The New York Giants made a playoff appearance in 2016 following an 11-5 record. Unfortunately, the Giants were bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the Packers. Much of that controversial loss went towards Odell Beckham so what better way to start the offseason by adding a veteran wide receiver in the form of Brandon Marshall. What can we expect from the New York Giants heading into the 2017 NFL Draft?
One of the weakest spots on the Giants roster rests along the offensive line. Left tackle Ereck Flowers has been a complete nightmare for two straight years and really needs to be moved to right tackle. Garett Bolles of Utah could be the perfect fit. Bolles is a bit undersized and struggles to stay at 300 lbs at 6’5″ but has elite movement skills and should thrive as a pass protector in the NFL. Bolles also plays with a mean streak that should fit right in with the Giants tough culture. The only concern with Bolles is he will be 25 by the start of the season but realistically is the only sure-fire left tackle prospect in the entire draft.
The Giants defense was phenomenal in 2016 but they could use some upgrades at linebacker. You can realistically say that all 3 starting linebacker spots are realistically up for grabs depending on the draft. With their 2nd round pick (55 overall) Carroll Phillips could be a really nice addition. Phillips comes in a similar mold of Haason Reddick who has been flying up draft boards. Phillips played defensive end this year at Illinois but will likely stand up as a 4-3 outside linebacker showing off elite athleticism in space with the ability to cover. Those traits were shown off at the Senior Bowl. Of course, Phillips can also get after the quarterback as Steve Spagnuolo will find creative ways to use him as a stunt in blitz packages.
The 3rd round could be an area where the Giants look to address the tight end position. In what is such a deep tight end class, there will surely be a ton of available options. The Giants have made a concerted effort this offseason to put more weapons around Odell Beckham making it more difficult for him to draw all the double teams. Adam Shaheen of Ashland college is a sort of boom or bust prospect. Shaheen’s movement skills sort of resemble Travis Kelce but is sort of a mystery because he played at such a small school. At 6’6, 278, Shaheen ran a 4.79 – 40 yard dash time which is freakish for that size. With his monster frame, Shaheen could develop into an elite blocking tight end giving the Giants an immediate red zone threat after he caught 16 touchdowns in 2016.
Later in the draft, look for New York to set their sights on another running back. Paul Perkins is a nice back but he could use someone to rotate in the game with him. Elijah Hood from North Carolina could be the perfect fit as he sort of resembles another former UNC back Gio Bernard. Hood has been getting overshadowed by his collegiate teammate T.J. Logan after he ran a 4.37 but Hood is by far the better runner between the tackles that also has the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. At 5’11”, 232, Hood lacks the pure straight line speed but has excellent short area quickness and already excels in pass protection.
