The New York Giants are one of the most efficient teams when it comes to the NFL draft and general manager Jerry Reese showed why on Thursday night, as the team selected Syracuse tackle Justin Pugh with their first pick, a quality selection that fills a huge need for the roster.
According to Pro Football Talk, Pugh was with friends when the announcement was made and video of him receiving the call showed the tackle get mobbed by his friends as the news came out. Pugh is considered to be one of the most versatile linemen in the draft and he can play nearly every position along the offensive line, something the Giants desperately needed.
The Giants passed on some highly touted players, but Pugh was exactly what they were looking for and after signing David Diehl and Kevin Boothe to contracts the team now has another player in the fold. He was an All-American at Syracuse and played left tackle and made the team despite missing four games with an injury, which the Giants said is not a concern. The team liked D.J. Fluker, Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro and LSU safety Eric Reid, but after all those players were taken Pugh was the pick.
There are a number of talented players the Giants could go after next, including Barrett Jones, Eddie Lacy and Tyrann Mathieu among many more.
"Terrific football player," Reese said. "We think he is really versatile. We like guys who can do multiple things. This guy can play left tackle, right tackle, either guard, and actually [offensive line coach] Pat Flaherty thought he could play center, so he has that kind of skill set.
