Draft Grades: Giants

I'm rarely a fan of taking a wide receiver in the 1st round, but its hard to find another hole on the Giants roster so I can't argue with the selection of Nicks. Receivers are never a sure thing, but Nicks is close. He catches everything thrown his way, which should be enough to at least make him an adequate starter despite his lack of speed.

Clint Sintim was a steal in the 2nd round. He'll compete for playing time at the strong-side linebacker position and I wouldn't be shocked if he won the starting job of Danny Clark at some point this season.

William Beatty didn't fill a need, but he was arguably the best available player in the late 2nd round. He has the ability to play left tackle and could take the starting job fro David Diehl down the road.

Ramses Barden is one of my favorite prospects in this year's draft class. He was nothing short of dominant at Cal Poly and I think he can be a serious red zone threat for the Giants from day one. He may be too slow to be a true number one receiver, but he'll find ways to make an impact.

Travis Beckum was a risky pick, but if he stays healthy he's a perfect fit in New York. He's essentially an over-sized receiver, and will be a nice compliment to Kevin Boss who is more of a blocker.

Andre Brown doesn't fill a need, but was the best available player. He'll compete with Danny Ware for the 3rd-string running back position and I expect him to win the job.

I don't think Rhett Bomar has much upside, but the Giants didn't have any holes to fill and felt as though he was worth the risk. It was probably a smart move, because it comes at no costs with a potentially high reward.

Neither DeAndre Wright nor Stoney Woodson has much upside. The Giants top three cornerbacks are locked in (Corey Webster, Aaron Ross, Terrell Thomas) so they'll compete with others for the 4th and 5th spots on the roster.

This was a great draft for the Giants. Nicks, Barden and Beckum are all capable of contributing right away and will be used in situations to best fit their skill set. Those three, as well as Beatty, have the potential to develop into starters.

Grade: A

Will Braylon End Up in New York?

Much has been made of the fact that Braylon Edwards still isn't a New York Giant, but we shouldn't be shocked by this.

The Browns can't afford to trade Edwards until they have a suitable replacement lined up. If they trade him before the draft, they run the risk of missing out on a quality receiver with their (presumably) two 1st-round picks. However, if they wait until draft day, they can select a receiver 5th overall (Crabtree) and then trade Edwards. Or, they could select someone else with the 5th pick and then wait until the Giants are on the clock. If they are satisfied with who is available (Hakeem Nicks or Kenny Britt, prehaps) they can pull the trigger at that point.

In short, don't believe that the Edwards-to-New York deal is dead just because it hasn't happened yet. Any rumors that the deal is dead could simply be one side posturing in an effort to get the other to lower/raise the offer.

Crabtree Falling?

The Cleveland Browns recently hosted Michael Crabtree for a visit and reportedly so turned off by his "diva attitude" that they removed him from their draft board.

Now this could be viewed as a smoke screen, but what do the Browns really have to gain by saying this? Would the Seahawks really decide to pass on Crabtree simply because the Browns call him a diva? Somehow I doubt it.

This rumor appears to be the real deal, especially when you consider who is involved. Eric Mangini's no-nonsense approach to the game has already resulted in Kellen Winslow being traded and Braylon Edwards appears to be next. Additionally, the Browns immediately scheduled visits with Kenny Britt, Mohamed Massaquoi and Hakeem Nicks after their visit with Crabtree concluded.

And it isn't exactly a secret that Crabtree is considered a diva by many. If you caught him going through the car wash at ESPN today you know what I mean. He closed out his visit on the 6pm SportsCenter talking about how the hardest part of his offsaeson has been deciding which suit to wear on draft day.

While the Browns may be looking elsewhere on draft day, don't think that Crabtree will fall far. Its tough to see him slipping past the 49ers.