The New York Giants came into the 2017 NFL Draft in great need of some offensive line help and playmakers. How did they do? Meet your six new Giants:
Round 1, 23rd overall: Evan Engram, TE, Ole Miss – A lot of people thought this may have been a reach. At the very least, some wondered why the Giants chose Engram over Miami’s David Njoku. But, Engram will contribute right away at a position that did not produce at all for the Giants last season. This was a huge position of need, so no qualms from me with the pick.
Engram is every bit as athletic as O.J. Howard (who the Giants were high on), but doesn’t block as well. I doubt he’ll be asked to. This is a kid with blazing speed for a tight end, so his role will be to beat coverage, get downfield, and SCORE. The Giants offense needs points. Jerry Reese compared Engram to Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed, if that gives you any indication as to how Giants brass view this pick.
Round 2, 55th overall: Dalvin Tomlinson, DT, Alabama – Another area of need for the Giants, defensive line depth, can be checked off the list. This may have been the spot for the Giants to address the offensive line, but they were committed to drafting talent instead of reaching for need. Tomlinson will contribute right away, and could become a star of the caliber of those playing around him – Jason Pierre-Paul, Olivier Vernon, and Damon Harrison.
Round 3, 87th overall: Davis Webb, QB, California – I thought the Giants would address quarterback early on, perhaps even in the first round. The fact that they grabbed a kid in the third round that most scouts predicted would go in the first should speak volumes about the value of this pick. The plan is for Eli Manning to play another 2-3 years before retiring, at which point, Webb will take over. The Giants believe this guy can be the future of the franchise, and if that ends up happening, this could be the steal of the draft. A+ pick here.
Round 4, 140th overall: Wayne Gallman, RB, Clemson – How long have the Giants been linked to LeGarrette Blount? It feels like months now, so getting a big bruising running back in the draft should surprise no one. Gallman is a surprisingly good receiver out of the backfield, so should he live up to his potential, he’s probably a better option than Blount at this point. Rashad Jennings hasn’t been able to stay healthy, and Paul Perkins doesn’t appear capable of carrying the rushing game alone. Paired with Gallman, this could become a great young backfield.
Round 5, 167th overall: Avery Moss, DE, Youngstown State – Not too sure about this one. It’s the only pick I don’t really understand the vision for. I thought the back end of their draft would be about project offensive linemen, not developmental pass rushers with sketchy character concerns. Defensive end is becoming a crowded field of competition, so Moss will have to impress heavily to earn a shot to play at all.
Round 6, 200th overall: Adam Bisnowaty, OT, Pittsburgh – So, they do get that project offensive lineman after all, and they trade up to get him, sacrificing their 7th round selection in the process. Bisnowaty is a versatile kid that play tackle or guard, though he played left tackle at Pittsburgh. Considering how thin the Giants are along the offensive line, he’s going to get a real chance to prove himself.
Overall: No one can fault the Giants for the lack of offensive linemen options in this draft. It was a terrible year to be in need of a franchise tackle or guard. In fact, I’d argue that if you didn’t take Forrest Lamp, you probably didn’t get an offensive lineman capable of being a cornerstone of your unit. Still, it remains the biggest question mark surrounding this team heading into the 2017 season. The Giants have already said offensive line is going to be an open competition this summer, so the hope is that the mess sorts itself out.
Still, the Giants walk away from this draft with three players who will contribute right away: Engram, Tomlinson, and Gallman. With all the talk about the offensive line, people seem to have forgotten that the Giants struggled to put up points. They now have two significant weapons to add into the mix with Odell Beckham, Jr., Sterling Shepard and the free agent acquisition, Brandon Marshall. It’s a huge upgrade that should pay dividends immediately. And, if Webb does end up being the heir to Manning’s throne, that’s one less stressful question the Giants have to answer down the road.
The addition of Tomlinson to an already stout defensive line means the Giants now have a litany of talented defenders. No plays off for a defense that overachieved in 2016. The drafting of Young and failure to bring in more competition at offensive line definitely hinder the perception of this draft, but overall, I give them a B+. Given the circumstances, this was a solid draft for the G-Men.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. A strong advocate of GSD (get shit done) and #BeBetter, he’s down to talk Tennessee Titans and Alabama Crimson Tide football over a beer any day. Check him out covering the WWE for WrestlingNews.co. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley, @WrestlingNewsCo
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