New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen knows he’s put himself in a great position for this week’s NFL Draft.
The recent trade that sent defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals brought him the 10th overall pick, allowing him to have three prime selections as new head coach John Harbaugh attempts to restore the franchise’s winning ways.
Schoen went from having three picks in the first 105 to owning three in the top 37, and there are quality players in each of the units the New York Giants would like to fortify.
Of course, there’s also no telling if they may move any of these picks to grab even more selections.
But it’s clear they must enhance their rushing defense and solidify their offensive line–after all, Harbaugh is a strong believer in the age-old adage that holds that a team must be strong in the trenches.
The depth chart is also a bit clouded at wide receiver due to Malik Nabers’ return from a significant knee injury and at cornerback with the team relying on bounce-back seasons from Deonte Banks, Paulson Adebo, and Greg Newsome II.
Perhaps the Giants will be able to supplement all of these areas by the time the draft is over, although they’ll still have to follow a set of priorities. Maybe there’s a hint somewhere inside how the first-year coordinators, Dennard Wilson (defense) and Matt Nagy (offense), recently spoke of their mission.
Wilson’s approach to the season would be music to the ears of any of the top four consensus defensive players in the class: MLB Sonny Styles, DB Caleb Downs, LB Arvell Reese and EDGE David Bailey, in no specific order.
“I’ll put it like this: in terms of the structure and the way we play, we’re going to be unpredictable,” Wilson said.
“We’re going to be unpredictable on how we line up and what we do, all right? We’re going to be dynamic because we have dynamic players. It’s our job to put those dynamic players in the best positions to succeed.
“We’re going to be decisive on what we do and how we do it. We’re going to game plan. We’re going to have detailed and educated pressures. Then we are going to be unapologetic in our approach. Those are the four things that we are going to do.”
Nagy, meanwhile, insisted that “the running back room is a big part of the offense” and lauded holdovers Tyrone Tracy and Cam Skattebo, saying “we’re excited about who we have right now and who we know we have.”
Nagy asserted the need for the entire unit to adhere to the Harbaugh blueprint, which usually starts up front.
“Yeah, it’s going to be physical, I can tell you that,” Nagy said.
“Now, there are different ways when we say physical. I think if you look at any team that Coach Harbaugh has always had on both sides, all three phases, the word “physical” is the first thing you think of. So, it’s going to start there. That’s not a hidden fact.”
Offensive line prospects Francis Mauigoa, Spencer Fano, Olaivavega Ioane, and Kadyn Proctor certainly would fit that bill.
For further insight, Big Blue Breakdown host Paul Dottino will sort through the possibilities with long-time NFL writer Vic Carucci of SiriusXM NFL Radio tonight at 8 p.m. ET. Listeners will also be able to participate via chat and audio/video calls.
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