NFL

Giants finally draft linebacker in round four

The Giants waited until the third day of the NFL Draft to take a linebacker, this morning using their fourth-round pick to select Phillip Dillard from Nebraska.

Given the glaring need in the heart of their defense with the release of Antonio Pierce, the Giants certainly did not force the issue. They took three defensive players with their first three picks but waited until 115th pick to get a linebacker.

“We are looking for good players,” general manager Jerry Reese said Friday night. “If we find a good linebacker we will draft him.”

Apparently they finally found one they rated good enough to select. The Giants had Alabama’s Rolando McClain rated as the top middle linebacker in the draft and believed there was a steep drop-off after him. They passed on Sean Lee of Penn State in the second round but made their move with their first pick today.

“I’m ecstatic,” Dillard said. “When that name when across the screen, I knew what their needs were, after going down there on my visit I was like ‘Wow, everything just fell into place.’ It’s amazing.”

Dillard played five years at Nebraska, starting 17 game, seven at middle linebacker. He started nine games this season at weakside linebacker and finished second on the team with 83 tackles, two fewer than monster defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who went to the Lions with the second overall pick.

It was easy to speculate that Suh’s brilliance in keeping the traffic away from the linebackers helped Dillard excel. Of course that’s true, but not the whole truth.

Dillard said he was shocked to hear his coaches tell scouts “If I wasn’t behind him he

wouldn’t have made some of those plays because they had to game-plan for me, too. I didn’t expect them to say that.”

At 6-foot and 245 pounds, Dillard has battled through some injury problems. He tore up his knee and underwent surgery to repair his ACL in 2006, and in 2008 he missed time with a sprained knee and ankle.

At Nebraska, Dillard made all the checks for blitzes and getting the secondary in and out of coverages. He said he’s a natural running the show from the center of the defense.

“I’m great in the middle, I’m great between the tackles, I always stay square, I never cross over, I’m very physical,” Dillard said. “If you watch my films there’s times when I’m not even supposed to be in a play but I’m running downhill just to knock out the pulling lineman just because he’s a threat to me. I just love contact, I love being physical and aggressive. I love to be in control of the checks and make the checks. That’s just something I love to do, I love to lead, I love having things on my shoulder. If I get that responsibility I’m going to handle it with care.”

Scouts say Dillard is light on his feet, is aware in coverage, has an NFL-type build and times his blitzes well. He’s not very tall, though, doesn’t have long arms and didn’t make a ton of plays for the Cornhuskers.

Dillard said he had to grow up in a hurry. Out of shape after battling through an ankle injury, he had sunk far down on the depth chart entering his senior season, and then mother, Martha, died in Tulsa.

“I told her I was going to something that would honor the family, stay out of trouble and do the right things,” Dillard said. “All I had to do was work and not complain and not moan and not show attitude and not be a cancer in the locker room and not be mad because things aren’t going my way. That’s just how life goes, it doesn’t always go your way. I had to be a man and man-up. That’s what I did.”

Asked if he anticipates he can come in and start, Dillard said, “No, I don’t expect that. I expect to come in and make an impact on the team whatever they ask of me. If they want me to come in and do the special teams, learn the playbook and have to earn a spot that’s what I’m willing to do.”

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In the fifth round, the Giants selected Mitch Petrus, a 6-foot-3, 310-pound offensive gaurd from Arkansas.

One of the healthiest and most experienced veteran linebackers won’t be available to the Giants: Kirk Morrison today was traded from the Raiders to the Jaguars. Morrison had been a restricted free agent signed to a $2.5 million one-year tender offer. If the Giants had any interest, they could have made a move any time but clearly did not think much of Morrison, a five-year starter in Oakland.

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In the sixth round, the Giants added another linebacker, Adrian Tracy of William & Mary. Tracy was a defensive end in college and he started a school-record 47 games. He had 12 sacks as a senior and will try to make the conversion to strong side linebacker in the NFL.