Giants. Blackmon was a CB/WR but his pro position is CB. Joseph Scott, an OT from Texas, could be there as well. We are not enamored with Luke Petitgout at LT. Someone to challenge him would be a good idea in our opinion. Again, assuming they don’t sign Proehl, the WRs we like in this spot are Greg Jennings from Western Michigan and Mike Hass from Oregon. Hass is one of our favorite players. He’s fairly slow on the stopwatch, around 4.6 in the 40, but we really like his hands. He is field fast. He knows how to get open and is a great technician when it comes to routes. This would be a very difficult choice, but of these two we would chose Jennings.

 

All things considered our pick for the Giants in round three would be WR Greg Jennings from Western Michigan. Jennings is not a burner at 4.48 in the 40, but we like his production on the field. He plays faster than he runs on the clock. He has only average WR size, but he has very good hands and he has good route skills. The most important thing he would bring is the ability to catch the ball.

 

Im not necessarily saying we shouldnt draft a WR here but I would much rather sign a vet. like Proehl and concentrate on a few positions that are much more critcal. DT, OT, CB, S, and LB would all qualify.

 

Here’s how the Giants’ final day one draft board should look:

 

Round One – LB Bobby Carpenter, Ohio State

 

Round Two – RB Jerious Norwood, Mississippi State

 

Round Three – WR Greg Jennings, Western Michigan

 

The only pick I like is Carpenter, but I feel the first round pick is nearly a 'cant fuck it up' type of pick. We should go LB and out of the 1st round calibur backers there isnt one that would be a bad pick. (unless you consider Thomas Howard a first round backer)

[E-town Giant]

Simms