Since the Los Angeles Rams traded for the top spot in the draft, plenty of mock drafts foresee the New York Giants being fortunate enough to have Notre Dame offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley fall to them at ten. The presumption is that the Rams will select a quarterback forcing Laremy Tunsil further down the board and giving the Giants a better shot at fortifying their offensive line.
If that scenario plays out, would the Giants really pass on Stanley? Both ESPN’s Dan Graziano and NJ.com’s Jordan Raanan believe so. Graziano has tweeted repeatedly that Stanley won’t be the pick and Raanan believes it would be a “massive mistake.”
Just to be clear, both Raanan and Graziano believe any offensive tackle would be a misstep from Jerry Reese. Yet, draft experts like ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and CBS’s Dane Brugler both have the Giants adding an offensive tackle in the first round. Kiper believes OT is such a pressing need that Reese would select Michigan State’s Jack Conklin if Stanley is off the board.
By cutting both Will Beatty and Geoff Schwartz, the Giants let two potential starters on the offensive line walk out the door. While most would agree those were prudent moves, no potential starting offensive linemen were added in free agency. That leaves John Jerry and Marshall Newhouse at the top of the pre-draft depth chart and two spots that need to be upgraded.
The argument against selecting an offensive tackle in the first round is largely about a misallocation of assets. In the past three years, the Giants have spent high draft picks on the offensive line. Justin Pugh and Ereck Flowers were both first rounders and Weston Richburg was selected in the second round. By using such high draft picks on just one position group, others were ignored.
Add in the selections of David Wilson in 2012 and Odell Beckham Jr. in 2014, the Giants have not selected a defensive player in the first round since Prince Amukamara, now with the Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s almost no wonder why the defense has struggled in the past few seasons and ranked 30th in 2015. It’s also becoming clearer why linebacker has been a chronic problem for the Giants since the last one they drafted in the first round was in 1984.
A starting right tackle could also be found in the second round of the draft. Ohio State’s Taylor Decker or Texas A&M’s Germain Ifedi could be selected on day two and possibly slide into the starting role. Some would argue the same can’t be said about finding a game-changing defender in the second round.
But there’s one major flaw with the argument against taking a tackle in the first round. If Stanley were the tenth pick, he’d conceivably be the starter and would be on the field for every offensive snap. If the argument were, say, Shaq Lawson, he’d be a rotational defensive end behind both Olivier Vernon and Jason Pierre-Paul.
Plus, the most important asset on the Giants right now is Eli Manning. He’s 35-years old and he couldn’t exactly evade pass rushers when he was 25. If the Giants are going to make a run at the Super Bowl, or even make the playoffs, Manning needs to be protected for the rest of his career. Selecting an offensive tackle would solidify a young offensive line for years to come.
So, if Stanley falls to the Giants, should Reese snatch him up?