The Giants and Jets both helped themselves in the NFL Draft by filling pressing needs and securing young talent for the future.
The Giants’ needs coming into the draft were wide receiver, linebacker, running back, and depth at offensive line. The Jets also had a need at wide receiver but were looking to finally get stability at the quarterback position and find a face for the franchise.
While the Jets made a bigger splash and did more wheeling and dealing than the Giants did but both teams made valuable selections that should help improve their ball clubs in the foreseeable future.
Here’s a look at the selections made by both teams.
Giants Draft Overview
Following the departures of Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress, the Giants used their 29th pick in the first round to take North Carolina wide-receiver Hakeem Nicks.
At 6’1” and 212 pounds, Nicks is an excellent possession receiver with a strong physique and mental toughness. Many compare his competitive streak to Hines Ward, while his size and strength have been compared to NFL top receiver Anquan Boldin. Like Ward and Boldin, Nicks has a knack for getting open, going across the middle, and making big plays.
Following their first-round selection, the Giants took Virginia linebacker Clint Sintim with the first of their two second round picks (No. 45). Sintim, a 6’2” 256-pound linebacker played most of his collegiate career in a 3–4 scheme but figures to play the SAM linebacker position in the Giants’ 4–3 alignment.
Sintim is very athletic and solid against the run. He should also add immediate help to the Giants pass rush. The Giants could also keep Sintim on the field on first and second downs as a physical presence and on goal line situations.
After taking Sintim, the Giants used their remaining second-rounder to select Connecticut tackle William Beatty. A strong, athletic, 6’5” 300-pound lineman, Beatty gives the Giants depth on the offensive line.
On Day Two, the Giants traded up with the Philadelphia Eagles to (No.85) and selected Cal-Poly wide receiver Ramses Barden. At 6’6” 228 pounds, Barden has the size the Giants will miss in Plaxico Burress and brings great playmaking ability and athleticism.
Barden put up impressive numbers at Cal-Poly racking up 1,467 receiving yards, 18 touchdowns, and 25.7 yards per catch. Eli Manning will be especially happy with Barden’s size, as having a tall receiver is always a plus when the winds start churning in the Meadowlands.
The Giants choose Wisconsin tight end Travis Beckum with their other third-round pick. Beckum compares favorably with Jets tight end Dustin Keller, who had a great rookie season in 2008.
Beckum is a strong receiver at 6'3” 238 pounds and can catch passes in the middle of the field.
In the later rounds, the Giants selected running back Andre Brown from North Carolina State in the fourth round and quarterback Rhett Bomar of Sam Houston State in the fifth.
Brown is a physical runner at 6’0” 226 pounds and can fill the role that Derrick Ward used to fill before he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the off-season.
Brown will most likely compete with Giants running back Danny Ware for the third and final spot on the depth chart, behind Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw.
With Oklahoma guard Duke Robinson still on the board, the selection of Rhett Bomar was a surprise. Bomar has a cannon for an arm and could potentially be the third-string backup behind David Carr and Eli Manning.
Finishing their Draft Day, the Giants took two corner backs in the sixth and seventh round, taking New Mexico’s DeAndre Wright and South Carolina’s Stoney Woodson respectively.
Both players could be used on special teams.
Jets Draft Overview
Jets’ General Manager Mike Tannenbaum made a risky move on Draft Day trading their first round pick (No.17), second-round pick (No. 52), defensive end Kenyon Coleman, safety Abram Elam, and quarterback Brett Ratliff to the Cleveland Browns in order to move into the fifth slot where they selected USC quarterback Mark Sanchez.
Many Jets hopefuls are wishing that Sanchez can solidify a position that has been a merry-go-round ever since Vinny Testaverde. Sanchez is also the highest selected quarterback by the Jets in over 40 years, since they took the legendary Joe Namath in the 1965 AFL Draft.
On Day Two, the Jets traded a third, fourth, and fifth-round pick to the Lions for the 65th overall pick in the third round. With that selection, the Jets selected Iowa All-American running back Shonn Greene. Greene had a tremendous year in 2008, rushing for at least 100 yards in all 13 games last year.
No doubt, Greene was selected as insurance in case Jets running back Thomas Jones fails to renegotiate his contract and sits out the upcoming season. At 5-foot-10, 227 pounds, Greene has the size to be a durable, bruising back that can run between the tackles. He is also a very good blocker.
With their final selection, the Jets took Matt Slauson, offensive guard from Nebraska, in the sixth round (No.196). A 6’5” 315-pound guard, Slauson is strong and has a big wingspan. He also has room to grow and provides solid depth for the Jets’ offensive line.
