New York Giants 2012 NFL Draft Review
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}1 - David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech (5-10, 206); 2 - Rueben Randle, WR, Louisiana State (6-3, 210); 3 - Jayron Hosley, CB, Virginia Tech (5-10, 178); 4 - Adrien Robinson, TE, Cincinnati (6-4, 264); 4 - Brandon Mosley, OT, Auburn (6-6, 314); 6 - Matt McCants, OT, Alabama-Birmingham (6-6, 308); 7 - Markus Kuhn, DT, North Carolina State (6-5, 299)
Top Picks Analysis: After losing complementary running back Brandon Jacobs and No. 3 receiver Mario Manningham from last year's Super Bowl-winning unit, the Giants quickly found their intended replacements in the first two rounds. Wilson, a track standout who offers one of the best blends of speed and power among this draft's running back crop, is ticketed for a timeshare with the notoriously brittle Ahmad Bradshaw and may be used on kick returns as well, an area in which New York often struggled in 2011. Randle was a late first-round candidate who surprisingly slipped to the last pick of the second, possibly due to a lack of elite speed and explosiveness, but he's an inviting target with a large catch radius that could fill Manningham's duties as an outside threat in multi-receiver looks. The Giants again turned to Virginia Tech with their next pick by nabbing Wilson's teammate Hosley, an undersized slot corner with good awareness in zone coverage who also experienced a slight stock slip after reportedly failing a drug test at the combine.
Best Value Pick: Randle had been considered a potential top 25 pick in some circles, so staying patient and getting him at No. 63 overall was a nice call by general manager Jerry Reese.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Questionable Calls: The Giants had a need for a tight end that can get on the field immediately after having two players at the position sustain ACL tears at the Super Bowl, but Robinson is a major project with only 29 career catches to his credit in college. A contract dispute with the ever-disgruntled Osi Umenyiora that could be looming made defensive end more of a priority that Reese disregarded.
Summary: Reese did his best to try to ensure the Giants won't skip a beat in defense of their title by plucking two young offensive pieces with upside in Wilson and Randle as well as an interesting right tackle candidate in fourth- rounder Mosley. New York's best-available player approach should pay some dividends once again.
FINAL GRADE: B+