While the Giants’ players try to figure out whether or not they can work out at team facilities — the answer: not today, at least! — team brass is preparing for tomorrow night’s draft, once again being held in prime time at Radio City Music Hall. In 2010, none of the nine mock drafts we looked at correctly predicted that the Giants would take South Florida’s Jason Pierre-Paul with the fifteenth pick, but last year we checked in a couple weeks before the draft actually took place. So perhaps this time — on the eve of the first round — those experts’ educated guesses will be all the more educated and thus all the more accurate. To the picks! (Spoiler alert: Lots of offensive linemen ahead.)
Jarrett Bell, USA Today: Nate Solder, OT, Colorado
DraftAce.com: Mike Pouncey, OG/C, Florida
FFToolbox.com: Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College
TheFootballExpert.com: Mike Pouncey, OG/C, Florida
Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN: Mike Pouncey, OG, Florida
Pat Kirwan, NFL.com: Nate Solder, OT, Colorado
Todd McShay, ESPN: Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin
Shutdown Corner/Yahoo: Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State
WalterFootball.com: Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College
The trend you surely noticed is best explained by DraftAce’s Ryan McCrystal: “Four of the Giants five starters on the offensive line are over the age of 30 (Chris Snee is the youngest at age 29).” So there’s at least consensus on the area of need, if not on the actual player they’ll select. (And as we pointed out last year, you can check out a whole mess of mock drafts here, if you’re so inclined.) We’ll check in on the Jets later this afternoon.