Should the Giants draft TE Eric Ebron or WR Mike Evans?

Dec 28, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels tight end Eric Ebron (85) and defensive end Kareem Martin (95) dump gatorade on head coach Larry Fedora in the Belk Bowl at Bank of America Stadium. Carolina defeated Cincinnati 39-17. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Recently on Twitter, I posed the question that if Mike Evans and Eric Ebron were both on the board at #12, which one should the Giants draft?

Giants’ star Victor Cruz already put his two cents into the issue, saying “If I had my choice, if I had my pick, I think we should go receiver. I think we definitely need some help, especially losing a guy like Hakeem Nicks, such a big-play guy in our offense. I think that’s something we need back in this offense to be successful. An outside guy that can do the job and that can help fuel all the other receivers in the locker room and put some fire up under them to get them where they have to be.”

He further went on to laud Mike Evans and said that he is excited about him. Mike Evans is surely a great talent at wide receiver, boasting measurables similar to a taller Andre Johnson type receiver. He is a game changer and played a huge role in the Johnny Manziel hype (not to say Manziel doesn’t deserve it, he does, but having Evans to throw to didn’t hurt).

"I get a lot of Vincent Jackson comparisons. That’s a great comparison,’’ Evans told reporters, via Jim Corbett of USA Today.  “But I think Brandon Marshall. He’s vicious after the catch, big receiver who can go up and get it, catch it real well."

While Evans is most likely the #2 WR in this class behind Sammy Watkins, Eric Ebron is by far the best TE in the class. Ebron has been proclaimed as the best tight end to come out since Gronkowski.  In terms of skill set, he is believed to be a top 10 talent – which is rare for a TE.

As they do play (slightly) different positions on the field, it is a tough question to ask “who is better?”. That question is a matter of opinion and lots of people will have different viewpoints. The real question we should be asking is “Who is better for our team?”

Sure, the offense floundered last year when Hakeem Nicks went completely AWOL,  but the Giants are pretty confident in Rueben Randle‘s ability to step up and fill that role in the offense. They already have their star number 1 receiver, so should they really spend the #12 pick on a player who’s contribution will likely be minimal? Remember, Evans is a rookie and will have his fair share of struggles, but can he be an impact player as the 2nd or 3rd option?

The Giants are actually not too bad at the receiver position, considering the Seattle Seahawks just won the Superbowl with one of the worst receiving crews in the NFL. Of course, the Seahawks rely mostly on their defense to win games (much like the 49ers, another team with lackluster receivers), but they stomped the Broncos in the Superbowl with an offensive barrage.

The facts are that a TE, like Ebron, will be able to make a significantly bigger impact on the team than a WR. The Brandon Myers experiment failed last year, and Eli Manning looked lost without his usual security blanket.

Best case scenario, would you rather trade for a non-injury prone Gronk, or Brandon Marshall? The result was overwhelmingly one-sided. Comment below on what you think.