1. Kansas City Chiefs – Luke Joeckel, OT/ Texas A&M – After the combine, Joeckel is still considered the best lineman in the draft, and now that the Chiefs have officially traded a 2nd round pick and a conditional 2014 pick to the 49’ers for Alex Smith he would certainly love a little protection. I am a firm believer a lineman must have great upper body strength. Joeckel did 27 reps of 225lbs. at the combine. Eric Fisher who is also getting some play at #1 also completed 27 reps, but Luke has the force on his side.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars – Sharrif Floyd, DT/ Florida – NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah was quoted as saying, “everybody” has Floyd pegged as a top-five pick.” At 6’3 297 pounds, with a solid 40 time, Floyd racked up 13 tackles for loss, three sacks, and two kick blocks as a junior before declaring. He is the one player whose stock went up the most due to the combine.

3. Oakland Raiders – Geno Smith, QB/West Virginia – ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported on NFL 32Wednesday that the Raiders have interest in West Virginia QB Geno Smith with the No. 3 overall pick in the draft. This is exactly what I have been saying since January 26th when the first mock draft came out. Palmer’s 13 million dollar base salary is a big concern, and then there’s the fact that he’s 33 years old.

4. Philadelphia Eagles – Star Lotulelei, DT/Utah –As mentioned in the last draft with the hiring of Billy Davis as DC, The Eagles will run a strict 3-4 defense, as that’s all Davis runs. Any good 3-4 can’t run without a big body in the middle. Just ask the Jets! Lotulelei is considered to be the best DT prospect at this time.

5. Detroit Lions – Dee Milliner CB/ Alabama – According to Sports Illustrated’s Peter King, teams wanting Alabama CB Dee Milliner will “probably have to trade ahead of Detroit at No. 5 to get him.” I trust Peter King’s opinion. He has access to information few others do in the industry. Milliner will require surgery right after the combine but should be ready for training camp and my bet is it’s in Detroit

6. Cleveland Browns – Bjoern Werner DE/ Florida State – Werner has an incredible motor, and great hand use to keep separation, He is also very new to this game, after only picking up the game at 15. Remind anyone else of Jason Pierre Paul’s story? The Browns are also rumored to be interested in bringing in some QB competition for Brandon Weeden. I don’t see them going QB here, but I could see them go with Eric Fisher if the new regime believes Trent Richardson is their workhorse for the next few years.

7. Cardinals – Eric Fisher OT/ Central Michigan – Yes, the Cardinals need a quarterback and almost all this years’ QB’s are still available I get that. What’s the point if he isn’t standing upright after most downs? Call me old fashioned but I believe the only way to fix a bad offense is by helping both the run and the pass with a 6’7” 304 pound tackle who has the potential to be an immediate impact for Bruce Arians and his offensive prowess. Plus after the outstanding play of Russell Wilson some teams will feel confident in taking a signal caller later in the draft.

8. Buffalo Bills –Dion Jordan, DE/Oregon – Jordan ran a 4.53 unofficial time at the combine. WOW, that’s lightning fast. He honestly would be a top 5 pick if he was about 30 pounds heavier. At 6’6” but only 248lbs., he’s going to get pushed around at the next level, that is if they can catch him. The Bills defense needs a compliment to Mario Williams, and Jordan fits the mold.

9. New York Jets – Ezekiel Ansah DE/ BYU – With the hiring of Marty Mornhinweg, the Jets will be looking to change the pathetic attempt at ground in pound in an era known for quarterback and 5,000 yard seasons. That means there’s a chance they go offensive line here. Too bad they’re known for making poor decisions on the first day of the draft. As I had mentioned earlier, their defense can’t function without a pass rush. Ansah is as good of a prospect as the Jets could hope for and would certainly help their inept pass rush. Ansah finished as MVP of the senior bowl and one of the studs of the combine putting up ridiculous numbers including a 4.62 40 time.

10. Tennessee Titans – Chance Warmack, OG/Alabama – Considered the best guard prospect in this year’s draft, Jake Locker should be thanking his lucky stars if the Titans can have Warmack fall to 10. With 40 career starts and the ability to get to the second level, Warmack has developed himself into a definitive top ten selection. CBSSports.com has him ranked as the 2nd best player in the draft as of 2.27.2013.

11. San Diego Chargers – Barkevious Mingo, DE/LSU –Mingo possesses the frame at 6-5, 240 pounds and athleticism to warrant top 10 considerations but at this point he remains an unpolished prospect, and that’s why he will fall slightly out of the top 10. Mingo had a great combine as expected from the athletically gifted DE/OLB. He ran the 40 time in 4.58 which was incredibly fast, and his ten yard splits were also very good which is used to gauge short yardage burst. A skill needed at the OLB or DE position in the NFL.

12. Miami Dolphins – Cordarrelle Patterson, WR/Tennessee – Lots of rumors have been spread about Miami and their intentions. I stand by my thoughts that they take Patterson here though I read that he is considered to be as immature as he is talented. I was pretty sure the Dolphins just got rid of Brandon Marshall and have a hard time accepting they’d draft another knucklehead into that locker room. His baggage also come with some amazing talent as Patterson scored a touchdown via kickoff return, punt return, receiving, and rushing, joining Carl Pickens (receiving, KR, PR, INT) as the only players in Tennessee history to score a touchdown four different ways in a career. Since the Dolphins are high on hopes and low on offensive talent, Patterson seems like a likely target considering the shortage of first round talent on skill positions in this year’s draft.

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers –Xavier Rhodes, CB/ Florida State – After not even including this guy in my first mock I have come to learn through a lot of reading that people consider him to be the 2nd best CB prospect in this year’s draft. Some even believe he has shutdown corner ability. With a 4.41 40 times, and 6’2 210 pound frame, Rhodes is now expected to be a top 20 pick post combine.

14. Carolina Panthers –. Jarvis Jones OLB/ Georgia – I can’t understand how a player with so many medical questions could choose to not participate at the combine. Think Da’quan Bowers. Bowers injuries weren’t nearly as significant of a concern as Jones. Now there are rumors that Jones has walked off most draft boards. His size 6’2” 242 is prototypical for his position and Mel Kiper loves this guy. Still his health risk is so high since Jones suffers from Spinal Stenosis; a restriction to the spinal canal that causes pain, numbness, and in some cases loss of motor control.

15. New Orleans Saints – Sheldon Richardson, DT/Missouri – The Saints have elected to move to a 3-4. This only makes me more confident in this pick. NO ranked 26th in sacks and 24th in forced fumbles, so evidently they need some help with the front seven. Richardson, became Mizzou’s first-ever All-SEC designee, as he was named to the 2nd-team for his outstanding play in 2012. Richardson led all SEC interior linemen with 75 tackles which is 2nd-best on the Tiger squad.

16. St. Louis Rams – D.J. Fluker, OT/Alabama – Bradford clearly needs protection. His head coach Jeff Fisher knows that and won’t disappoint his quarterback. On Feb 6th I read a post that said; “According to SI’s Tony Pauline, teams are “falling in love” with Alabama OT D.J. Fluker and “some in (the) scouting community” believe he could go as high as No. 19 to the Giants.” Well the Rams aren’t even going to let him get that far. Bradford threw for a miserable 59.5% completion in 2012 while constantly throwing off his back foot on the run. Expect Flukers presence to give his QB a chance for more accurate passes.

19. New York Giants — Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State
Rhodes is a big, versatile defensive back who would help out an underachieving backfield in New York. They could have some really nice young pieces at CB if they picked him up in round one.

Rhodes was a high school wide receiver, which is something I love in corners. It means he may know whats coming from his opposition. The 6’2 210 pound former Florida State star ran a 4.41 forty, and can be considered at safety as well as corner. The Giants have certainly had a problem drafting corners in recent years. Rhodes was a red-shirt in his freshman year due to a hand injury, but that turned out to be his greatest friend since it gave him the time to watch film and pick up the nuances of the corner position. He has the potential to be a good defensive back, but he’s not a ball hawk. That may just be his inexperience at the position. The Giants should consider Kevin Minter, or any top 15 O lineman that falls to them here as well.

1. Kansas City Chiefs – Luke Joeckel, OT/ Texas A&M – Johnny Manziels blindside protection is without question the best overall prospect. It’s just a matter of whether Kansas City puts an emphasis on rebuilding from the trenches or if they plan on drafting a quarterback. I still say Luke goes # 1.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars – Damontre Moore, DE/ Texas A&M – People are really hyping this guy up. But there are now questions as to if he can play at the line at the NFL level. I stand by my word he will “Moore” than do enough to get people in the stands, and a swagger to the Jaguars defense ranked 30th overall in 2012.

3. Oakland Raiders – Geno Smith – In my first Mock I mentioned that I wasn’t sure if Carson Palmer would be with the team by OTA’s. Well now I’m damn well sure of it! CBS Jason LaCaforna was quoted as saying there’s “no way” the Raiders pay Carson Palmers $13 Million dollar salary in 2013. This just reassures my belief in this pick. Jacksonville could rock the boat on this one, but there defense is appalling and there are a bunch of talented defensive players in this draft.

4. Philadelphia Eagles – Star Lotulelei, DT/Utah – This is another player whose stock keeps rising just based on pure speculation and hype. Much like Moore, everyone wants to put the Star on his back. ( Ha! Get it, Star! ) With the hiring of Billy Davis as DC, The Eagles will run a strict 3-4 defense, as that’s all Davis runs. Any good 3-4 can’t run without a big body in the middle. Just ask the Jets! Lotulelei is considered to be the best DT prospect at this time.

5. Detroit Lions – Dee Milner CB/ Alabama – According to DetroitLions.com the Lions will “certainly consider” drafting Milliner at the #5. That’s all I have to hear at this point. No one doubts Milliners ability. The question comes with taking a corner so high in the draft. If Jim Schwartz thinks it was his secondary that was allowing all the defensive mistakes they were making, then the Lions are in for another long season. Still I have no argument in taking a guy who was a first-team All-American and unanimous All-SEC first-team pick after finishing the regular season tied for third nationally with 18 passes defensed. He totaled 54 tackles, four for loss and 22 pass break-ups on his way to a national title.

6. Cleveland Browns – Bjoern Werner DE/ Florida State – Werner has an incredible motor, and great hand use to keep separation, He is also very new to this game, after only picking up the game at 15. Remind anyone else of Jason Pierre Paul’s story? JPP measures in at 6”5 278, Werner 6’4, 273. Both freakishly talented defensive ends with a nose for the QB. Werner is now listed on some drafts as high as 2, so Browns fans should be very happy.
7. Cardinals – Eric Fisher OT/ Central Michigan – Yes, the Cardinals need a quarterback and Tyler Wilson, Mike Glennon, and Ryan Nassib are still available I get that. What’s the point if he isn’t standing upright after most downs? Call me old fashioned but I believe the only way to fix a bad offense is by helping both the run and the pass with a 6’7” 304 pound tackle who has the potential to be an immediate impact for Bruce Arians and his offensive prowess. Plus after the outstanding play of Russell Wilson some teams will feel confident in taking a signal caller later in the draft.

8. Buffalo Bills –Ryan Nassib QB/ Syracuse– Buffalo will need to address the quarterback position at some point in the draft. Fitzpatrick is not a starter in this league anymore, but he can be a stop gap until the next guy is ready. Nassib will be battling with Chance Warmack here and we will see which way Doug Marrone and his new coaching staff decide to go. My guess is its quarterback all the way, but I keep hearing NC State QB Mike Glennons name rising up the boards. By draft time this may be a very fluid story.
9. New York Jets – Ezekiel Ansah DE/ BYU – With the hiring of Marty Mornhinweg, the Jets will be looking to change the pathetic attempt at ground in pound in an era known for quarterback and 5,000 yard seasons. That means there’s a chance they go offensive line here. Too bad they’re known for making poor decisions on the first day of the draft. As I had mentioned earlier, their defense can’t function without a pass rush. Ansah is as good of a prospect as the Jets could hope for and would certainly help their inept pass rush.

10. Tennessee Titans – Chance Warmack, OG/Alabama – Considered the best guard prospect in this year’s draft, Jake Locker should be thanking his lucky stars if the Titans can have Warmack fall to 10. The Cardinals, Bills, and Jets could all have interest in Warmack. With 40 career starts and the ability to get to the second level, Warmack has developed himself into a definitive top ten selection. CBSSports.com has him ranked as the 3rd best player in the draft.

11. San Diego Chargers – Jarvis Jones OLB/ Georgia – Jones will be fluctuating all over boards before draft day. I stay with what I said, that he has both the most to gain as well as the most too loose at this years’ combine. His size 6’2” 242, is prototypical for his position and Mel Kiper loves this guy. Still his health risk is so high since Jones suffers from Spinal Stenosis; a restriction to the spinal canal that causes pain, numbness, and in some cases loss of motor control.
12. Miami Dolphins – Cordarrelle Patterson, WR/Tennessee – It looks like Miami found their quarterback last year in Tannehill, now it’s time to give him a weapon. Patterson scored a touchdown via kickoff return, punt return, receiving, and rushing, joining Carl Pickens (receiving, KR, PR, INT) as the only players in Tennessee history to score a touchdown four different ways in a career. His versatility will be even more important now that it looks like Reggie Bush will be hitting the open market.

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers –Xavier Rhodes, CB/ Florida State – After not even including this guy in my first mock I have come to learn through a lot of reading that people consider him to be the 2nd best CB prospect in this years draft. Kenny Vaccaro will fall if the Bucs don’t take him here, but I am riding Rhodes until we learn more about everyone post combine.

14. Carolina Panthers – Barkevious Mingo, DE/LSU –Mingo possesses the frame at 6-5, 240 pounds and athleticism to warrant top 10 considerations but at this point he remains an unpolished prospect, and that’s why he will fall to the Panthers. Mingo reminds me of former draft bust Vernon Gholston. Any Jet fan who is reading this just felt shortness of breath and may have felt a pain in their chest.

15. New Orleans Saints – Sheldon Richardson, DT/Missouri – Since the last mock the Saints have elected to move to a 3-4. This only makes me more confident in this pick. NO ranked 26th in sacks and 24th in forced fumbles, so clearly they need some help with the front seven. Richardson, became Mizzou’s first-ever All-SEC designee, as he was named to the 2nd-team for his outstanding play in 2012. Richardson led all SEC interior linemen with 75 tackles which is 2nd-best on the Tiger squad. Oregon Duck Dion Jordan is also another hot pick for the Saints right now.

16. St. Louis Rams – D.J. Fluker, OT/Alabama – I had the lineman order wrong last time. I had Barrett Jones being taken here, but it turns out Fluker has been rising up the board, probably because of Jones’ injury. Bradford clearly needs protection. The truth is that you can’t win games without a healthy QB, and with Brain Quick starting to come into his own late in the season, and the rams recent acquisition of Titus Young, I believe the Rams use this pick to make their O-line respectable instead of giving Bradford another weapon.

By the time all seven rounds of the 2012 NFL Draft in April came to pass the Giants wound up walking away with a grand total of 0 DEs. Although they did draft a defensive cog for the middle of the D-Line in N.C. State DT Markus Khun.

Now that the 2012 NFL Draft is in the books and Reese didn’t take a DE some 2013 MFL mock drafts have already started talking about how Reese will look to make up for not drafting a DE in this past draft and take one in the upcoming NFL Draft. And that’s something this week’s edition of ‘This Week In Mock Drafts’ addresses.

According to Walter over at walterfootball.com who has already come out with a couple of 2013 NFL mock drafts where in each one of them he has the Giants selecting a DE. Walter’s mock draft order is based on his 2012 NFL Power Rankings, where he has the Giants at the top of ranks, thanks in part to their Super Bowl win, and that means Walter has the Giants picking once again at the bottom of the first round

In his earlier 2013 mock he had the Giants taking DE Jackson Jeffcoat out of Texas with the 32 overall pick and his updated mock draft from May 15 has the GMEN going in the same direction but with a different player. So, with Jeffcoat being the previous pick for the Giants who does Walt have them drafting in his most recent mock?

Well, that would Michigan State DE William Gholston. The name Gholston should be familiar to NFL fans, as William is cousin to former top ten NFL Draft pick and bust Vernon Gholston. Let’s hope that the only similarities the two share are their freakish athletic abilities and that Vernon’s negative attitude towards playing hard and his lack of toughness doesn’t transfer to William once he becomes a pro in the NFL.

October 1, 2011; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Joe Bauserman (14) tries to get a pass around Michigan State Spartans linebacker William Gholston (2) at Ohio Stadium. Michigan State won the game 10-7. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-US PRESSWIRE

In his quick write-up for Gholston being mocked to the Giants Walt had the following to say:

“I imagine that Jerry Reese is crying in his sleep right now because he didn’t get to add a pass-rusher in the 2012 NFL Draft. I’m sure he’ll make amends next April.”

By taking a look at some of the profiles on Gholston it’s easy to be drawn into him with his physical attributes. What NFL fan wouldn’t want their team to draft a 6’7, 280-pound D-Lineman that can physically impose their will against offensive linemen? You wouldn’t hear any complaints from me; until Gholston didn’t produce, that is.

But produce he has so far in his short Spartan career where he has recorded 83 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. A couple of stat lines during his 2011 sophomore season immediately stand out while looking at his numbers, as he had back to back games in October against Nebraska and Minnesota where he recorded 15 and 14 tackles, respectively!

The former five-star high school recruit has used his physical tools quite effectively at the collegiate level where he has been named to the All-Big Ten second team by both coaches and the media, the Yahoo! Sports All-Big Ten, the CollegeFootballNews.com’s All-Sophomore second team and he has also won the Danzinger Award for defense, which is awarded to the Spartan’s most outstanding player from the Detroit area.

While it’s no guarantee that Gholston will come out after his junior season if he does some have projected him to be a top-15 pick but he’ll have to compete with what could be a potentially deep DE draft class with the likes of Florid State’s Brandon Jenkins and LSU’s pass rushing duo of Sam Montgomery and Barkevious Mingo.

For now Gholston still has at least one more year to go at Michigan State but he is a name to possibly remember, if all goes according to his plans, or someone we’ll forget about just as quickly as cousin. What do you GMEN HQ fans say? Is Gholston the type of player you’d like to see line up on the D-Line for the Giants? Let us know in the comments section.

Ah, yes, the good old 2013 NFL mock drafts have been circulating the internet pretty much since the last pick in the 2012 NFL Draft was announced and they’re going to keep on coming out right up until draft night for the 2013 NFL Draft.

As long as that keeps happening I’ll still have material for this column and today is no different, as we have Peter Schrager of FOXSports.com chiming in with his first mock draft of the season. This isn’t the first time Schrager has been featured in the pages of GMEN HQ and if you were to go back into the archives of our site you’d find a TWIMD written all the way back in June of last year where we covered Schrager’s first mock draft for the 2012 NFL Draft.

Back then Schrager had the Giants slated to pick 19^th overall where they would miss the playoffs completely and he mocked Boise State OT Nate Potter to the GMEN. Fast forward to the year 2012 and the Giants didn’t pick in the #19 spot (actual pick was 32^nd overall) or miss the playoffs (they won the Super Bowl!!!) and Nate Potter didn’t go to the Giants (he was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals); nor did Potter get picked in the first round (he went in the 7^th round, pick #221). Add that all up and you have the NFL equivalent of a three and out, punt on 4^th down, only to have it returned by the opposing team to the house for a touchdown.

So, let’s see what Schrager has cooking for the Giants and his 2012 NFL mock draft from May 1^st, 2012 where he states early on that:

“Yes, I know. Constructing a 2013 Mock Draft in April of 2012 is beyond absurd. It’s ridiculous. Hell, it’s borderline pathetic.

But as football fans and true NFL diehards, we are all very sick, sick people. Let’s be sick together.”

Onto the madness then… Just like Potter, an offensive tackle, being taken by the Giants last year in his first mock draft for the 2012 NFL Draft, Schrager once again goes down that well and selects an offensive tackle for the Giants in the 2013 NFL Draft. Except this year he has the Giants selecting an OT at 29 overall instead of 19 overall. In his write up for the Giants selection in his 2013 mock draft Schrager says the Giants will win the NFC East, take out the Atlanta Falcons in the playoffs but don’t repeat as Super Bowl Champs, as he has the Packers taking home the Lombardi Trophy. We’ll see how that prediction goes once next season is played out but let’s get back to the mock.

Oct, 15, 2011; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Miami Hurricanes offensive linesman Seantrel Henderson (77) in the third quarter at Kenan Stadium. The Hurricanes defeated the Tar Heels 30-24. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-US PRESSWIRE

With the 29^th pick in the 2013 NFL Draft Schrager has OT Seantrel Henderson from Miami going to the Giants. Henderson comes in at 6’8, weighing 345 pounds and he used to be a #1 high school football recruit who was also the first offensive lineman ever to win the USA Today High School Offensive Player of the Year award. Henderson’s name was in the news a while back and not for a good reason either, as he was suspended for the Hurricanes’ opening weekend spring practice back in March for violating team rules.

Henderson’s Hurricane career hasn’t gotten off to the greatest of starts either. His freshman season was okay and saw him start nine games, then his sophomore season took a dip due to a season opener suspension and three games were missed later on because of back surgery in the offseason. Even with those negatives on his resume for the 2011 NCAA Football season Henderson did manage to play in eight games, starting two of them, and allowed zero sacks while only registering one penalty against. Not bad stats for an O-Line and something Henderson can build on that could see him garner daft attention if he decides to leave school early.

Right now, Henderson doesn’t seem like a bad pick by Schrager for the Giants, as their O-Line could use the help, but again, it’s May of 2012 and we still have a whole season of college football to be played where Henderson could play poorly, get suspended for a good chunk of the season, suffer a brutal injury, or not even declare for the draft in 2013.

What say you GMEN HQ readers? Is Henderson a player that intrigues you? Would you like to see him on the Giants’ roster at some point? Do you think he’ll have a good college football season this year? Let us know in the comments section.

Anything can happen when a mock draft is released that early and pretty much everything did. Looking back at his first 2012 mock draft here were a few highlights:

• The Giants were picking 20^th overall
• Andrew Luck went 1^st overall… to the Buffalo Bills
• Landry Jones and Matt Barkley went in the top 5; neither entered the draft
• Vontaze Burfict was selected 28^th overall by Browns; he went undrafted

It’s easy to fault Perloff for all his mistakes but that’d be no fun. He knew as well as anyone reading his mock draft that producing a way too early mock draft wouldn’t stand the test of the time but he did one anyway. If you want to check out each of his picks from his first 2012 mock draft then go on right ahead.

Since I enjoyed reading Perloff’s mock draft so much last year I went looking to see if he had typed one up for the upcoming 2013 NFL Draft, and to my joy he did! So, how about we have at it and see what Perloff’s 2013 crystal ball has in store for the GMEN in regards to next year’s draft?

Before we delve in though let me forward you Perloff’s note about how his draft is: “ordered by predicted finish in 2012. Picks 1-20 are based on standings, while picks 21-32 are based on order of elimination from playoffs.”

Now that the Surgeon General’s warnings are out of the way let’s talk about where Perloff projects the Giants and that’s at the 20^th overall spot in the first round, which is the exact same spot he had the GMEN picking last year and which also means he sees the Giants yet again missing the playoffs. Of course the Giants didn’t miss the playoffs and actually ended up winning the Super Bowl so maybe this is a good sign.

Who does Perloff see the Giants taking with the 20^th overall pick? Last year it was Ohio State offensive tackle Mike Adams, who ended up being selected in the 2^nd round of the 2012 NFL Draft that just passed. This year Perloff has the Giants taking an offensive tackle again and this time it’s Ricky Wagner from Wisconsin; here’s what Perloff had to say about him in his mock draft:

“The Giants go best player available and continue to rework their line with the next breakout offensive line star from Wisconsin.”

Just like drafting an offensive lineman last year made sense to most mock drafters, including Perloff, it makes just as much sense this year. The tackle positions will be up for grabs this year and it’s no lock that Will Beatty will be given his starter’s spot back after being put on the I.R. last year due to an eye injury. Beatty, David Diehl, former 4^th-round pick James Brewer and incoming rookies Brandon Mosley and Matt McCants will be in the mix for the tackle spots and nothing will be settled when it comes to the Giants’ O-line until the end of the pre-season.

Sep 17, 2011; Chicago, IL, USA; Wisconsin Badgers offensive tackle Ricky Wagner (58) blocks during the game against the Northern Illinois Huskies at Soldier Field. Wisconsin defeated Illinois 49-7. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

So, projecting an offensive lineman is the safe route to take by Perloff, as the Giants will eventually have to address their O-line weakness early in the draft at some point so why not 2013?

If you want to know more about Ricky Wagner we can tell you that he’s 6’6, 322 pounds, is a redshirt Senior, was an All-Big Ten consensus honorable mention back-to-back years and was a left tackle starter for all of the Badgers’ 14 games in 2011. The Badgers saw a couple of their key cogs on the O-Line drafted in the 2012 NFL Draft with guard Kevin Zeitler going to the Bengals at 27^th overall in the first round and center Peter Konz being taken by the Falcons in the second round. Wagner could have followed their footsteps and entered the 2012 NFL Draft, where he probably would have been taken pretty high but he chose to return for one more year of college football.

Wisconsin has provided the NFL with some quality offensive linemen in recent years such as Gabe Carimi (drafted in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft), Kraig Urbik (3^rd round, 2009), and (Joe Thomas, 3^rd overall pick, 2007). Wagner might be next in the line of Badger O-linemen to play and start in the NFL and he might even see his name called in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft; perhaps even higher than 20^th overall.

However, we still need to remember that it’s May of 2012 and the 2013 NFL Draft isn’t until April of next year. Who knows what can happen between now and then and it’s best not to think about Wagner in a Giants uniform just yet, even if he would be a nice addition.

What do you think GMEN HQ readers? Would you like to see Wagner suit up in a Giants uniform one day? If not Wagner who do you have your eyes set on for the 2013 NFL Draft? Is it too early to start talking about the 2013 NFL Draft? Let us know in the comments section.