With starting receivers Plaxico Burress and Amani
Toomer in their 30s and having been plagued by injuries in recent seasons, the
Giants drafted Mario Manningham, a controversial pick because of some maturity
concerns
Round 1, Pick 31 (31) Kenny Phillips FS 6'2" 208 Miami
After losing Gibril Wilson to the Raiders in free agency, the Giants make a need
pick in Kenny Phillips. Of all the safeties in the draft, Phillips probably is
the closest to the current NFL prototype, which is a guy as capable against the
run as he is in coverage.
Round 2, Pick 32 (63) Terrell Thomas CB 6'1" 198 Southern Cal
Thomas is a versatile corner that may even be able to play safety if the Giants
feel the need. With Gibril Wilson gone and Kenny Phillips taken in the first
round, the Giants addressed the secondary again.
Round 3, Pick 32 (95) Mario Manningham WR 6'0" 181 Michigan
Manningham was very productive in college and is a talented player that had a
much higher grade before a poor showing at the combine. The Giants will try and
get him focused and could have found a talent late in the draft.
Round 4, Pick 24 (123) (From Steelers) Bryan Kehl OLB 6'2" 242 BYU
Kehl played as a freshman and went on to become a four-year starter at BYU. He
is a playmaking linebacker with great speed and productivity. He is versatile
and can play inside or outside and on special teams.
Round 5, Pick 30 (165) Jonathan Goff LB 6'2" 245 Vanderbilt
Goff got better every season during his four years in college. He's a solid
leader, having been a team captain for two years. He struggles to disengage from
blockers, quickly recognize keys and diagnose plays.
Round 6, Pick 32 (198) Andre' Woodson QB 6'5" 224 Kentucky
Woodson came into the Senior Bowl with great expectations but took a major
nose-dive with a poor performance. His combine was also not especially
outstanding and his draft stock really suffered. He has a long delivery and
there are questions about his throwing motion. He was very productive in
college, however, and has talent.
Round 6, Pick 33 (199)
(Compensatory selection) Robert Henderson DE 6'3" 278 Southern Miss
Henderson is a defensive end with decent size and speed. He is a good pass
rusher and dominated his conference. He must show he can jump to the pro level.
New York Giants 2008 NFL Preview
They almost didn't make the
playoffs last year, and won the whole thing. The Giants bring back
plenty of talent although Michael Strahan has retired and Jeremy
Shockey is off to New Orleans. Eli Manning is a different
quarterback, confident and solidly the offensive leader. Brandon
Jacobs spearhead a running back by committee approach that seems to
work in NY for some reason. The defense will still get after the
quarterback, and the Giants have a mental toughness that is
unmatched by any other team, including the vaunted Patriots.
Offense: The most interesting thing about this offense is how
much better they got after losing Jeremy Shockey last year. It
became Eli Manning's team the day Shockey went down and remains that
way. Brandon Jacobs is a battering ram who rushed for over a
thousand yards in ten games last season.
Defense: The defense suffered a tremendous loss with the
retirement of Michael Strahan who was the anchor of the unit. Osi
Umenyiora was supposed to fill that role, and now that he has been
lost, there could be some problems on the line. The Giants drafted
safety Kenny Phillips to replace Gibril Wilson, who was lost in free
agency.
Overall: This is going to be a tough one to call as the loss
of both Strahan and Umenyiora is devastating to the line unit,
however the offense should be a tad better this year. We think the
Giants have a small drop off this year, but still make the playoffs
followed by a fairly early exit.
