| Jason Cohen. 3rd March, 2009 - 1:11 am
 As the 2009 NFL Draft looms, the New York Giants must determine what to do with their draft picks. They appear to be stacked on the defensive side of the ball and were undone down the stretch by their offense, which folded after the loss of number one target Plaxico Burress. This, in addition to the potential departure of Amani Toomer, leads to my assertion that the Giants must draft either a receiver or a top flight tight end with their first round selection in order to take some pressure off Eli Manning.
The Giants will have many options in what is an extremely deep draft at the wide receiver position. They need a player who can come in right away and extend the field much like Burress has done in the past. Of the players who could still be on the board when the Giants select at the end of the first round, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Kenny Britt, and Greg Orton should be the top players targeted to fill that role.
Each player offers the combination of size, strength, and playmaking ability that the Giants need and would certainly be welcomed with open arms by Eli Manning. If the Giants strike out on these three players, or do not wish to choose a receiver with their first pick, a receiver could conceivably fall to them in the later rounds.
In that second tier of receivers, should the aforementioned players come off the board, the Giants could look to former Ohio State receiver Brian Robiskie who stands at 6’3 and had a 40 time of 4.49. They should also look at underachieving receivers with huge upside like Jaison Williams of Oregon, Patrick Turner of USC and even Rutgers receiver Tiquan Underwood, who does not have the ideal size, but was extremely impressive during the NFL combine.
Options at the tight end position, who could have big play impact, include Brandon Pettigrew who appears to be the number one tight end in the draft despite his 4.85 40 time. Jared Cook, who ran an impressive 4.5 40 and had a vertical of 41 inches, is a viable options as well. Finally, Chase Coffman, who stands at 6-6 and 244 pounds, has great size and strength should be on the Giants draft board. |
