NEW YORK – What a weekend it has been. The 2011 NFL Draft is over and the Giants have acquired some very talented players. I’m starting to understand the true meaning of the phrase “you can’t please everybody” because there have been some Giants fans who flat out think this draft was a failure. I’m not sure what they were watching, because I think GM Jerry Reese and his staff nailed the draft once again.
After taking some time to digest all of the picks, I have to give Jerry Reese a solid “A” grade. Some of the picks seemed a bit confusing to me initially, but not anymore. You can clearly see what the team was doing, and I find it brilliant. The Giants literally stole CB Prince Amukamara and DT Marvin Austin from the rest of the NFL. I expect both to be pro bowl players within three years if they can get playing time and perform well enough to stay on the field full time. Without question, these two guys were the best picks of the bunch for Big Blue. Only time will tell how good these two rookies can become, but their potential is off the charts.
The Giants 3rd round selection of WR Jerrel Jernigan was a big shock at first, until I did some research on the guy and realized how good he is going to be on special teams. The Giants are sick of all of the issues on special teams and addressed that area thoroughly in the draft. Most rookies usually start their NFL career on special teams anyway, so I don’t want to sound like Jernigan cannot become an outstanding NFL wide receiver. He was clearly taken for his lightning speed, playmaking abilities, and what he can bring to the table in 2011. The Giants 4th round pick, OT James Brewer, is a project player who will need to learn the NFL system and work on his technique. If he can get that part of the game down, this massive man could become quite an asset for Big Blue in an area of need. The Giants did not have a 5th round pick this year because they traded it away when they acquired RB Darius Reynaud last season.
All of the players from the 6th round (The Giants had three 6th round picks this year) and beyond are the biggest question marks of all. We know that you can draft some future stars in the latter rounds, but it remains to be seen who that star might be. Some experts are in love with LB Greg Jones and think he can be a very productive NFL player one day. Personally, I am rooting for all of these rookies to do well and make the team. Their success only makes the G-Men a better team in the end. The Giants minicamp will be the next event on most fans radar, followed by training camp. The NFL lockout reached it’s 52nd day today and will need to be resolved before any football activities can resume. You can find the full list of 2011 NFL Draft picks below. Enjoy!
New York Giants 2011 NFL Draft Picks
Round 1 – CB Prince Amukamara – 6’0″ 206 pounds
Round 2 – DT Marvin Austin – 6’2″ 309 pounds
Round 3 – WR Jerrel Jernigan – 5’9″ 185 pounds
RD – nygreporter.com
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