Pre-Draft Needs

Subsequent to my last post, the Giants officially released Plaxico Burress and have now lost both the #1 and #2 wide receivers from the 2008 season. As a result, speculation has been swirling for weeks that the Giants will trade for veteran receivers Braylon Edwards or Anquan Boldin - or will trade to move up in the first round to grab a premier WR such as Darrius Heyward-Bey.

Unlike many, I think there is a clear third option - don't panic and stand pat. The Giants are positioned to dominate next year without trading for Edwards, Boldin, or the likes of Heyward-Bey. They should have the best defense in all of football next year and likely the best Giants defense since 1986. They are solid on the offensive side of the ball with a great offensive line and a smash mouth, "in your face", running game. Concerns have been expressed about the need for a #1 WR threat to compel double teams and prevent other teams from stuffing the box to stop the run. But I, for one, believe that concern is overblown and borders on demeaning to the coaching staff and existing talent on the offensive side of the ball. I have no doubt that the coaches, given a full year to prepare, will find ways to create mismatches in the passing game with the existing talent on the team - that will burn any team that chooses to challenge the Giants running game. Furthermore, teams are going to bring 8 players into the box against the Giants regardless of who they have at WR. It is the only way to stop the Giants from playing their trademark ball control "eat the clock" offense.

Having said that, I would love to see the Giants add Edwards and/or Boldin but only at the right price. The Giants are still a relatively young team and, holding 5 of the first 100 selections, have the opportunity to solidify the base talent of the team for years to come. I would not be willing to give up more than one of those five picks for Edwards or Boldin (i.e. I don't care how many round 4+ picks they add to the package, but only one of their first five). And I absolutely do not want to see them use any of their first five picks to move up in any round. The draft is too much of a crap shoot - history is filled with first round picks that ultimately turned out to have been disappointments - and it just doesn't make sense to use valuable top 100 picks to move up on what can only be described as a gamble. Quantity in the top 100 is a hell of a lot more valuable than moving up 10 spots in the first round. If anything, I would love to see them put together a package of 4th round and lower picks to acquire a third 2nd round pick, giving them six of the top 100 years - every single one of which is guaranteed to make the team.

Now, on to positional needs. More than at any time in recent memory, there really are few glaring "needs". But, as I have said many times in the past, the draft is really all about replenishing your team over the next 3-5 years - it is critical to avoid tunnel vision and instead focus clearly on what you see for the team in two to three years. With that in mind, I would love to see the following positional needs addressed round by round:

1. WR
2. LB
2. WR
3. LB
3. OT/OL
4. S
5. TE
5. RB
6. OT/OL
7. CB