It was becoming increasingly lonely and stressful for Rueben Randle inside the green room Friday night at Radio City Music Hall.
Across the Hudson River, inside the Giants’ “war room,’’ the vibe grew increasingly antsy as the NFL Draft’s second round was winding down with Randle’s name still not called.
As each pick passed, the Giants, in need of a receiver, couldn’t believe their eyes that Randle remained undrafted. As each team picked, the Giants brass held its collective breath.
Finally, when it was the Giants’ turn to make their pick at No. 63 overall, they pounced on Randle, relieving their tension and ending his misery.
Randle, the talented LSU receiver who was projected by many draft experts to be picked in the first round, was the last to be selected of the 26 college players the NFL invited to New York for the draft.
Every year, there is a player who falls down the draft board like a rock in a shallow pool. This year Randle, was that guy.
“It was nerve-racking, but you have to stay calm,’’ Randle said after the Giants picked him.
Randle, the ninth receiver to be picked in the draft, conceded that not being selected in the first round Thursday night was “kind of frustrating,’’ but he said it will serve to further fuel him once he begins his NFL career.
“I think it adds a little chip to my shoulder, but not much because I was going to come in and work no matter what the situation was,’’ Randle said. “But I have a lot to prove now since I did drop so far, and that’s what I’m willing to do.’’
The Giants liked Randle so much, Marc Ross, their director of college scouting, said they discussed picking him with the 32nd overall pick Thursday night. Ross said they had given Randle a first-round grade.
“I really didn’t think there was a chance we were going to get him,” Ross said. “He was one of those where, at the end of the night [Thursday], you said, ‘He’s going to be one of the first few guys taken at the top of the [second] round.’ It’s very surprising that he was still there.’’
Randle, at 6-foot-2, 208 pounds, entered the draft after his junior season, and did not have prolific numbers thanks in large part to subpar quarterback play. In his three years at LSU, he played in 40 games (25 starts) and caught 97 passes for 1,634 yards (16.9-yard average) and 13 touchdowns.
“The way LSU plays, they run the ball, they play defense,” Ross said. “So he didn’t get a lot of chances. When the ball came to him, he was productive.’’
Ross called Randle “an NFL-ready receiver.’’
“What I mean by that is this guy is strong, he can catch the ball, he’s a good route runner, he is position-savvy and he knows how to get open,’’ Ross said. “He plays like an NFL receiver — big, strong, physical, catch the ball — as opposed to a raw guy who needs a lot of development on routes and techniques or drops a lot of balls. This guy pretty much has a skill set that fits in, will transfer pretty quickly.”
Giants general manager Jerry Reese said Randle “looks like a big pro receiver out there.’’
“We think he’s going to be a quick fit into the offense because he plays big, he can post guys up,’’ Reese said. “People mentioned Hakeem Nicks in our room [as a comparison]. He’s not blazing fast, but he’s game fast.’’
For the Giants, the Randle selection was an example of what Super Bowl champions can do in the draft: Shop in the luxury department.
A month ago, the Giants opted not to keep free agent Mario Manningham because they weren’t going to pay a No. 3 receiver starter money.
Manningham was a postseason hero for the Giants last year, highlighted by his five receptions for 73 yards against the Patriots in the Super Bowl, including the improbable 38-yard fourth-quarter catch that set up the game-winning touchdown.
Now the Giants, who have returning receivers Jerrel Jernigan, Ramses Barden and Domenik Hixon as complements to starters Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz, hope Randle proves to be the bargain they believe he is.
If Randle truly is “NFL-ready’’ to fill Manningham’s shoes as the No. 3 receiver, that long wait in the green room will be a distant memory and the wait will have been worth the stress.
mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com