The New York Giants are coming into the NFL draft with the chance to add a prime prospect to the roster. The team potentially could target players like Myles Jack, Shaq Lawson, Reggie Ragland and Darron Lee with the No. 10 overall pick in the first round.
Most draft experts think the Giants will go with a defensive player in the first round. The Giants defense was the worst in the league last season, giving up the most yards per game in the NFL. The team did work to improve that this offseason by adding players in free agency, but more needs to be done. The team has not picked a player on defense with their first round pick since 2011, taking cornerback Prince Amukamara.
Jerry Reese signed Janoris Jenkins, Damon Harrison and Olivier Vernon in free agency, shelling out over $100 million for the three players. The new additions shouldn't affect what the Giants do in the draft too much. The team still has a major need at linebacker, and the pass rush could use more depth even with the signing of Vernon. Reese brought back Jason Pierre-Paul on a one-year deal, but after the way the Giants performed last season, bringing in more talent is the right move.
Myles Jack is the pick the Giants really should make, but there is a good chance he will be off the board by the time the team comes up at No. 10. Lawson is an intriguing option, as he has the size to play in the NFL at 6-foot-3, 269-pounds, and he also has speed for his position. Lawson ranked in the top five for defensive linemen at the combine for the 40-yard dash, and he finished last season with 25.5 tackles for loss at Clemson.
The Giants should improve on defense no matter what happens, but adding someone like Lawson would help. Pierre-Paul is expected to be healthy after his hand injury last season, which limited him to just eight games. The previous year Pierre-Paul had 12.5 sacks in 16 games, but he did most of that work in the last five games of the year. Before that, Pierre-Paul had two straight disappointing seasons with a combined 8.5 sacks in 2012-13.
If Pierre-Paul can stay healthy, the defense should be much better. Victor Cruz also could have a major impact on the team. Cruz is coming back after a major knee injury, but if he can be at least semi-productive, the Giants offense should be hard to stop. Odell Beckham has been fantastic for the Giants while playing basically on his own, and now he could have a strong number two to run with in Cruz. All that could help lead the Giants to the playoffs.
