Austin Seferian-Jenkins has top-level talent at the tight end position.
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The Giants have plenty of needs heading into the NFL Combine after an underwhelming 2013. A deep draft should be able to help them plug some holes in areas that lack top-end talent.
Metro looks at three areas of need for the Giants and possible players who might emerge over the next week at the NFL Combine to help bring Big Blue back to the playoffs.
1. Cornerback
Name one player who can complement Prince Amukamara on the Giants roster? Answer: There is none. The Giants have some depth at cornerback, but truthfully it isn’t quality depth. The good news is this draft boasts some solid playmakers at the position, with Oklahoma State’s Justin Gilbert a good athlete despite being a bit raw in his coverage skills. If he can get his 40-yard dash time below 4.5 seconds, South Carolina’s Victor Hampton could be a second-round talent.
2. Tight end
There are plenty of question marks in the draft at the tight end position, which means the Giants might want to use one of their top-two selections on the high-end players at this spot. A lot of scouts are raving about Eric Ebron, the North Carolina tight end who oozes potential but has plenty of drops. There’s also Washington’s Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who has tremendous size but lacks physicality and has some character concern issues. But he has upside and if he can show a good 40-yard dash time — he lacks true playmaker speed for the position — the Giants might be intrigued in the second round.
3. Offensive guard
It was no secret the offensive line was a mess for the Giants last year. The unit needs to get younger and more talented in a hurry. Mississippi State’s Gabe Jackson doesn’t have the long arms you’d like to see in a guard but he might present good value in the second round. There’s also some thought Notre Dame’s Zach Martin might start his career as a guard after playing tackle for the Fighting Irish. He could be a savvy college player who adds some versatility to the line. And if Baylor guard Cyril Richardson manages to reshape his body, he could be a mid-round selection with some good upside.
Follow Jets beat writer Kristian Dyer on Twitter @KristianRDyer.
