Giants’ brain trust pulls off solid draft

By Connor Byrne  |   Wednesday, May 03, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

New York Giants
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With last weekend's NFL Draft now in the books, it's time to take a look at what one of the NFC's finest from last year, the New York Giants, did to upgrade their team. GM Ernie Accorsi and head coach Tom Coughlin nabbed some big-time prospects that will aid in the Giants' return to prominence in the coming years.

First round, overall pick No. 32 - Mathias Kiwanuka, DE, Boston College.

The Giants held the 25th pick, but they wisely swapped first-rounders with the Pittsburgh Steelers, knowing they could get a solid player with the No. 32 choice. New York also acquired the 96th and 129th picks in the deal, which made it worthwhile.

After a tremendous career at BC, Kiwanuka readied for the draft in the offseason and was actually expected to go in the top 15 at one point. However, a weak performance at the Senior Bowl in January saw him fall all the way down to the end of the first round. By adding Kiwanuka, Accorsi made a calculated move for the future, since the prospect will sit and learn behind veteran and future Hall of Famer Michael Strahan.

Second round, overall pick No. 44 - Sinorice Moss, WR, Miami (Florida).

This may go down as one of the steals of this draft. Moss is a tremendous threat as a receiver and return-man because of his blazing speed. His older brother, Santana, stars for the Giants' divisional rivals, the Washington Redskins. Moss will come in and fill the huge void the Giants have at the slot receiver position, while giving Eli Manning one more tremendous target to throw to--he already has Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer and Jeremy Shockey. This could be a great pick for the Giants, since Moss was predicted as a late first or early second-round pick.

Third round, overall pick No. 96 - Gerris Wilkinson, LB, Georgia Tech.

Once again, another steal for Accorsi and the Giants. Wilkinson was a projected second-rounder by most experts, so this was a no-brainer pick for New York, who entered the weekend in need of linebackers. At 6'3" and 233 pounds, Wilkinson has great size, and he can also add some weight to his frame. Not only is Wilkinson superb against the run, but he's also an astute tackler who will serve as a nice backup to free agent acquisition LaVar Arrington.

Fourth round, overall pick No. 124 - Barry Cofield, DT, Northwestern.

At 6'4" 309 pounds, Cofield is a good fit for defensive coordinator Tim Lewis' system, which tends to utilize smaller defensive tackles. The two main things that stick out about Cofield are his athleticism, and the ability he has to serve as a dual-purpose depth player. First of all, Cofield ran a 4.94 40-yard dash at February's scouting combine, which demonstrates his athletic prowess. Secondly, the fact that he played at both defensive tackle and defensive end in college says he can be a very nice addition as a depth player for the Giants. He may even become a starter at tackle in the near future, since Fred Robbins and William Joseph aren't exactly scaring opposing offensive lines.

Fourth round, overall pick No. 129 - Guy Whimper, OT, East Carolina.

The 6'5", 305 pounder who ran a 4.95 40 fell all the way to the bottom of the fourth round because he used to be a tight end, but was shifted over to tackle prior to last season. Prior to the Giants picking Whimper, he kept seeing his name slide down the board because teams were afraid of dealing with his rawness. Having just gotten acquainted with the tackle position, Whimper will be a project for Giants offensive line coach Pat Flaherty, but he could end up being well worth it.

Fifth round, overall pick No. 158 - Charlie Peprah, S, Alabama.

Peprah was a four-year starter at cornerback and safety in college, but his 4.68 40 time scared many teams away. The fact that he's only 5'10" also makes it difficult for him to project as a good safety in the NFL. Certainly, it's good cornerback size, but he probably can't play that position either because of his below-average speed. Peprah's a good character player, though, and should contribute nicely to the Giants' already stellar special teams unit.

Seventh round, overall pick No. 232 - Gerrick McPhearson, cornerback, Maryland.

McPhearson's blazing 4.4 speed allowed him to excel at track in college, and he also caught on as a solid cornerback on the Terps' football team. At 5'10" and 196 pounds, McPhearson has adequate size for his position, so that won't be a problem. However, his inability to cover big receivers is a problem, and it's why he fell so far. Much like Whimper, McPhearson's a project, but could turn out well if secondary coach Peter Giunta makes a positive impact on him.

All things considered, it was another year, another above-average draft for Accorsi and the Giants. New York managed to add a possible future star at defensive end, answer their slot receiver questions, pick up a terrific linebacker, bring in a young depth defensive lineman along with an intriguing offensive lineman, and infuse the secondary with depth. Although these draft picks likely won't make much of an impact next season, some could be major players for the Giants years down the line.

--Connor Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com
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