New York Giants 2012 NFL Draft Review

David Wilson

The defending Super Bowl Champions scored fewer points than their regular season opponents and finished the regular season with a 9-7 record. Running back Brandon Jacobs and wide receiver Mario Manningham signed with San Francisco. Corner Aaron Ross is now in Jacksonville. Age and time have caught up to Kareem McKenzie and he remains unsigned. It didn’t take long to address the obvious cavities in the roster. Running back David Wilson was quickly gobbled up at pick 32. The trade off of Wilson for Jacobs should result in more explosive plays and a jump start to a rushing offense that ranked 32nd in the league with 89.2 yards per contest. Wide receiver Rueben Randle is another player who the Giants think can help immediately. The former LSU star is bigger and stronger than Manningham and gives Eli Manning a big target. In the third round, Jayron Hosley was tabbed to replace Ross and will hopefully dodge the injury bullet that has repeatedly taken down the Giants’ corners over the past few years. Hosley is a natural nickel corner. New York also added some unrestricted free agents to cap-friendly deals to provide depth to the roster. David Wilson flashed speed and explosiveness in the Giants’ rookie mini-camp. He did however, show his bad habit of trying to bend the ball back when the hole closed. He made a bad play into a worse one. Over his career he started 16 of 40 games. He has the leg power to move the pile and the speed to run wide. He drives his legs on contact. Wilson doesn’t go down easily with his shiftiness in the open field. He needs work as a pass blocker. Rueben Randle was drafted to replace Mario Manningham who signed with the 49ers in the off season. He was described as a good athlete trapped inside a very poor passing attack. As a junior he was a big play split end who could beat one-on-one coverages. Smooth and fluid in his movements, he runs good routes and has the talent to grab a short pass and break a long play. He possesses long arms and strong hands. A good run after catch receiver, he has the talent to be an eventual starter. Jayron Hosley had a solid rookie mini-camp and OTAs and will be in the thick of the cornerback competition. Fast and quick, he has good ball skills. He is a cover corner with good body control and hip flexibility. He may get work as a nickel corner and punt returner. A drag down and cut tackler, he played mostly off man coverage for Tech. Adrien Robinson was drafted as a developmental tight end who is a good athlete. His role for the Bearcats was a sub package blocker in their spread offense. With the injuries to Travis Beckum and Jake Ballard, Robinson has a chance to get numerous reps in OTAs and training camp. Brandon Mosley will compete at right guard. He is fluid and athletic, however he is inexperienced. He has long arms, big hands, and good feet for the position. Throughout his senior year his technique improved but he is still a work in progress. He may need time to develop on the practice squad. Matt McCants received extra reps at left tackle in OTAs due to the absence of Will Beatty. He is raw, but flashed good footwork and balance in camp. He needs to develop more upper and lower body strength to handle power rushers. McCants has very good arm length, but will need to upgrade his technique to make the team. Markus Kuhn is a competitive and athletic German born defensive tackle. He has good strength in his arms and shoulders. He can stack and hold his ground on a double team. Physically and mentally tough in his play, he is an aggressive and tough developmental player. GRADE: ABOVE AVERAGE.

This entry was posted in 2012 NFL Draft Team Reviews, New York Giants and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.