For weeks and even months, all the talk about this year’s NFL Draft was its uncommon depth. The buzz focused on so many players with high grades, fueled in part by more than 100 juniors who came out of college early. Still, the frenzied focus, as always, centered on the first round, though bundles of talent was sure to remain after the first 32 came off the board.
The Giants were delighted that receiver Odell Beckham Jr. — whom they had rated as one of the top 10 players in the draft — was there for the taking at No. 12. That they unquestionably needed another receiver to replace Hakeem Nicks made the selection one of the easiest in years for general manager Jerry Reese.
What about the other needs? Reese passed on the ultra-versatile Zack Martin out of Notre Dame, who could have become a fixture on the offensive line. Martin was later scooped up by the NFC East rival Cowboys.
What about finding an offensive tackle as insurance in case Will Beatty doesn’t make it back all the way from a broken leg? What about a tight end, unless the Giants do not plan on throwing the ball to anyone occupying that position this season? What about more help on the defensive line, where free agency robbed them of Linval Joseph and Justin Tuck, their two best defensive linemen in 2013?
The Giants have often done some of their best draft work in the second round (Michael Strahan, Amani Toomer, Tiki Barber, Osi Umenyiora, Chris Snee, Corey Webster come to mind), and there are players aplenty for them to sort through Friday night (rounds 2-3) and on into Saturday afternoon (rounds 4-7).
If they are serious about adding a tight end, Jace Amaro of Texas Tech and Troy Niklas of Notre Dame went untouched in the first round. The Giants have the No. 11 pick in the second round, meaning they may get someone who was assigned a first-round grade. Amaro caught 106 passes last season and should translate to a slot-type tight end, able to create mismatches as an H-back rather than a standard in-line tight end. Niklas is the prototype at the position, 6-foot-6, 270 pounds, and has only been a tight end for two years, meaning he has plenty of development ahead.
On the offensive line, the Giants could have their pick of Joel Bitonio of Nevada, Morgan Moses of Virginia, Tiny Richardson of Tennessee or Xavier Su’a-Filo of UCLA. Bitonio, who played left tackle at Nevada, translates to a guard in the NFL, but he has the five-spot versatility the Giants crave. Moses looks the part of a classic left tackle, but he doesn’t have much recovery speed and probably is more of a right tackle at the next level. Richardson is a 336-pounder who might be available as late as the third round. Su’a-Filo projects as a left guard and potential starter down the road despite what one scout described to draft guru Nolan Nawrocki as having “one of the ugliest bodies I’ve seen this year.’’
Cyrus Kouandjio, a long-armed 322-pounder from Alabama, started 26 games the past two years at left tackle for the Crimson Tide. He could be a future road-grader right tackle and most scouts project him as a top-50 pick. The Giants’ second-round pick is the 43rd overall selection.
The top center in the draft might be Marcus Martin of USC, whose value would rise if the Giants also see him as a prospect at guard.
Help on the defensive line could come with the addition of Louis Nix (Notre Dame), Kony Ealy (Missouri) or Stephon Tuitt (Notre Dame). Timmy Jernigan (Florida State) surprisingly went untaken in the first round, a drop which may have resulted from a reported failed drug test at the combine.
Nix is a 331-pound tackle coming off November knee surgery. He could be viewed as an adequate replacement for Joseph as a big-bodied run-stuffer. His teammate at Notre Dame, Tuitt, is the more interesting player, having the versatility to play tackle or end with a perfectly sculpted body. But he’s coming off foot surgery.