Seems like a solid and logical first pick. Let’s get one thing straight here.. the Giants had a GOOD spot at #20 as they had plenty to pick and choose from. So they let the draft come to them and did fine. I would have gone apesh*t if they did what Miami did at #9. TRADE DOWN! In fact, I will go one step further and say that if the Giants had decided to trade down, that would have been fine too. But at #20 they got enuf value already and he certainly addresses one of three key needs (LB, CB, and LT). Note that Ross was picked not only for his CB position but also for returns on specials as well.
The item that intrigues me is that Ross started only one season w Texas. That tells me he is not close to his potential. His age (25) seems to be the only downside, of which Reese (see below) says is “nitpicking.”
From the Star Ledger:
General manager Jerry Reese said Ross (a half inch over six feet and 193 pounds) is a press corner who “fits our scheme” and is suited to play against bigger receivers.
“A big guy with long arms who can play that press coverage that our coordinator (Steve Spagnuolo) thinks that we’re probably going to play more of,” Reese said of Ross. “He fits what we wanted to do. He was productive (last season) — six interceptions, 19 pass break-ups.” Ross comes with two red flags: He was a full-time starter for just one season and will turn 25 in early September because he was forced to sit out two seasons for academic/transfer reasons. “Twenty-five, that’s not old,” Reese said. “We’re not worried about that. That’s not an issue for us. That’s nitpicking.” Reese said last week the players the Giants brought in for visits were players in which they were legitimately interested. Ross, however, was not among those who visited. “If it was a poker game, they won,” Ross said on a conference call with reporters.
Ross was out playing catch with his nephew when the Giants picked him. “My mom called me because I guess they had my name at the bottom of the screen as a projection or something,” he said. “I went in and got the call. And immediately, my hands started shaking, my heart started pounding. I’m full of excitement right now.”
Ross’ arrival means Sam Madison, who turned 33 last week, must start looking and playing younger to keep his starting right corner job. “I’m a competitor, so I’m not coming there to sit on the bench,” Ross said. “I’m coming in to battle for a position but of course respect the veteran players.”
Reese said the team tried to trade up toward the middle of the first round because a few corners started to drop further than they expected. Those corners were Darrelle Revis from Pitt and Leon Hall from Michigan. The Jets traded up with the Panthers at No. 14 to take Revis and Hall went to the Bengals at No. 18. “They wanted too much for us to move up and we just decided, ‘You know what, we’ll just stay with the plan,” Reese said. Ross averged 11.8 yards per punt return at Texas and had three returns for touchdowns. He’ll compete with R.W. McQuarters, Sinorice Moss and Michael Jennings for return duties this year. “He has a good first step,” coach Tom Coughlin said. “He’s a guy who has the ability to split and go for it. (He) has good size and has very good speed.”
Pat Kirwan: There are a few teams right behind this selection that are upset. He was the target of a lot of teams in the bottom of the first round. Good ball hawk with 10 INTs and 33 passes defended. He was the third corner on everyone’s board. We’re in the middle of a run on defense.
Gil Brandt: Aaron Ross is an older player (25); he spent two years waiting to get cleared by the NCAA clearinghouse to play at Texas. He is a skilled man-coverage corner and also is a very, very good kick returner. He played with injuries this year and still played extremely well.
Vic Carucci: The Giants have to be thrilled. They stayed put and waited for a high-quality player at an area of need to fall to them. Certainly, they could have gone with a linebacker, but Ross was higher rated than any linebacker left on the board. He is an outstanding player, although he might take a few too many gambles in coverage for Tom Coughlin’s liking.
ESPN: The Giants got an excellent pick in Ross. He possesses a very good blend of size, speed, instincts and ball skills. If he develops as expected, he’ll emerge as a playmaking starter at in the NFL.
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