2011 NFL Draft: Analyzing the New York Giants Draft Class

The New York Giants came into the 2011 NFL Draft as a team needing to find help along the offensive line and in the linebacker corps.

The Giants may not have exactly followed the logical plan by drafting for need on days one and two but they did end up coming away with a promising crop of players that includes four potential starters.

Here's a breakdown of the eight members of the new big blue rookie class.

 

Round 1, Pick 19: CB Prince Amukamara, Nebraska

In the weeks leading up to the draft, there were three players, Alabama RB Mark Ingram, Boston College OT Anthony Castonzo and Colorado OT Nate Solder, who were speculated to be the favorites of the Giants front office.

Both Ingram and Castonzo remained on the board when the Giants were on the clock with the 19th pick but there just happened to be one other player, CB Prince Amukamara, who practically no one in the organization figured would still be available.

Although CB wasn’t the team’s biggest need, the Giants knew that Amukmara was just too good to pass up.

Amukamara, the consensus No. 2 rated cornerback behind top five pick Patrick Peterson, is a special talent who only dropped in the draft because the teams picking in the teens had bigger needs to fill than CB.

Although his overall ball skills have been questioned, “The Prince” has the combination of size (6’0’’ 205 lbs.) and speed (4.43 40 yard dash) that’s comparable to the current upper-echelon cornerbacks in the NFL. And he certainly has a chance to join that group one day.

Amukamara may not start from day one but he’ll be a key figure in a rotation that will also include players such as Terrell Thomas, Aaron Ross and Corey Webster.

It wouldn’t be shocking if Amukamara turns out to be the team’s No. 1 corner by December.

Round 2, Pick 52: DT Marvin Austin, North Carolina

For the second straight year, Giants GM Jerry Reese decided to take a defensive tackle in the second round.

Last year, the team selected intriguing developmental tackle Linval Joseph out of East Carolina. And this year, they pulled the trigger on North Carolina’s Marvin Austin, a top twenty talent who saw his stock drop due to a full season suspension in 2010.

Coming out of high school, Austin was considered to be the nation’s top defensive line prospect in the 2007 recruiting class. But he never quite lived up to his enormous potential during his time at Chapel Hill.

The 6’2’’ 310 lb. former Tar Heel could very well be the most athletic defensive tackle in the 2011 class but he only showed flashes of dominance during a three season span at North Carolina and he was never quite able to put it all together.

If the coaching staff can keep Austin motivated and focused, he has a chance to develop into a starting caliber player by the time his rookie season ends.

If the Giants end up losing starting DT Barry Coefield to free agency, Austin will be counted on to be a key figure in the defensive line rotation right from the get go.

 

Round 3, Pick 83: WR Jerrel Jernigan, Troy

Hooray, the Giants finally have a dangerous kick returner.

For all you fans out there who take for granted the need for a field-flipping return man, have a look at this play (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-NC2w0cFEs) one more time.

Troy’s Jerrel Jernigan is explosive as both a receiver and a return man and he should be a valued addition to both the offense and special teams.

As a senior, Jernigan averaged 25.2 yards per kick return and 13.3 yards per punt return, scoring a TD on each.

At 5’9’’ 185 lbs., Jernigan isn’t the biggest receiver but he should add extra insurance in case Steve Smith isn’t fully healed up from microfracture surgery by the time the season starts.

 

Round 4, Pick 117: OT James Brewer, Indiana

With all the quality offensive linemen available in rounds two and three, I was a little surprised to see the Giants wait until the third day to address their dire offensive line need.

New York’s offensive line is one of the oldest and most consistently banged up in the entire league and there is an essential need for an infusion of youth at nearly every position.

Indiana’s James Brewer looks best suited to be a right tackle in the NFL and it’s likely that the team views him as the eventual replacement for Kareem McKenzie.

The 6’6’’ 325 lb. Brewer is still considered raw in terms of his technique and his overall playing style but he’s the type of linemen who can be molded into an eventual starter.

The Giants O-Line will look vastly different in two years time and Brewer, along with guys like OT William Beatty and OG Mitch Petrus, should be a key part of the transition.

 

Round 6, Pick 185: LB Greg Jones, Michigan State

It seems a bit odd that the Giants would wait so long to take a linebacker and it seems even stranger that they would ultimately select an inside backer when the team’s obvious need is on the outside.

Current MLB Jonathan Goff appears to be entrenched at the position for the near future but Goff doesn’t have a whole lot of stable help around him.

Clint Sintim and Michael Boley are marginally solid linebackers who can both be upgraded.

Still, it’s hard to argue with the value the team got for Greg Jones, who was an All-American at Michigan State.

Jones may not be the fastest or most athletic linebacker prospect but it’s hard to just skip over his production, considering he had a whopping 465 career tackles.

The 6’0’’ 240-lb. Jones has terrific intangibles and instincts and he should turn out to be a valuable member of the big blue defense even if he never materializes into a full time starter.

 

Round 6, Pick 198: S Tyler Sash, Iowa

I’ve always viewed Tyler Sash as a somewhere in between version of Tom Zbikowski and Jim Leonhard. And yes, I know that perpetuates the stereotype of only comparing white players to other white players but so be it.

Sash has a lot of traits to like. While he may not be the most athletically gifted player, he does have a good football mind, he works hard and he isn’t afraid to mix it up and get physical.

Sash probably isn’t the type of safety who you would want to rely on as your last line of defense on every snap. But he should be a core special teams player and he has the talent to contribute in a few different defensive situations.
 

 

Round 6, Pick 202: LB Jacquian Williams, South Florida

South Florida’s Jacquian Williams appeared to be valued as more of an undrafted free agent than an actual draftable talent but at this point in the draft, it’s alright to reach on a guy that would probably go undrafted just to make sure you get your hands on him.

The Giants must have liked what they saw from Williams as a senior and they probably feel like they can work with him and mold him into a serviceable back up outside linebacker.

Williams won’t make much of an impact early on in his career but he’s the type of player who can stick on a roster for a few years and be counted on to be an asset on special teams.

 

Round 7, Pick 221: RB Da’Rel Scott, Maryland

The Giants took a late round flier on Da’Rel Scott, hoping they could utilize his breathtaking speed as a change of pace back.

Scott lacks the type of vision and instincts it takes to be a starting RB but he should warrant some carries in the preseason and then we'll see how things turn out from there.

Given the number of good running backs available in Rounds 2 to 5, I would have liked to see the Giants address their backfield situation a little earlier on.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/690068-2011-nfl-draft-analyzing-the-new-york-giants-draft-class

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