The New York Giants have their draft board set heading into the 2014 event and some mock drafts have picked out players like Eric Ebron, Aaron Donald, Zack Martin, Taylor Lewan and Mike Evans as potential targets for Jerry Reese and Tom Coughlin and with the Giants picking at number 12 this year, there is a good chance they will get at least one of the players they have high on their board.
Last season the Giants started the year 0-6 and while they rebounded to end up at 7-9, the team had a number of issues on both sides of the ball and that led to a terrible season from Eli Manning. Reese lost Hakeem Nicks and Justin Tuck as well as Linval Joseph to free agency and while the team added a high amount of free agents, there are still needs and holes to fill. The team signed Rashad Jennings, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Walker Thurmond, Geoff Schwartz and JD Walton, but the offensive line still has issues as well as the d-line and the wide receiver position even with Mario Manningham back into the fold. The one positive is that the team ended up with the number 12 pick in the draft and that should enable them to get an impact player in the first round.
The team picked Justin Pugh last season on the offensive line and that will not stop them from doing it again, as reports have Taylor Lewan and Zack Martin as options for the team that the Giants like. Ebron would be a dream pick, but Reese has said that tight end is not a priority, but that could be a smoke screen, while Evans (and Ebron too) may not be on the board when the Giants pick. Evans is a receiver with size and speed and he could be a replacement for Nicks, but there is a good chance that he goes in the top 10 after making 69 catches and averaging over 20 yards per catch last season while playing with Johnny Manziel.
Last season the offensive line was a mess and while that wasn't the only reason the offense sputtered, it surely didn't help and the team ended up near the bottom in rushing yards per game as well. The Giants signed Jennings to help with that and Manning's 27 interceptions were terrible, but part of that was the fact that he had no protection all year and it contributed to the 40-plus turnovers the team had during the season. Lewan or Martin should be available at the pick and that is a safe option.
Ebron would be a great selection as well, as the tight end position has not been the focus for the team over the past few years, but with Ben McAdoo coming in, it should be now. Manning could benefit from a player as athletic and skilled as Ebron and if he is there, the Giants could snag him.
