NFL

Alabama tackle Fluker squarely on Giants’ radar

Some NFL Drafts are billed as the “Year of the Quarterback,” but this is not one of them. Trumpeting what goes down Thursday night as the “Year of the Offensive Tackle” is not exactly riveting, but that’s the way it’s shaping up.

Expectations are three of the first five selections in the opening round will be offensive linemen, and there certainly is a chance the Giants later on will join in on the trend. Their history — and the history of general manager Jerry Reese — suggests bolstering the offensive line with a first-round pick is not the way the Giants will go, but that could change with D.J. Fluker looming as a possible and massive addition.

GIANTS 2013 SCHEDULE

Since 1990, the Giants saw fit to take an offensive lineman in the first round only once, in 1999, when they made Luke Petitgout of Notre Dame their new left tackle. Reese took over as GM in 2007 and in his six drafts, the highest he has selected an offensive lineman is the second round in 2009, when he chose Will Beatty. Mostly, the Giants have relied on veterans from other teams (Kareem McKenzie, Shaun O’Hara, David Baas) to fill out their offensive line, desirous of having a seasoned group in front of Eli Manning.

Age is creeping into the group, though. Baas, 31, is coming off multiple surgeries this offseason. Chris Snee, 31, is coming off hip surgery. David Diehl, 32, is coming off knee surgery and is the longest-tenured Giants player, arriving in 2003 — a year before Snee and Manning. Diehl remains on the roster after accepting a hefty pay cut.

Entering his 11th season, Diehl is a proud vet eager to re-establish himself, but there’s a need for a long-term answer at right tackle, which Fluker is projected to be.

“You always want to get younger in your offensive line — at every position,’’ Reese said. “You like young players on your team. It is a young man’s game. Offensive line is getting up there in age, but we have Will Beatty as a young player … James Brewer, who we expect to come on and contribute this year. And obviously we drafted a couple of young kids last year that we are trying to develop, and hopefully they can give us some depth in our offensive line.’’

Fluker would provide more than depth — he would push immediately for a starting job. Left tackles Luke Joeckel (Texas A&M), Eric Fisher (Central Michigan) and Lane Johnson (Oklahoma) could be off the board in the first five picks, and the next tackle selected, down toward the middle of the first round, is likely to be Fluker.

His pedigree is impeccable, having started 35 games at right tackle for the powerhouse Alabama offense, pounding away with his 6-foot-4, 339-pound body, with arms that measure 36 3/4 inches long and feet that are 22 inches apiece.

“Know they like him,’’ said a source who has spoken to the Giants about Fluker.

Scouts believe Fluker can step right in and be an effective-to-dominating run blocker, but he’ll need some time to develop his pass-protection skills against some of the NFL’s best sack masters. Still, he only allowed four sacks last season and is coming out of Alabama after his junior year.

He’s not fast and raised a few red flags when he showed up at the Senior Bowl with a groin pull and weighing 355 points, but he was down to 339 at the NFL Scouting Combine. Scouts also label Fluker “a probable first-year starter’’ and there are no knocks on his temperament or intensity.

Fluker says he brings a “passion for the game’’ that is ever-present.

“I bring energy to the table every day, every practice, weekends, on game day,’’ Fluker said at the Combine in Indianapolis. “That’s what I do. My strengths are run-blocking, but I’m trying to fine-tune every technique of my game.”

* Giants co-owner John Mara last night expressed optimism Victor Cruz will agree to a long-term contract.

“It will get done at some point,’’ Mara told reporters at a Big Brothers Big Sisters gala at the Waldorf-Astoria. “Just be patient.’’

Cruz was honored at the event but did not address his contract status. As a restricted free agent, Cruz did not receive any outside offers and his options are to sign his one-year tender of $2.879 million, sign the multi-year deal (averaging more than $7 million per year) on the table or else hold out in hopes of squeezing more money out of the Giants.