A Heisman Trophy finalist still on the board after three rounds? The leading rusher in the nation hearing the names of 112 players before his own?
It is rare when a team can wait until the fourth round of the NFL Draft and land such an accomplished player, but that’s what the Giants did Saturday when they selected Boston College running back Andre Williams.
“You want to pound the rock, this is the kind of guy you can give the ball to over and over,’’ general manager Jerry Reese said.
The Giants needed a big back and they got perhaps the best one available. Williams a 5-foot-11, 230-pounder, has a proven track record. He led the nation in rushing in 2013 with 2,177 yards with 18 touchdowns, averaging 6.1 yards per rushing attempt. Given his résumé, the fact that Williams lasted as long as he did and was the 113th player selected, shows how devalued the position of running back is in the current NFL.
“It’s not necessarily when I got picked up, it’s where I got picked up,’’ Williams said. “From the start I had a feeling it was going to be the Giants. I’m really just glad that it turned out that way.’’
Tom Coughlin said the Giants had “at least’’ a second-round grade on Williams, who said he had “a good vibe floating in the room’’ prior to the draft when he met with the Giants.
“The Giants were the team since the beginning I resonated the most with,’’ Williams said.
And Boston College certainly resonates with the Giants. Co-owner John Mara went to Boston College, and Coughlin was an assistant and head coach at Boston College. Williams is the fourth BC player on the Giants’ roster, joining Chris Snee, Mathias Kiwanuka and Mark Herzlich.
Otherwise, the Giants went defense with their other three picks on the final day of the draft. In the fifth round, they took a safety, Nat Berhe from San Diego State, and with their extra fifth-round pick they took USC outside linebacker Devon Kennard. In the sixth, they went with Notre Dame cornerback Bennett Jackson, who hails from Hazlet, N.J.
What the Giants did not draft is a tight end, even though they certainly have a need at that position.
“You can’t wave a magic wand and have a tight end show up,’’ Reese said.
“This was a [tight end] class we didn’t think was very strong,’’ added Marc Ross, the vice president of player evaluation.
The Giants must have thought differently about the running-back class. In free agency, the Giants signed former Raiders running back Rashad Jennings to handle the load, with ongoing concerns about the health and return of David Wilson, the 2012 first-round pick from Virginia Tech. Wilson played in only five games last season before needing surgery Jan. 16 to repair a herniated disk in his neck.
Wilson thus far has experienced no setbacks in his rehabilitation and is participating in the team’s offseason workout program. Wilson has not yet received medical clearance for full football action and is awaiting an MRI exam to determine if his neck is fully healed.
“We’re still hoping David Wilson comes back,’’ Reese said, “but we said we’re not going to count on that.’’
Hence, the desire to get Williams. The Giants in the backfield also have veteran Peyton Hillis, who was re-signed in free agency, and Michael Cox entering his second NFL season.
Williams, born in Poughkeepsie and raised in Allentown, Pa., played immediately as a freshman at Boston College. He finished his career having played in 44 games (29 starts) and racking up 704 rushing attempts for a school-record 3,754 yards and 28 touchdowns. What Williams is not is a pass-catcher, as he had only 10 receptions in his college career, none as a senior, when he ran the ball 355 times.
“Catching the ball has not been my strong point in my career,’’ Williams said. “I wasn’t called upon to do it a lot in high school or in college just because I was such a great runner. It’s something that I’m continuing to get better at.’’