Post draft, the Football Outsiders examine the Giants team needs. Take a wild guess.
General manager Jerry Reese had a terrific draft, adding cornerback Prince Amukamara in the first round, defensive tackle Marvin Austin in the second round, and slot receiver Jerrel Jernigan in the third. There were two areas Reese didn’t address early: linebacker and the interior of the offensive line.
Injuries in the middle forced the Giants to start three players at center last season. Even with the injuries, the Giants ranked seventh in adjusted line yards and second in adjusted sack rate last season. Still, all three players who started at center are recovering from offseason surgeries.
Starting center Shaun O’Hara turns 34 next month and underwent surgery on his right foot and left ankle and Achilles, while Rich Seubert and Adam Koets are both coming off knee surgeries. Right guard Chris Snee is a perennial Pro Bowler, but aside from 2010 fifth-round pick Mitch Petrus, who appeared in 11 games as a rookie, the Giants lack depth on the inside of their line.
Clint Sintim , a 2009 second-round linebacker, was expected to win the starting strongside linebacker job last summer but lost out to veteran middle linebacker Keith Bulluck, who was moved outside in the second half of training camp. Sintim would total 13 tackles, mainly on special teams, before landing on Injured Reserve with a torn ACL.
Bulluck is an unrestricted free agent, so Sintim again sits atop the depth chart, with only 2010 sixth-round pick Adrian Tracy, who missed his rookie season with an elbow injury, to challenge him. The Giants used a pair of sixth-round picks on linebackers Greg Jones and Jacquian Williams, but until Sintim shows that he is healthy and ready to seize the opportunity, the Giants appear to have a hole at outside linebacker.
And Pro Football Talk’s Gregg Rosenthal breaks down the Giants team needs. Same theme as the Football Outsiders: Linebacker and interior offensive line.
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