| Jason A. Cohen. 28th April, 2009 - 3:44 pm
 Heading into the 2009 NFL Draft, the Giants had one glaring need that they needed to fill and decided to do so via the draft rather than a trade for Braylon Edwards or Anquan Boldin. As wide receivers began to come off the board and it got closer to their slot at 29th overall, it began to look like a quality player at the position would be more difficult to find.
After Darrius Heyward-Bey was drafted 7th overall by the Raiders, Michael Crabtree came off the board to the 49ers with the 10th overall selection, Jeremy Maclin was grabbed by the Eagles, who traded up for the 19th overall pick and Percy Harvin went to the Vikings at 22.
With the 29th overall selection in the 2009 NFL Draft, the New York Giants selected receiver Hakeen Nicks from North Carolina. I was very pleased with the selection, while at the same time a little disappointed they did not opt for Kenny Britt.
Having had the chance to witness Nicks play against Rutgers firsthand, the player I saw on the field is extremely skilled and athletic. He reached the end zone on two occasions while catching six passes for 63 yards. Giants’ fans should be excited about adding a talented player like Nicks as many view him as a gritty player with big hands, which will enable him to snare passes from his new quarterback, Eli Manning.
The Giants also chose linebacker Clint Sintim out of Virginia and offensive tackle William Beatty from Connecticut in the second round. Both players come from strong college programs and project to be solid contributors. These picks only add to the teams’ depth and show how quality the Giants are at evaluating talent.
In the third round, they snagged another receiver when they chose Ramses Barden, another big receiver, from Cal Poly. The team was also able to solidify the tight end position with their choice of Travis Beckum out of Wisconsin. These two players have the chance to come in and make an impact on the offensive side of the ball and will serve to pick up the slack left by Burress’ departure.
With their 4th round selection, the Giants chose Andre Brown, a running back out of North Carolina State. Brown is viewed as a very serviceable ball carrier and will attempt to fill the void left by the departure of Derrick Ward. This pick boasts favorably for the Giants as Brown has a reputation for being a hard worker and a tough player. Not only is he a skilled runner, but he also possesses the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield making him a potential steal.
The 5th round saw the Giants pick quarterback Rhett Bomar out of Sam Houston State by way of Oklahoma. After being dismissed from the Oklahoma program where he was once the starter, Bomar sat out and resumed his college career with Sam Houston Sate where he put up solid numbers. Given Sam Houston State is no Oklahoma, there have been question marks about whether Bomar has what it takes to be an NFL quarterback. The Giants are not in need of a back up quarterback, but must have seen something in Bomar that makes him worth a look. In the mean time he will be the understudy for two former number one overall picks in starter Eli Manning and back up David Carr.
With their 6th and 7th round selections, the Giants brought in two defensive backs, New Mexico’s DeAndre Wright and South Carolina’s Stoney Woodson. Both players possess good size and should help provide the Giants with depth in the secondary. Both players are expected to come in and compete for a back-up role on the Giants’ stout defense. Wright and Woodson both have the same build checking in at 5’11 and 198 and 197 pounds respectively. |
