New York Giants 2012 NFL Draft Review
Draft Pick Scouting Reports
Rookie Free Agent Scouting Reports
Eric’s Take on the 2012 Draft
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2012 Draft Pick Scouting Reports
1st Round – HB David Wilson, Virginia Tech, 5-10, 206lbs, 4.49
SCOUTING REPORT: Wilson is a junior entry who is only 20 years old. He only started 16 games in college. Wilson lacks ideal size, but he is a well-built back who is strong for his stature. He is a hard runner who can break tackles and finish runs with his powerful legs. Wilson is very athletic with very good speed, quickness, and acceleration. He runs with good pad level, has very good balance, and is elusive. Good cutback runner. Wilson is an explosive, big-play threat. Wilson sometimes tries to bounce things outside when he should stay with the designed play. He is not a strong short-yardage runner. Wilson needs to protect the football better and he needs a lot of work in pass protection. He catches the ball well. Wilson is a dangerous kickoff returner. Competitive.
MEDIA Q&A WITH GENERAL MANAGER JERRY REESE: (Video)
(Saturday Remarks) A running back – we talked about him earlier. We think he is a terrific player. It was reported that Tampa jumped in front of us. That is not true. This guy was the second-rated running back on our board and the highest player on our board. So that part is not true. We think he is a really good player to add to our running back group; return specialist as well.
(Thursday Remarks) Opening Remarks: David Wilson, running back, Virginia Tech. Terrific football player. This guy loves to play football. We like all of that stuff about him. He’s fast. He’s productive. He can do anything you want him to do. He can catch the ball. He can return kicks. I think he was the overall ACC Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year there. He’s an early out junior. Terrific football player. He’s a good piece to put in our running back stable along with some of the other backs that we have and we’re happy to have a player of his caliber.
Q: Did you have more choices than you thought you’d have at 32?
A: We did. There were still several players on the board that we liked, but David was rated our highest player there and he was the best value because he was the highest player there at the time and a little bit of a need pick for us as well. So we got a combination of both. You like to get a combination of both things and we were able to do that tonight.
Q: Was there concern that Tampa Bay was going to take your guy when they traded up?
A: There was some thought that if they take that guy we have two or three other guys that we like. So it wasn’t a panic situation for us because we had some more guys that we liked at that spot.
Q: Was there another running back in that group too?
A: We had him stacked close. We liked him as well. We had him stacked pretty close.
Q: Seemed like you took a while to make the pick.
A: We just wanted to stay on the clock and make sure that nobody was in love with that spot and wanted to move up and give us the mother lode.
Q: Is it fair to say he was the second running back on your board?
A: I think it’s probably pretty fair to say that.
Q: He was a kick returner too.
A: Yep. He has been a kick returner, yeah. As a sophomore he had 22 kickoff returns for 584 yards, 26.5 average, 92 long and two touchdowns as a sophomore. Again, he’s an early-out junior.
Q: Is that a projected role for him?
A: He can do everything. He can be a kick returner for you. He can play on the cover team. This is a hard-nosed football player and we like this guy. He’s going to earn his stripes on special teams like most young players do and he’ll be in the mix with the rest of our running backs for playing time from scrimmage as well. We like this guy.
Q: Is there a guy in the league that he reminds you of?
A: It’s too late to try to think of something like that. Ask me tomorrow so I can sleep on it.
Q: Will Ahmad’s role change to that of a bigger back with this guy?
A: This kid’s a hard-nosed player. He can run inside. He can run outside. I don’t think Ahmad’s role is going to change. He’s going to be our lead dog and again, this guy is going to be a nice piece in our running back stable. It’s up to the coaches how they want to use him.
Q: You haven’t picked a running back this high in a while.
A: The only reason that hasn’t happened is because there hasn’t been a running back at the time [that was] the highest player on our board. We’re not afraid to pick a running back high. We’ll pick any player high that’s the highest player on our board. It just hasn’t happened that way. It’s been other players at that spot.
Q: Seems like a colorful guy.
A: Yeah he’s an enthusiastic player. The guy loves to play football. He’s going to bring a lot of personality. You guys will like him. He’s wound tight.
Q: With so many trades, were you close to trading up?
A: No, we were never close to moving up. We knew that there were going to be some good players down at 32. And again, some players came off from different spots on the board. We were a little surprised about a few picks, but we said that in the pre-draft presser, that we thought some players would come off all over the board. We saw some of that tonight.
Q: Was the way he was consistently productive attractive to you?
A: Absolutely, yeah. He’s definitely a productive player. 1,700 yards. A six yard average. We think we have a good player here.
Q: With the injuries at tight end, did you consider drafting a player at that position?
A: We just tried to pick the best player up there and this guy’s the best player for us. So he was a pretty easy pick for us.
Q: Were you surprised that the picks were occurring so quickly?
A: I’m not surprised. Guys have a long time to figure out who they want to take and people were ready to pull the trigger. Nobody wants to be up after midnight doing the draft.
Q: Cordy Glenn from Georgia was projected really high. Were you surprised he dropped?
A: I’m never surprised by anything in the draft. I learned that a long time ago as a young scout. Don’t let anything surprise you in the draft. So I’m not surprised by that.
MEDIA Q&A WITH DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE SCOUTING MARC ROSS: (Video)
Q: An easy pick?
A: Yeah, very. Very easy.
Q: Why?
A: In the draft there are certain players that you evaluate when you go through the process that despite differences on what you think his speed or toughness or this and that is, you come away at the end of your report saying this guy’s a good football player. There are only a handful of those guys in the draft every year and in our meeting this was one of those players where everybody, despite what you may have thought, came away at the end of the report and said this guy’s a good football player. That’s very intriguing.
Q: At what point did you say, ‘If he’s there we need to pick him’?
A: When the reports come-in in the fall about the guy and the grades are coming and then once we start meeting and then everything merges together and we start stacking the board then it becomes more clear about the pecking order between all of the positions about who is going to go higher and how you like them.
Q: When did you see him play?
A: I saw him play against Virginia, their big game this year at UVA. He tore those guys up pretty good.
Q: Is he similar to anybody?
A: No. He’s kind of unique because he’s smaller in stature, but real thick thighs. You’ll see him when he comes here. He’s real powerful for a little guy. His balance is incredible, just the way he can stay on his feet and get in awkward positions and still come out of it, but he also has speed. Nobody really comes to mind right away.
Q: Did he come on your radar last year?
A: He’s a guy you always noticed. Those good players you always notice them when their young. He’s a kid that they talked about – big recruit and he made big plays from when he was young, despite those other guys. He did the kick return stuff. He’s somebody you always noticed. When you see a guy running a 92-yard kickoff to win a game you kind of take notice of him.
Q: He’ll be an elite running back in the NFL?
A: I think so, yeah. I think so. He’s done it [at Virginia Tech]. Every game he’s [putting up] 100 yards. He is their offense and I think he can do the same thing here.
Q: In terms of off-the-field, what type of reports did you get?
A: Tremendous. Tremendous. ‘The best I’ve ever coached’ kind of reports. ‘Best worker in here.’ ‘Pound for pound strongest.’ ‘Loves the game.’ When you get those types of accolades from coaches, trainers, equipment people, whoever deals with the kid, and blend it together with a great football player you can’t go wrong.
Q: Seems like a colorful guy.
A: Yeah. He is. He’s a live wire now. Energetic. Personable. I thought I would get the back flip question earlier. I guess you guys haven’t done your research. When I called him I said, ‘You called JPP out so you better come up here and deliver on these back flips.’ But he’s that type of kid, just an energetic, live wire kid.
MEDIA Q&A WITH HEAD COACH TOM COUGHLIN: (Video)
Opening Remarks: This young man was attractive to us for many reasons. Obviously his speed, you have a 4.4 running back. You have a guy who’s the ACC Player of the Year, 1700 yards rushing, kickoff returns for a career over a thousand yards, 1300-plus yards, caught the ball out of the backfield. Needs some work in some of the other areas. You know, pass protection and that kind of thing, as do a lot of these young guys. And also the question comes up about ball security and we’ll remind him of that right away. But I think every team has done that with him and he’s very, very much aware of that. He has great energy when you speak to him. He is knowledgeable. He presents himself very, very well. You’re probably well aware of that. But he’s the kind of guy that we felt would add very much to our present situation in terms of the big play potential. He’s one of the guys that has the speed and maneuverability to make the big play and that’s what was very important to us at this time. We were fortunate in that the players that we had set aside were all of need, need positions, and this guy was the highest rated.
Q: When you have a 5’9” running back with trouble blocking, do you feel better that Ahmad Bradshaw was similar and came along?
A: When you look at the great runners that have come along in the last 25 years, you do have a few of those people that are in that category. I think, according to David tonight, he was 208. He’ll probably be 210, 212 when he gets in this program. I know Virginia Tech has an outstanding strength program. When he gets here and gets a little bit more physical maturity I think he’ll be a little bit heavier. But there’s a knack to these individuals, to these guys that don’t appear to have that kind of size to match up, there’s a knack and there’s a way in which they go about their business. It will be something that will be of a concern for us right away, but I think he’ll pick it up fast. He seems to be that kind of a young man and hopefully he’ll be as much a threat coming out of the backfield as it is for people to make decisions on whether they want to rush and how they want to go about rushing.
Q: Have you had a chance to see him in person or watch tape on him?
A: I’ve looked at tape and obviously the Combine stuff. We’ve done our homework.
Q: You were last in the league in rushing last season. Were you saying, ‘We need to fix this.’
A: That, but also we’re looking at the fact that Brandon [Jacobs] is no longer here and we do have to try to balance that out. We believe that you do have to have multiple runners or at least two that can effectively take the field at any time and this young man we thought was one of those that can be a big play threat.
Q: How does he fit with Ahmad Bradshaw?
A: He fits well.
Q: Will his skills compliment Ahmad Bradshaw’s?
A: I certainly think so and I think he presents problems for the defense just as Ahmad does, whether or not you’re going to be involved in the screen game or pulling him out of the back field, throwing him the go-screen as we have done many times with Ahmad. Ahmad is a physical, physical football player and a tackle-breaker and that type of thing. I think David is a guy that certainly has the yardage to prove that he can break tackles as well, but he also has the speed to give you the big play.
Q: What do you think of his personality?
A: He’s pretty outgoing and we’re probably going to have to tell him ‘David, you don’t have to wear a coat and tie to meetings every day.’
Q: Did he wear it to your interview?
A: Oh yeah.
Q: He said he wore it to class every day.
A: Wears it to class. All I say, he’s sharp.
Q: I would think you would like that.
A: I do like that, yeah.
Q: Do take into account Bradshaw’s issues with his feet?
A: You have to think of that. As I said, it would be a wonderful thing to have Ahmad be able to have a season without those issues, but if they do become an issue again then obviously you have to have some outstanding, talented people to take up the slack a little bit. I think Ahmad will always be there on game day and hopefully we’ll get to the point where he practices more often, but if that’s not the case then we have to get these other people ready to go.
Q: How difficult is it to make the pick?
A: Well we discuss all of those players that are put in that bunch, if you will, right before your take. You discuss them all. There’s discussion about each player. It’s not easy, but in the long run you hope you make the best decisions for the teams
Q: Is the ball security issue a problem with him trying to get extra yards?
A: Oh yeah, that’s just the flamboyant, all over the place kind of stuff. He just has to learn that that ball gets in a position, such as away from your body and good things do not happen.
Q: Is it a high and tight thing?
A: It’s a high and tight thing for sure.
MEDIA Q&A WITH PLAYER:
Q: How much contact did you have with the Giants before the draft?
A: Speaking with a lot of guys who went through the process before that I’m close with from [Virginia Tech], [they said] that the team that drafts me will be shocking because it will be a team that hasn’t contacted you as much or hasn’t interviewed you as much. I had a meeting with the Giants at the Combine, but after that I didn’t hear much from them—I didn’t have a visit or I didn’t work out for them. At the same time my agent kept me informed and said it was a good chance that I could go there.
Q: Who’s your agent?
A: Joe Segal.
Q: What was your reaction when the Giants selected you?
A: I was sitting on the bed and the Giants had the last pick in the first round… And then Tampa Bay traded [up], and I thought, ‘Maybe they’ll get a running back. I know they need a running back.’ At that point, I was hoping for anything. The Giants are Super Bowl champions, and I’m like ‘They probably won’t pick me…’ I was just hoping that something would happen, and I get the New Jersey call and I start screaming. I answered the phone and it was the New York Giants. It was the best call that I got in a long time.
Q: Who called and what was the message that they delivered?
A: I was so excited that I don’t even remember their name, but the first question was how am I doing. After that I was just like I’m doing great now. I was sweating a while ago, but I’m doing great now.
Q: Do you think you could contribute right away?
A: Yes, and they have a good running back in [Ahmad] Bradshaw and another guy on the team. Those guys are veterans in the league and I’m entering the league. I’m going to learn as much as I can from them. My whole career I’ve been in a two-back system. At Virginia Tech I was a Ryan Williams and Derron Evans, which was three-back system. Even last year I was with J.O. Coming out of high school, me and another running back. I’m a good team player or else I wouldn’t be playing football. In this league one running back can’t do it all. I look forward to working with those guys and make the Giants closer to the top in the country.
Q: Where did you watch the draft and who were you with?
A: Just at home with my brother, Ronald Wilson, and my sister, Laura Wilson, my dad, Dwight Wilson, and my mom, Sheila Wilson. Just sitting in the house. No cameras. None of that. Just in my basketball shorts and flips flops watching the draft.
Q: Is home Danville?
A: Yes, that’s where I was born and raised.
Q: No suit and tie?
A: No. It was just me and my family kicking it in the house. Didn’t have any family members over other than my household. I Just wanted to just share the moment with my loved ones and close family.
Q: Has JPP called you yet and challenged you to a back flip contest?
A: Yeah, I put a video up a couple of days ago and now we are on the same time. When I was making the video I knew I was stirring up something. Maybe we can get to the bottom of this.
2nd Round – WR Rueben Randle, LSU, 6-3, 210lbs, 4.55
SCOUTING REPORT: Randle is a junior entry who started 25 games in college. Randle combines excellent size with fine athletic ability. While Randle is not a burner, he is a fluid and smooth receiver with good foot quickness and acceleration for a big receiver. Randle can get off press coverage and he runs good routes. He can threaten a defense down the field. Randle adjusts well to the football in the air and has very good hands. He runs well after the catch. Good blocker.
MEDIA Q&A WITH GENERAL MANAGER JERRY REESE:(Video)
(Saturday Remarks): Like we said the other day, he was in the conversation with respect to our first pick. I think we were fortunate that he was still there; terrific, big receiver; pro-ready kind of guy. We think he will really thrive in our offense.
(Friday Remarks) Q: What impressed you most about Rueben Randle?
A: He’s NFL-ready – he runs the entire route tree. In this day and age in college football, it’s all about the spread offense, and guys don’t run the full tree. This kid runs the full tree. He kind of looks like a big, pro wide receiver out there with how he runs routes. I think he’s going to be a quick fit into the offense with how he plays; he’s big, he can post guys up. People mentioned Hakeem Nicks when we talked about him in our room. He’s not blazing fast; I don’t think Hakeem is blazing fast either. He’s game fast and he’s bigger than Hakeem – very good hands, ball skills. A talented football player.
Q: How close were you at taking Randle with the No. 32 pick in the first round?
A: He was in the discussion. There were five guys in the discussion, and he was one of the guys who we spoke about as well. We were really surprised a little bit with him still being there because we thought he would’ve gone early in the second [round]. He was still there, and I think we’re fortunate to get a guy of his caliber.
Q: Are any of those five guys still available?
A: No. They’re all gone.
Q: Why not move up a couple of spots to ensure you get the player you want?
A: We like using all of our picks, and we’ve moved up to get guys before and it hasn’t worked out that great for us. We’re a little bit leery of moving up and taking guys. We’ve done that in the past and I don’t think our success has been very good.
MEDIA Q&A WITH DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE SCOUTING MARC ROSS: (Video)
Q: What were you thinking as he dropped and dropped?
A: I really didn’t think there was a chance we were going to get him. He was one of those where at the end of the [first] night you’re saying he’s going to be one of the first few guys taken in the top of the [second] round. Very surprising that he was still there. Just keep holding your breath, holding your breath. Nah, somebody will pick him. Until you start seeing some of these other receivers go. Alright there’s a chance and he was there.
Q: Do you think the quarterback play of LSU hurt him?
A: Definitely. The way LSU plays, they run the ball, they play defense and those two quarterbacks, to be quite honest, are not very good. So he didn’t get a lot of chances. When the ball came to him he was productive, but he just didn’t get a ton of chances to win games, to catch, but when they went his way he made plays.
Q: So how do you evaluate him?
A: There was enough to see his skill set and see his physical tools. Then you go from there. You see the practice, Combine stuff.
Q: Did you think about trading up?
A: No, because we still had a group of guys that we liked that were still there. We don’t panic. We were hoping. He was definitely the highest guy that we had on the board, by far, and we were hoping, but definitely not thinking about trading up to get him.
Q: Did you have a first-round grade him?
A: Yeah, he was in our stack there. Actually we talked about him a little bit yesterday at our pick. So he was in the discussion yesterday.
Q: What is it about his skill set that specifically impressed you?
A: Rueben is an NFL-ready receiver. I think with receivers a lot of it gets overblown with 40 times and speed and this and that. You need guys that are NFL-ready and what I mean by that is this guy is strong, he can catch the ball, he’s a good route runner and he’s position savvy – he knows how to get open. To me those are the successful receivers in the NFL. I think our guys who we have now – Hakeem and Victor – if you put them at the Combine you won’t notice them, but you put them on the football field and they just take their game to another level and this is how Rueben is in our eyes.
Q: How can you measure that?
A: Again, you can study the physical skill set, the speed, the strength, the quickness, the change of direction, his body control. You look at him running down the field wide open and then not being able to get the ball to him. But you just look at his individual gifts as a player, his physical gifts.
Q: Where do you see him fitting in?
A: That’s up to coach Gilbride and coach Coughlin. We just provide the players and then they coach them up.
Q: Rueben was the ninth receiver selected. Where did you have him on the receiver list?
A: He wasn’t ninth. He wasn’t ninth.
Q: Was he four or five?
A: That was so long ago I can’t even recall exactly, but he was up there.
Q: Former quarterback, does that help those guys?
A: Yeah and he plays that way. When they see the field and then they go to another position they have a great understanding for what’s going on. He fits into that mold.
Q: His games against Alabama – five catches, 32 yards.
A: Did you watch the National Championship game? The quarterbacks couldn’t even get from under center and get the ball off. Of course you’re not going to be able to get it down field. Just watch that game. It was impossible for them to run the ball, throw the ball, do anything. He just got smothered. There’s nothing the receiver can do if everything else isn’t going his way. He’s pretty much a byproduct of everything that’s going on.
Q: Can you get a feel for how quickly he can contribute?
A: Yeah, but I think his game will transfer well up here because of the way he plays. He plays like an NFL receiver – big, strong, physical, catch the ball – as opposed to a raw guy who needs a lot of development on routes and techniques or drops a lot of balls – needs to work on his hands. This guy pretty much has a skill set that fits in, will transfer pretty quickly.
Q: What have you done for your offense?
A: Hopefully made us better, more explosive. We just brought in two good football players, both of whom we really like. So hopefully we got better doing that.
Q: Does he have experience with Eli at the passing academies?
A: I’m not sure. I would think he would, being down there, but I’m not sure whether he has or not.
MEDIA Q&A WITH HEAD COACH TOM COUGHLIN:(Video)
Opening Remarks: [Rueben Randle is a] big receiver, outstanding athlete, very smooth, quote unquote pro-ready, 97 receptions in the course of his career for almost 17 yards per. Size, speed. People said, ‘Can he get deep? He can get behind?’ Yes, he can. He doesn’t have that Olympic type speed, but he has the size and the speed and the power. He’s a smooth athlete. Very, very athletic guy and I guess Marc told you that we rated him very highly and when it came time for us to make our pick he was without a doubt the guy that had the highest grade.
Q: What’s it say that you work for an organization that does not panic and trade up, whereas some other organizations get antsy and do that when they have a chance to get a guy rated as highly as you had Randle rated?
A: Having worked with this group of men who are in our personnel department, I think we take a lot of pride in getting the proper grade on the player. A lot of pride in ranking the players properly and then stacking the board and believing that there is going to be a good player for us to pick by virtue of showing patience and not doing a lot of maneuvering. As an organization, when we go into a draft we look at the number of picks we have and we certainly expect to come out of the draft with that many or, if we’re fortunate, more, but we don’t do a lot of trading. We don’t do a lot of maneuvering. We do have a number of calls that come into the room offering to maneuver, a lot of which are ‘Are you interested in?’ Of course, as you know, to move substantially, particularly if you’re going to move up substantially, is going to cost you some picks. So we believe that we’ll have an opportunity to draft a good football player, whether you’re talking third, fourth round or whether you’re talking even later in the draft.
Q: When you see a guy like Randle drop, do you second-guess yourself?
A: No because I think the homework has been done. I think there have been a lot of personal calls made into that particular school, talking with coaches who have worked with Randle. Thomas McGaughey was with us as a special teams coach here and he is currently on the LSU staff and gave Randle a very strong recommendation and we have a lot of faith in Thomas’ ability to judge. Also, I think Jerry Reese has an individual that he has known for a long time on that staff who verified and talked about this player and his ability. Nobody is perfect. You have some things you have to be able to work with, but he will respond to good, solid coaching and that’s what he’s going to get.
MEDIA Q&A WITH PLAYER:
Q: Were you surprised that you lasted as long as you did and were you aware of the Giants’ interest?
A: I guess it was pretty surprising. I knew that the Giants had a lot of interest in me. I got a few phone calls from the guys. A couple of people from LSU were giving me signs that they were interested, so I knew once they came up, they would draft me.
Q: Did you talk to any LSU players from the Giants who gave you a hint on their interest?
A: No, none of the players. I haven’t talked to any of the players.
Q: The Giants have described you as an NFL-ready receiver. Can you describe how you feel about that?
A: I’m sure there are a lot of things that I have to work on. I’m not sure I’m going to be quite as ready yet. I have to get adjusted to the timing and the speed of the game, so I’m just going to come in there and work hard and hopefully I’ll get my opportunity.
Q: How about going from the quarterbacks you had to play with at LSU to coming here playing with Eli Manning?
A: It’s going to be great. We had struggles at LSU. They weren’t bad quarterbacks, but we struggled there. But Eli is an elite quarterback in the league and it’s going to be great for me to come in and play with him.
Q: Did that play a part in you getting picked lower than projected—not having as many opportunities as you would’ve wished?
A: I don’t know what played into it. I’m happy to be a part of the New York Giants, a winning program, the Super Bowl champs, so I’m happy with that.
Q: What kind of receiver are you? How would you describe yourself?
A: I can make all those plays – deep, over-the-middle – it doesn’t really matter. Whatever they need me to do, I’ll do.
Q: Eli is a New Orleans guys. Have you been to his passing camps or met with him at all?
A: I missed his camps the past two years. I was supposed to go down there, but a situation came up where I had to miss them.
Q: Every year guys come to New York and fall further than expected. Can you describe how it feels to wait for your name to be called?
A: It was a little nerve wracking, but you have to stay calm. That’s why you have your family here to talk to you and keep you relaxed until your opportunity comes.
Q: You had to wait around all last night and tonight as well?
A: Right.
Q: What was last night like?
A: It was kind of frustrating. I just went home with my family, got something to eat. I went up to my room and relaxed. I waited for my opportunity, and that was here.
Q: Did you do anything fun last night?
A: No. I just went back to the hotel. My family bought me food. I went back to the room with my brothers and just kicked back and relaxed and watched TV.
Q: When you get disappointed like this, do you come into camp with a chip on your shoulder?
A: I think it adds a little chip—but not much. I was going to come in and work no matter what the situation. I think I have a lot to prove now since I dropped so far, and that’s what I’m willing to do.
Q: The Giants said you were in discussion to be drafted by them with the No. 32 pick. Did you think you would get drafted by them in the first round?
A: I heard it was an opportunity there, but I guess they didn’t take it. I fell into their hands here at the end of the second round, and I’m happy with that.
3rd Round – CB Jayron Hosley, Virginia Tech, 5-10, 178lbs, 4.47
SCOUTING REPORT: Junior entry who is only 21 years old. Hosley lacks ideal stature, but he is an athletic coverman with good speed and quickness. His long arms and jumping ability help compensate for his lack of height. Hosley can play both off and press coverage. Instinctive. He has very good ball skills – reacts well to the football and makes plays. Hosley is sometimes too aggressive and can get burned by double moves or play-action. Hosley needs to get stronger. He needs to improve as a tackler. Hosley has experience returning punts. He has had drug issues.
MEDIA Q&A WITH GENERAL MANAGER JERRY REESE:(Video)
(Saturday Remarks) Not a big guy, but thinks he is big; plays tough; interceptor, punt returner. I think he will compete right away for the nickel kind of spot and play on all of the special teams for us; tough, hard-nosed football player.
(Friday Remarks) Q: In Hosely’s case, what did you say about the drug test?
A: It’s a personal conversation. We’re aware of that, obviously. He’s not the first one to have a situation like that. He’s a young kid—he’s very young. He’s 20 years old. He’s an early-out junior. He knows that’s a bad decision that he made and we expect better from him. We feel like we have a good player in him as well. He’s not a big man, but this guy has athletic arrogance. He plays like a big guy. His skill set, years ago, kind of reminds me of Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones – he plays kind of like that. He runs in there kind of like a little linebacker. He throws himself in there. He has outstanding cover skills. He’s productive. He’s an interceptor, he can intercept the ball, so we expect him to be in our nickel packages. And a bonus is that he’s a punt returner. He can return punts and kicks, but he’s probably a better punt returner than kick returner. He has a lot of good qualities that we like. We think if he was a couple of inches taller, he would be in the first [round] [in the conversation] with the first two guys—those two top corners.
MEDIA Q&A WITH DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE SCOUTING MARC ROSS: (Video)
Q: It seems like you got a lot of players later than you projected – like Rueben Randle – you were talking about in the first… Is that a fair assessment for most of those guys?
A: Probably Rueben and Kuhn. The other guys were probably right in the range we thought. Hosley – I expected that to happen just because some of the off the field circumstances. And I kind of compare that to the (Mario) Manningham situation. But pretty much everybody else fell in line to what we thought.
Q: He pretty much fell just about as Mario did.
A: Yeah. I brought that up in the draft room. It was like, ‘This is Mario all over – first-round talent and we took him at the last pick of that third round.’ We sent everybody home with Mario – we sent people home with Hosley this time. But we think he is a good kid. He just made a mistake. Kind of like Mario, we didn’t think he was a bad person, made a mistake or two. And Jayron – we have complete confidence in him.
Q: Did you have him as a first-round talent?
A: Yeah, right on the boarder line cusp there. His size might have pushed him down but the talent itself was definitely – he was right there in the mix with some of those guys.
Q: Is he too small to play safety?
A: Yeah, yeah.
Re: Jayron Hosley
A: He is tough. He doesn’t know that he is that little. He thinks he is 6-2, 225 the way he flies up and hits people and throws his body around. He might get run over some, but he keeps coming; but, no, definitely not a safety.
Q: Do you guys worry about concussions at all? How did that conversation go?
A: With Jayron – no, no. He was fine. He checked out fine medically.
MEDIA Q&A WITH HEAD COACH TOM COUGHLIN: (Video)
Opening Remarks: Here, in the bottom of the third round we picked corner Jayron Hosley from Virginia Tech. This is a guy, very competitive, feisty guy with 12 career interceptions. He’s also a punt returner. He’s a physical tackler. He is a competitive guy who many times is matched up on the opponent’s best receiver. Whether it’s the physical aspect of the game, the coming up in run support, the competitiveness in the press position, whether he’s playing from off and just playing the ball in the air. This guy does have outstanding hands and has been able to convert that concept into many interceptions. Quite frankly, he had nine picks in 2010 and they pretty much stayed away from him this year as he added only three. But he also has the potential to be a punt returner. We like him for our special teams aspect also. He’s played the gunner. He can play various kickoff coverages, etc., etc. We feel like we can accomplish a lot with this kind of an athlete. He’s not the biggest guy in the world. That was discussed. However, we do think he is a competitive, feisty guy and he’s one of those people that has not backed down from anybody. Played against some outstanding receivers in his career and did an outstanding job.
Q: It seems like there are a few red flags.
A: There is. He did fail the test in Indianapolis. We’re very much aware of that and we’ve addressed that with him and we’re prepared to address that professionally as well when we do get him here.
Q: You’ve taken some chances on some other players like that in the past.
A: Provided we have enough information about the player to believe that we can work with him and he’s willing to overcome whatever issues he’s had.
MEDIA Q&A WITH PLAYER:
Q: How excited were you to know you were taken by the Giants?
A: I was very excited, man. I felt like it was a great fit for me. I’m excited to be a part of such a great program in the New York Giants, Super Bowl champions. I’m looking forward to being a part of the program.
Q: What makes you think you’re such a perfect fit?
A: They draft good corners. Add myself to that line of corners—I feel that I fit great. Any package or defense they run, special teams, I feel like it would be a fit. The program, it’s old fashioned—the coach is old fashioned. I’m used to that with Coach Beamer.
Q: How would you describe yourself as a player to Giants fans who haven’t seen you play yet?
A: I’m not the biggest guy, but I’m definitely aggressive. Definitely a hard worker, a guy who will go out on the field and give it my all every play. Very instinctive player. Can help the team out in many ways as far as special teams, punter returner, on defense – wherever I’m needed.
Q: Jerry Reese said that if you were a couple of inches taller, you’d be a first rounder. Also there were reports of the positive test. Did you get a feel of how far you would drop? How tough was it to wait for your name to be called?
A: I knew it was going to be a fall. I didn’t know exactly where, but with the mistake that I made, I accepted that. I was just looking forward for anyone to give me a call and giving me a chance, an opportunity to be a part of their program. I was very excited, very happy with the New York Giants giving me that call.
Q: Was that a tough conversation to have with Tom Coughlin, Jerry Reese or anybody else you spoke to?
A: We had a conversation, but I feel like it’s best to keep that conversation between the coaches that I talked to. We’re all on the same page. It’s fine. We’re working to make things better and have success as a Giant.
Q: Did you have any regrets with how it happened, especially since it was at the Combine?
A: Definitely. I definitely regret it. It’s something that’s in the past behind me. I’m working toward bettering myself and not letting something like this happen again – ever. They trusted me and I’m thankful of that. I’m going to make this a worthy decision.
Q: How about the Virginia Tech connection they have going on here?
A: I was excited to play with [Giants first round pick RB] David Wilson again. He’s a tremendous athlete and good guy. I think he’ll fit well in the program. I’m just looking forward to it.
Q: Get a chance to talk to him last night?
A: No, I haven’t had a chance to talk to him. Not yet. But I’m pretty sure I’ll give him a call today and we’ll talk.
Q: Jerry Reese described you as “athletically arrogant.” Do you feel you’re an overly confident player?
A: I think he said it good. You definitely have to go out there with confidence. I’m not a bigger guy, so guys might see me as a little vulnerable or as “the little guy.” I definitely have to go out there with a little aggression, the little man’s syndrome in that sense. Definitely aggressive. I think coach knows me as a player and knows what I bring to the table. I think they’re happy with their decision; and both sides are.
Q: When he talked about you he compared you to Pac Man Jones. Is that something that you like to hear?
A: Pac Man Jones is a tremendous player, minus the off-field stuff, but he’s a tremendous player. When you watch him on film he’s very sound in his technique. He’s aggressive, a smaller guy like me. I savor that. I think that’s a good comparison. I like to compare myself to Asante Samuel, Pac Man, Brandon Flowers, but I think that’s a very good comparison.
Q: Can you explain your decision to come out early and why you felt ready to leave?
A: Most importantly, I felt like it was the best decision for me to make. Truthfully, I felt like the college game was getting a little too easy for me and I wanted a challenge. What’s more of a challenge than the NFL? Most importantly, my family is a big part of my life and I talked with them before I made my decision and they felt like ‘If it’s really what you want to do, go out there and go for it.’ I went and did it.
Q: Does it take some time to get to know David Wilson?
A: No. Once David walks in the room and you talk to him and you see how he interacts with people, you’ll know that he’s a good guy, fun guy, loves to laugh and joke around, but when he’s on that field you know you can tell he’s a different person on that field. Off the field he’s a great person. He was my roommate in college and I’m looking forward to being together with him again in New York.
Q: What’s your favorite David Wilson story?
A: You’ve probably heard them all. David chasing rabbits, catching the rabbit on campus. Just a wild guy. You never know what to expect coming from David. He’s just a guy that has a lot of energy and always running around.
Q: Just out of nowhere would see a rabbit and chase it?
A: You never know. He was just walking on campus, saw a rabbit. With his speed I had no doubt that he could catch it. He’s just one of those guys. You never know what you’re going to get from him.
Q: What did he do with the rabbit once he caught it?
A: He just wanted to see if he could touch it because you know the rabbit’s very quick. David’s a very quick guy as well, but he just touched it and that’s basically it.
Q: In 2010 you led the country in interceptions and then in 2011 you had three. Coach Coughlin said that might have been because quarterbacks were staying away from you.
A: That’s a fairly accurate answer. In 2010 I was coming in. I had a lot to prove, just a young guy out there, excited to be in college and out there making plays. I feel like in 2011 it was a little drop off. Teams shied away from me a little bit. I just feel like I was productive more and growing as a player, as a person in 2011, but I don’t feel like it was a big drop off in productivity. Obviously in the interceptions category it wasn’t there as far as the success I had in 2010, but I feel like I got better overall in 2011.
Q: Is that what you mean by the college game getting too easy – them just not throwing your way enough?
A: I feel like in the NFL you have to earn that respect and I’m going to be the guy coming in. I don’t have that respect yet. I have to go out there and earn it. It’s just one of those things. When you get in the NFL they’re not going to shy away from you. They’re going to come at you so you have to be ready for it and I’m up for the challenge.
Q: The Giants talked about you as special teams gunner, kick coverage. Is that stuff you’re okay doing?
A: I’m coming from a special teams guru in Frank Beamer. It’s something that I love to do, definitely something that I’m looking forward to doing – just doing my part in the organization.
Q: How many concussions did you have last year?
A: It was one.
Q: How many games did you miss?
A: It was actually in the ACC Championship so I didn’t miss a game. We had about a month off before the bowl game so I had time to rest and get healthy before the game.
Q: Have you spent much time in New York City?
A: No, I haven’t.
Q: Have you ever been?
A: I’ve actually been, but I haven’t gotten a chance to see much of the city. That’s something that I’m looking forward to.
4th Round – TE Adrien Robinson, Cincinnati, 6-4, 264lbs, 4.56
SCOUTING REPORT: Robinson combines good size with excellent athleticism. He has very good speed and agility for a big tight end. However, he is a very raw player who will need a lot of coaching up. He was not targeted much in college (only 29 receptions in four years), but he displayed an ability to get down the field, adjust to the football, and make the difficult catch. Good blocker.
MEDIA Q&A WITH GENERAL MANAGER JERRY REESE: (Video)
A guy we haven’t talked about – our first fourth-round pick is Adrien Robinson, the tight end from Cincinnati. We really think this guy has a huge up-side. He is a big, big man; long arms. He didn’t catch a lot of balls for them. But he is kind of a late bloomer who has really come on. And we think this guy is kind of a JPP of tight ends. We like these kind of people. We will get Mike Pope involved with this guy. We brought him in for one of the visits. We are excited about him. We think he can really come on and develop and be a terrific football player for us. So it is very exciting for us to get him.
Q: What do you mean when you said Robinson was the JPP of tight ends?
A: He is just a big, gigantic man with long arms. And he is really a good athlete. This guy is almost 6-5, 270 pounds. He ran 4.57. He has got those freakish athletic numbers. He hasn’t scratched the surface with respect – like JPP. When we got Jason we said, “This guy hasn’t scratched the surface.” And Jason still has a lot of learning to do – continuing to grow. This kid hasn’t scratched the surface yet. He has a chance to be really something, we think.
Q: He didn’t catch very many balls. Is that a concern?
A: Yeah, we went to the workout. We think he can catch the ball. We don’t have any problem with his hands. We think he is going to be a good receiver as well. He is one of those big guys you can attach him on the end of the line of scrimmage as a on-the-line tight end or he can play the move stuff. He did that for them as well. He is going to be one of those big guys that can run down on your special teams and be a solid contributor to your big four special teams with that height, weight and speed.
MEDIA Q&A WITH DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE SCOUTING MARC ROSS: (Video)
Q: We want to know about the JPP of tight ends.
A: This guy, Adrien [Robinson], he’s a physical specimen. He’s tall. The guy’s 6’4”, 6’5”, almost 270 pounds, ran a 4.5. He’s just learning how to play football. We think he has tremendous upside and the kid plays hard for being a former basketball player. He plays hard. He just didn’t get a lot of chances. We think the sky’s the limit for him.
Q: When did he catch your eye?
A: Our area scout, Steve Devine, he did a great job going in there and digging him out. He lives in Columbus. That’s his area. So he’s at Cincinnati a lot. He dug him out, brought him to our attention. Our other area scouts did him – Ryan Jones and Chris Pettit – and then of course we started getting on him once we started hearing the enthusiasm about him in the meetings, our first set of meetings about the draft guys.
Q: What do you see in him that Cincinnati did not cultivate?
A: I’m sure they saw the talent, but they’re 4, 5 wide all of the time, shotgun, quick, get it out. So they don’t use the tight end a whole lot. I’m sure they knew what they had. Glowing reviews from the people there who deal with kid and coached him. They feel like they didn’t get the most out of him just because of the type of offense they had. Being here, the coaching, the way we’ll use him, I think he’ll just flourish.
Q: Is he going to take time?
A: Of course at this point in the draft and this kid’s background, it might take him a little more time, but he’s big and fast so just throw him out there on special teams and go run down the field. That doesn’t take much development to do that and he has the mindset and temperament to do that.
Q: When did he stop playing basketball?
A: Maybe his senior year in high school. He got recruited. He didn’t play at Cincinnati. But when you see him, he’s all long and gangly, but filled out in the lower good. He looks like a basketball player.
Q: Which a lot of these new-wave tight ends look like.
A: Right. Which, they were. It’s the new breed of tight end.
Q: A little different than what you guys usually go for?
A: Somewhat when you talk about Ballard and Pascoe, but Travis [Beckum] was a different kind of guy that we brought in here. We just look for talented players in different shapes. It doesn’t matter.
MEDIA Q&A WITH HEAD COACH TOM COUGHLIN: (Video)
Adrien Robinson is a guy who we really like athletically. He did an outstanding job in his workout. Doesn’t have much to show for his collegiate career – not many catches. Was a move guy – did some good things with the move action. Blocked in space pretty well. Wasn’t used that much as a receiver. We do think he has those qualities, but he’s a big kid. He’s much more than that. We think he can develop. We think with Mike Pope, just like a lot of people think, he can become the player that we hope that he will be.
Q: Adrien Robinson didn’t catch many passes in college. How far away is he?
A: He’s got a lot of work to do to understand the pro game, but he seemed to handle the things that he was asked to do very well. He was used as the motion guy and then brought back in the rim. You see so much of the running game today, the zone run off of what we call the rim action with the tight end or the receiver or the fullback coming back across the formation, giving you a little misdirection, helping set up the naked. He did that. He did that well.
Q: Jerry Reese called him the JPP of tight ends.
A: He’s athletic, a very, very athletic guy.
Q: Is that based on his potential?
A: Yeah, sure it is. Obviously on paper he hasn’t quite achieved that, but we think that he can and it’s all in front of him and we’re anxious to get to work with him.
Q: He’s got the same sort of “sky’s the limit” potential?
A: Well I don’t know. Let’s watch him play a little bit before we get into that. He is very athletic. His numbers are outstanding. He’s very anxious to get going. We think he’s untapped and that’s why, I think, Jerry basically said what he said.
Q: How much is it a factor that you have a tight ends coach in Mike Pope that can develop those guys?
A: It’s a big factor. But to be honest with you, it’s also a factor out there because the college players all know about Mike Pope and the coaches in college know about Mike Pope. As a matter of fact, the people in professional football do as well. So when one comes our way, chances are you’re going to hear comments about ‘Well, Mike Pope will coach that guy and he’ll be a football player.’ We’re hoping that can continue.
Q: Was his blocking okay in college?
A: Yeah, it was. He blocked in space very well, which tells you a little bit about his athleticism. I don’t think he had as many opportunities, nor did he do as well when he stood at the line of scrimmage. How’s he going to do when a six-eye steps over him at 290, the defensive ends we play against? That remains to be seen. But he does have big, long arms. He’s all of that. It’s going to not be easy for him because when you’re building strength with that kind of arm length the numbers don’t always show up, but he’s very interested in being as good as he can be. He sees it as an opportunity here and he’s real excited about it.
MEDIA Q&A WITH PLAYER:
Q: Is this where you thought you would go, or were you surprised that the Giants called you?
A: I was surprised because a lot of [mock drafts] had me going from the fifth to seventh round. I spoke to coach Pope and we talked for over an hour, so I had a pretty good feeling about it.
Q: You didn’t catch a lot of passes over your college career. What is it like to not get the ball that much?
A: It wasn’t bad for me because that was just how our offense was. We had a good running back in Isaiah Pead. He went over 1, 000 yards. For me, personally, blocking was something I felt like I needed to work on the most. So individually, I think it actually helped me out because I got to block a lot more.
Q: Did you work out for the Giants?
A: No, sir. I visited there.
Q: There’s not a lot of times that a guy gets picked in the fourth round and has a chance to compete because of injuries at the tight end position. Have you thought about that much?
A: No, not a lot. I’m just happy to have the opportunity to play and learn from coach Pope. When those guys come back, I’m sure I’ll be able to take a lot from them, too.
Q: Do you think teams were surprised by the way you worked out this spring and came out of nowhere in that regard?
A: Yes, I think they were surprised because, like you said, I didn’t have a lot of catches so a lot of people weren’t expecting me to do so well. I think a lot of teams were surprised.
Q: Do you think you can make a difference in the NFL as a pass catcher?
A: Yes, sir, I think I can. I think I have pretty good hands. My senior year I didn’t have any drops the whole season. So I think I’ll do pretty well.
Q: How much better have you gotten at blocking?
A: I think I’ve gotten 10 strides better because I had Coach Johnson. He coached at Georgia for seven or eight years. He had Watson and Pope and those guys come down to Georgia. He’s been coaching over 20 years. He taught me a lot about footwork and angles and leverage and understanding where to be on the football field. I think I improved a lot as far as my blocking goes.
Q: Did Mike Pope echo the same things you’ve been hearing about technique?
A: Yes, he did. It was funny because a big thing that Coach Johnson told me about was leverage and that was kind of the same thing that he tells his guys. So we kind of clicked on that part of it and we ended up just talking.
Q: Were you disappointed that you weren’t at the Combine?
A: I wasn’t disappointed because I wasn’t expecting to go to the Combine, based on my numbers. I figured Combine guys are all guys that have pretty good stats. So I was a little disappointed, but not a lot because I wasn’t expecting to go. I knew pro day was going to be my opportunity to show for the scouts so that’s what I focused on.
4th Round – OT Brandon Mosley, Auburn, 6-5, 314lbs, 5.15
SCOUTING REPORT: Mosley is a big, strong offensive lineman with long arms and big hands. Mosley has the frame to add more bulk. He has collegiate experience at both left and right tackle. A former tight end, Mosley is a good athlete. He can trap and pull and get to the second level. While not a mauler, Mosley gets movement in his run blocks. He is a tough, aggressive, physical player who looks to punish defenders. Mosley shows decent feet, agility, and balance, but needs technique work in pass protection. With only two years of experience on the offensive line, he is still learning to play the position and will take some time to develop. Hard worker who is very coachable.
MEDIA Q&A WITH GENERAL MANAGER JERRY REESE: (Video)
Big, tough, smart; just like we like in our offensive line room. He reminds us somewhat of David Diehl. This guy has a good concept. He understands; knows how to play. We think he is going to be a good addition. We think he could go in there and play some guard as well if we needed him to play some guard. But he is an offensive tackle.
MEDIA Q&A WITH DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE SCOUTING MARC ROSS: (Video)
We think Mosley can do both [guard and tackle]. He’s just a gritty, hardnosed, tough player. The throwback kind of guy. High marks from all of our area scouts, just about his competitiveness and determination.
Q: Is Mosley closer to being able to adjust to the NFL [than McCants]?
A: Yeah, I think so. He played at Auburn, started at Auburn – a high level of competition. So I think he can step in right away and not be phased, step in tomorrow. He’s going to be the same guy he was two years ago as he is five years from now, just that gritty hard-nosed guy.
MEDIA Q&A WITH HEAD COACH TOM COUGHLIN: (Video)
Brandon Mosley was an outstanding player in college; came from a junior college. He has actually played on both sides. Has very good gym numbers. Ran well in the 40-yard dash. We think he has good flexibility. He may be a guy that can handle learning both guard and tackle right away, so we look forward to that.
Both (Mosley and McCants) are physical players: this Mosley guy, if he has a chance to put you on your back, he’ll do that. McCants did the same thing. He hustles, he works. You see him downfield trying to get after people, and I watched him earlier in games against outstanding competition, so I was glad to see the way he played. There’s no question in my mind that in the fourth round we did a very good job, where we picked, in getting what we call “true value” for those two spots. Same thing with McCants at the spot where we took him.
Q: Brandon Mosley can play guard?
A: Well I think he can. We may even slide him in there to start.
Q: He hasn’t played guard before?
A: He’s played both tackles, I can tell you that. Now whether he’s played guard or not, I don’t really recall that.
Q: What is it that you see that makes you say ‘This guy can play guard’?
A: He can run. He’s athletic. He has all the numbers. If you go ahead and look at them, his numbers at the combine were outstanding in terms of all of his run, jump, change of direction kind of stuff and strength-wise too. I think he had 30 reps.
6th Round – OT Matt McCants, Alabama-Birmingham, 6-6, 308lbs, 5.41
SCOUTING REPORT: McCants is a big, athletic lineman with very long arms. He is a bit of a project but has an upside. He needs to fill out and get stronger. McCants is a fluid athlete who can pull and get to the second level. McCants flashes ability in pass protection but needs to become more consistent. He has some issues recognizing blitzes and stunts. Raw – he needs a lot of technique work in pass protection and run blocking. McCants does have the tools to become a player at the pro level. McCants has had academic issues.
MEDIA Q&A WITH GENERAL MANAGER JERRY REESE: (Video)
He is definitely a tackle. He played left tackle for UAB. Really a pleasant surprise when you watch him. You have to look at him. UAB has not been a powerhouse of football lately, but you do your homework and go in a look at this guy. He is intriguing; long, 36-inch arms. I think at the Combine he was 308. I think he is 315 now. I think he will be 325 pounds in a blink. A very interesting prospect for us. We think that in a year or so he could really make some headway and challenge for a spot in our starting lineup. I think he is going to be that type of player for us.
MEDIA Q&A WITH DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE SCOUTING MARC ROSS: (Video)
McCants, a little bit more of a developmental guy. 6’5”. The guy’s got almost 36 [inch] arms. Good feet for a guy that big. We think he can play left tackle with that length. They’re quite different in their skill set. He’s a competitor, too, McCants, but Mosley is more of that blue collar guy and McCants is more of the athletic, developmental type.
MEDIA Q&A WITH HEAD COACH TOM COUGHLIN: (Video)
McCants, a big, tall kid. I just asked him a minute ago what he weighed. He said he was 315. That’s a good thing. He has great big, long arms, almost 36-inch arms. He has played on the left side. I kidded around with him about being Secretariat. That he is not. He has such height, he’s going to get bigger and bigger, and he may give us some flexibility. We’re going to start him out on the left side, and if we have to move him to the right side, that’s fine. But he’s excited.
Both (Mosley and McCants) are physical players: this Mosley guy, if he has a chance to put you on your back, he’ll do that. McCants did the same thing. He hustles, he works. You see him downfield trying to get after people, and I watched him earlier in games against outstanding competition, so I was glad to see the way he played. There’s no question in my mind that in the fourth round we did a very good job, where we picked, in getting what we call “true value” for those two spots. Same thing with McCants at the spot where we took him.
7th Round – DT Markus Kuhn, N.C. State, 6-5, 299lbs, 4.89
SCOUTING REPORT: Kuhn was born in Germany and was only a one-year starter in college. He has a nice combination of size and athletic ability. Kuhn is a high-energy effort player who can be disruptive with his quickness and intensity. Kuhn is a better run defender than pass rusher. He needs to play with better leverage/technique. He flashes an ability to push the pocket. Hard worker.
MEDIA Q&A WITH GENERAL MANAGER JERRY REESE: (Video)
This kid is German. He doesn’t have much of a background in football. He has only played a limited about of time. But he is a gym rat; big, strong, tough; great to put in your D-Line rotation. Obviously he is still learning. I think he speaks three languages – something like that. But he is fun to watch. He is the Mitch Petrus of defensive tackles. He is a like a buzz saw in there. He is big. I think he ended up with five sacks during the season. I wouldn’t call him a pass rusher. But he stays busy. Somebody better take him because he stays busy in there and he is a slugger.
MEDIA Q&A WITH DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE SCOUTING MARC ROSS:(Video)
Q: Markus Kuhn is 25?
A: He’ll be 26 in training camp.
Q: But he’s still learning the game?
A: Yeah, he’s really still learning the game. The first football game he saw was one he played in, over in the states. He didn’t know much about college football or anything.
Q: Is he really strong?
A: Yeah, he’s strong. He’s big and strong. Tough guy, that you need on the team. Ran 4.9 at the combine. He’s fast, a straight-line fast guy so we think he can run down on kickoffs. Again, when we get this late in the draft we look for special things that guys can do and he’s big and strong and can run fast and he plays hard. So those are the qualities we liked in him.
Q: Tom said that he was rated a little higher than what you drafted him.
A: Yeah, we talked about him for the last few rounds, actually. So he was in the discussion from Adrien on. So with all three of those discussions and finally it was like, we kept passing him over, passing him over. And we are glad he was still there.
Q: Would he be the kind of guy who in training camp you will have to watch because he could – sometimes guys with his profile – he could make something happen in training camp – have a little fight; have a little skirmish?
A: Yeah, he has that in him. I think he might mix it up some. But when you get hard-nosed guys going up against each other all of the time, that stuff occurs. But nothing to where it is out of the ordinary – where he is dirty or anything. He just plays hard. It is the only way he knows how.
MEDIA Q&A WITH HEAD COACH TOM COUGHLIN: (Video)
Kuhn we had evaluated at a little bit higher level. You talk about gym numbers, now he’s got them. All the way across the board he had done very, very well in the gym numbers, as we say, in terms of the way he worked out. He is a physical player. He’s a penetrator. I think he’s learning the game, and I think a lot of it is in front of him. From a standpoint of drafting where we were at the bottom of each round and remaining there, I think we have addressed some of the circumstances that we had to address with quality, quality people.
Rookie Free Agent Scouting Reports
RB/FB Joe Martinek, Rutgers, 5-11, 221lbs, 4.60: Martinek is a bit of a fullback/running back ‘tweener. He lacks ideal size for fullback and ideal overall athletic ability for halfback. As a ball carrier, he flashes good instincts, quickness, and agility for a bigger player. Martinek has good hands as a receiver and runs well after the catch. He is solid in pass protection, but is not a powerful, aggressive lead blocker on running plays. Martinek’s strength is his overall versatility.
WR David Douglas, Arizona, 6-0, 205lbs, 4.55: Douglas has ordinary size and he is more quick than fast. However, he runs good routes, accelerates well, adjusts to the football, and has good hands. He is a tough runner after the catch.
WR Julian Talley, Massachusetts, 6-1, 190lbs, 4.52: Talley has decent size and overall athletic ability. He lacks ideal speed, but is smooth, fluid, and very quick. Talley has experience returning punts and kickoffs.
WR Brandon Collins, Southeastern Louisiana, 5-11, 180lbs, 4.41: Collins lacks ideal size but he has very good speed, quickness, and leaping ability. Collins can threaten a defense deep and is elusive after the catch. He began his college career at Texas but had academic problems and was dismissed from the team after being arrested for aggravated robbery and organized criminal activity. Those charges were later dropped. Collins has experience returning punts.
OG Stephen Goodin, Nebraska-Kearney, 6-5, 310lbs, 4.90: A former tight end in high school, Goodin has collegiate experience at both left guard and left tackle. He sat out all of 2010 with broken leg. Goodin has a nice combination of size, strength, and athleticism. He is a very hard worker.
DE Adewale Ojomo, Miami, 6-3, 258lbs, 4.92: Ojomo lacks ideal size, but he has very long arms and the frame to get bigger. He played both at both end and tackle for Miami. There are conflicting scouting reports on his ability as a run defender and pass rusher. Some say he does not stand out out in either area, but others say he can play with leverage and be a physical presence at the point-of-attack. Some feel he lacks the overall athletic ability to ever be much of a pass rusher, while others say the opposite.
DE Matt Broha, Louisiana Tech, 6-4, 255lbs, 4.86: Broha flashed as a pass rusher at the collegiate level. However, his lack of speed and agility may hamper him at the pro level. Broha is too easily handled on running plays. He has good initial quickness as a rusher and has a knack for getting to the quarterback. Plays hard.
LB Jake Muasau, Georgia State, 6-1, 243lbs: Muasau was voted his collegiate team’s most valuable defensive player by his teammates in 2010 and 2011 when he played the “bandit” DE/LB hybrid position. Muasau has good size. He is an intense player who was the leader of his defense.
S/CB Janzen Jackson, McNeese State, 6-0, 188, 4.61: Junior entry. Jackson is an instinctive, talented player with several serious off-the-field red flags including drug use and a burglary arrest. He was also dismissed from the University of Tennessee program. Jackson is a bit of a S/CB ‘tweener. He lacks ideal size for safety and ideal speed for corner. Jackson is a good athlete with fine quickness. For a safety, he has good man coverage skills and range, and he makes plays on the ball in the air. He needs to get bigger and stronger to play safety at the next level. Jackson is a big hitter, but he needs to improve his play against the run and become a more consistent tackler. Jackson has return experience.
S Jojo Nicolas, Miami, 6-1, 200lbs, 4.53: Nicholas is a bit of a S/CB ‘tweener. He lacks ideal size for safety and lack ideal overall athleticism for corner. Nicholas is a solid, smart, disciplined player for a program with a history of producing NFL quality safeties. Good special teams player.
Eric’s Take on the 2012 Draft
With seven picks in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Giants invested heavily in the offensive skill positions, selecting a halfback, wide receiver, and tight end with three of their first four selections. They also took two offensive linemen. In all, five of the seven selections were spent on the offensive side of the ball.
Their third selection was a cornerback, an area that they were very active early in the offseason when they signed cornerbacks Terrell Thomas, Bruce Johnson, Justin Tryon, Michael Coe, Brandon Bing, and Antwaun Molden. In the final round, they added a defensive tackle despite signing veteran defensive tackle Shaun Rogers hours before the draft began. When analyzing this draft, it is also important to remember that the Giants spent their 5th round pick on a trade for linebacker Keith Rivers.
I’ve never subscribed to the premise that the Giants draft players based only on the “best available” strategy. I think “need” factors into their thought process. It’s a combination. Regardless of where you fall in this debate, Giants’ officials repeatedly said that value and need perfectly matched for them in this draft after it was over. In other words, the Giants – as an organization – felt they had strong needs at halfback, wide receiver, cornerback, and tight end. And perhaps they felt those needs were in that order.
If you read my draft preview, I felt the Giants’ top needs were defensive end, wide receiver, tight end, and running back. That said, I would not have been surprised to see the Giants take a player early in other areas such as offensive line, cornerback, linebacker, or defensive tackle.
I wrote, “Since the Giants have added no veterans in free agency thus far, one gets the sense this may be the year when the team takes a running back relatively high, possibly as high as the first round (Doug Martin).” I had the position correct, but the wrong player. About an hour before the draft, I was told the Giants were going to take David Wilson unless someone unexpectedly fell to them. And it was Wilson who the Giants selected at the end of the first round.
We should have done a better job of connecting the dots with the Giants’ supposed previous first-round interest in C.J. Spiller. While Doug Martin is probably the “safer” pick as he is the more NFL-ready and well-rounded player at this stage, Wilson has the higher upside because of his break-away ability. Wilson is a threat to score every time he touches the football as a runner, receiver, or returner. He lacks ideal stature, but he’s a powerful man for his size, as indicated by the fact that he led the NCAA in yards after contact. There is no doubting his tremendous physical ability. What I especially like is his character and commitment to the game.
“Tremendous. Tremendous,” responded Giants’ Director of College Scouting Marc Ross when asked about Wilson’s personality. “‘The best I’ve ever coached’ kind of reports. ‘Best worker in here.’ ‘Pound for pound strongest.’ ‘Loves the game.’ When you get those types of accolades from coaches, trainers, equipment people, whoever deals with the kid, and blend it together with a great football player you can’t go wrong.”
You can see (video) that kind of love for the game/intensity before Team USA took on Team Canada in an international contest. Imagine what he will be like before a Giants-Eagles game in a couple of years? It seems he will help fill the emotional void created by the departure of Brandon Jacobs.
As for Wilson’s negatives, I don’t worry about the fumbling. The two areas that could set him back are his size/ability/willingness to pick up the blitz and his instincts/willingness to stay with the designed play on inside runs. Some smaller backs become very good at picking up the blitz (see Tiki Barber). Others do not. If he can’t pick up the blitz, he won’t play on passing downs and that will limit him as a potential deadly weapon in the passing game. “That’s how it is,” said HB Ahmad Bradshaw. “If you can’t protect that quarterback, you can’t get out there. That’s how we look at it now. We’ve had a lot of rookies and a lot of young guys come through here. We don’t even let them, in practice, get behind Eli. When you’re behind Eli you know that you’re getting better and you’re trusted.”
Wilson also needs to understand that he can really hurt his team by trying to turn every run into a big play. Getting 4-5 yards on first down is not a bad thing. Don’t try to bounce everything outside.
The big thing Wilson will bring to the table is fear. Opponents now have to worry that Wilson can hurt them big time in the running and passing games. This will open things up for the rest of the offense. Wilson has the ability to help the Giants’ offense reach new heights of productivity. Want to play seven in the box against the Giants? Wilson may just take one to the house on you.
Getting Rueben Randle (video) at the end of the 2nd round was a coup. He was in the discussion for the Giants’ first-round pick. Not only does he replace Mario Manningham, but he has a good chance to become a much better player than Manningham. Eli loves big receivers and don’t let Randle’s 40-time concern you. He is a vertical threat who can beat a defense deep. And unlike Manningham, he’ll be more of a threat between the hashmarks. I love our top two guys (Nicks and Cruz) but was very concerned about the caliber of competition behind them. This one pick turns all of that around. Nicks, Cruz, Randle, Jernigan, Barden, and Hixon sound damn good to me.
Most BBIers know I’m obsessed with having a lot good corners on the roster. Your third corner is a de facto starter and depth is critically important when injuries strike. The Giants made a lot of roster moves in this area before the draft. But Terrell Thomas is coming off an ACL and Prince Amukamara is still recovering from his foot issue. Adding a quality prospect to compete with Justin Tryon, Michael Coe, Bruce Johnson, Brian Witherspoon, Antwaun Molden, and Brandon Bing makes a ton of sense. The Giants will keep at least five corners.
The Giants felt Jayron Hosley would have been a first rounder if it had not been for his lack of ideal size and his failed drug test at the NFL Combine. Stating the obvious, the drug issue will have to be watched closely. Interestingly, Jerry Reese compared Hosley’s game to that of Pacman Jones. If Hosley has that kind of talent, and Hosley can keep his nose clean, then he was a major steal at the end of round three.
Tight end was an obvious need for the Giants. Instead of taking supposed top prospects Coby Fleener at the end of round one or Dwayne Allen at the end of round two, the Giants selected size/speed project Adrien Robinson at the end of round four. Jerry Reese calls Robinson the “JPP of tight ends,” meaning he is a superb athlete with exceptionally long arms. Robinson runs in the 4.55 range and has the size to be an in-line blocker at the pro level. But he is very raw and will need a lot of technique work. He only caught 12 passes as a senior at the University of Cincinnati. Coughlin said he’s a better blocker right now in space than in-line. He’s a classic boom-or-bust selection.
The Giants turned their attention to the offensive line with their next two picks: Brandon Mosley (4th round) and Matt McCants (6th round). Both are a bit raw, but both are big athletes and have a good upside. Mosley is less raw, being a two-year starter at a major program. He played both tackle spots at Auburn. The Giants have favorably compared him to David Diehl. They will look at him initially at right tackle and guard, but like Diehl, Mosley is a better athlete than some give him credit for. The Giants see McCants as a left tackle. He’s going to take some time to fill out as he needs to get bigger and stronger. But he is a good athlete with very long arms. Both Mosley and McCants have some nastiness in their game – which you love to see in offensive linemen. And most importantly, both do have the tools to become eventual starters in the NFL. That’s pretty good value in the 4th and 6th rounds.
Finally, the Giants selected German-born Markus Kuhn in the 7th round. Interestingly, when asked who the two biggest value picks were for the Giants in the draft, Marc Ross said Randle and Kuhn. Coughlin said they considered Kuhn in the 4th and 6th rounds. So on the Giants’ board, he was a 4th round talent. The one word that kept coming up with Kuhn was “tough.” He’s a tough guy with good size. But apparently he’s a better athlete than some think as Coughlin said he was straight-line fast and will help on kickoff coverage.
Speaking of specials, it’s important to note that many of these picks will help on special teams. David Wilson and Jayron Hosley played under special teams guru Frank Beamer at Virginia Tech. Both can help in the return game (Wilson on kickoffs and Hosley on punts). Coughlin mentioned Hosley as a contributor on the coverage units too, including gunner. Robinson’s combination of size and athletic ability should help on specials. And as mentioned above, Coughlin sees Kuhn as a factor on special teams coverage.
What the Giants Did: If the picks pan out as hoped, the Giants became a lot more dangerous on offense with the additions of Wilson, Randle, and Robinson. To be honest, Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs didn’t really scare the opposition last year (32nd in rushing). Some of that was on the blocking, but some of that was on the backs. Bradshaw’s feet remain a concern that affects his play/availability. If Wilson can become a more disciplined inside runner and pick up the blitz, he will force teams to pay attention to the halfback position once again. What was a 10-yard run by Jacobs may now turn into a 40-yard touchdown. Randle should more than adequately fill the void created by the departure of Mario Manningham. Indeed, Randle has the ability to become an even better player than Mario and create all kinds of match-up problems once again for Giants’ opponents. Robinson is a big target with sub-4.6 speed. Can he play? We’ll find out, but if he can, look out. For those demanding the Giants address the offensive line, they got one solid RT/OG type and one developmental LT type. Jayron Hosley replaces Aaron Ross and he could be in the mix at nickel back, especially against smaller, quicker receivers. Finally, the Giants added competition/depth at defensive tackle with Kuhn.
What the Giants Did Not Do: The chief need the Giants did not address was defensive end. But that need was ameliorated when it was learned that the Giants had signed Mathias Kiwanuka to a 3-year extension. Before then, the Giants faced the prospect of not only having lost Dave Tollefson this offseason, but Osi Umenyiora and Kiwanuka next offseason. It will be interesting to see how many snaps Kiwanuka now gets at defensive end. A $21 million contract extension seems like a lot of money for a part-time linebacker. Still, with the pending departure of Umenyiora, it would have been ideal to get another pass rusher to groom behind him. His replacement will have to come in the 2013 NFL Draft.
Depth at safety could be a concern. Much depends on the athletic ability of Tyler Sash. Chris Horton and Stevie Brown are strong safety types who are not particularly strong in coverage. But this was a bad draft for safeties and the Giants didn’t reach for one.
Lastly, some would argue that the Giants still have a void at middle linebacker. Right or wrong, the Giants don’t seem to be as worried as some. Michael Boley and Keith Rivers will start – where remains to be seen. The Giants have said all along they like their young linebackers so guys like Jacquian Williams, Greg Jones, Mark Herzlich, and Spencer Paysinger are still in the mix as are Mathias Kiwanuka and Chase Blackburn. What we do know is this – the Giants move their linebackers around a lot. Someone who plays outside on one snap will play inside on another snap, like Boley did last season. And that third linebacker plays less than the fifth defensive back.
Eric Kennedy
Eric Kennedy is Editor-in-Chief of BigBlueInteractive.com, a publication of Big Blue Interactive, LLC. Follow @BigBlueInteract on Twitter.
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