The NFL Combine is here and there are a lot of players who will make a small fortune this week based on the workouts and interviews that take place in Indianapolis.
The Giants, holding the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft, will surely have plenty of interest in a few of the high-end prospects but also a number of players who will be taken on Day 2 and Day 3.
The need to address issues along the offensive line, at running back, linebacker and cornerback will lead the Giants to be very active in assessing talent as they hope to find not just contributors and depth for their team but some impact players.
A look at five players to keep an eye on at the NFL Combine that might have a Giants future:
Skyler Phillips – The Giants need help along the offensive line and while they hope to address that in free agency, they will need some depth to develop here quickly. The Idaho State guard is well built and strong, coming to the NFL with four years of starting experience. Can play either guard position and right tackle in a pinch.
Will need to show well in lateral movement and individual drills but could be a solid Day 3 pick for the Giants. Has the potential, with work on his technique, to grow into a starter in a year or two.
Olasunkanmi Adeniyi – Perhaps a bit undersized to play defensive end, Adeniyi simply made plays for Toledo in his three years as a starter. He won’t measure very well but you have to like him because he has outstanding tape.
A likely Day 3 selection, the Giants can find a rotation edge rusher here that could really help them. They’ll want to see how he measures as he lacks length. A good Combine could cement him on an NFL roster in August.
Duke Dawson – Doesn’t have the prototypical height seen in most defensive backs, but Dawson is an aggressive corner. His tape out of Florida looks like a player who can step in and be part of the rotation at cornerback and used in certain situations almost from Week 1 for a team like the Giants.
Will be important to see how he breaks to the ball and also his strength. But he has long arms and is a tough defender. Could be good value for the Giants in the middle rounds.
Anthony Averett – Another defensive back, Averett is a Jersey boy who could be a nice fit for the Giants in the second round. The Giants have a lot of age in their secondary and they could benefit from a few young bodies back there. In fact, they might be cutting several veterans so they need to make a couple moves here.
Averett showed well at Alabama as a multi-year starter. He has good speed but there are questions about his strength. If he passes the eyeball test and is respectable with his strength workouts, then this could be a nice addition to the Giants defensive backfield.
Kemoko Turay – Speaking of Jersey boys, the Rutgers defensive end is a potentially intriguing pick for the Giants. With a good combine, Turay could rise into being a Day 2 pick.
He’s long with a freakish reach and good speed. His showing at the Senior Bowl can be cemented here with a series of good workouts. If he is solid with the bench press, then Turay’s tape will intrigue a lot of people.
And the Giants, who could use edge rushers if they move on from Jason Pierre-Paul, could have a diamond in the rough in Turay.
