The New York Giants are changing things up a bit defensively heading into the 2013 season. Gone are several notable defensive linemen, most notably end Osi Umenyiora and tackles Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard. Will a team known for replenishing its defensive line depth early on draft day do it once again this year? Well, if the shoe (and the sliding-in-this-scenario prospect) fits...
2013 NFL mock draft: Sheldon Richardson to New York Giants
After shedding some dead weight at DT, Richardson would be a coup for the G-Men.
Jeff Blake-US PRESSWIRE
| Team | Player | Position | Height | Weight | Class |
| 19. New York Giants | Sheldon Richardson, Missouri | DT | 6'3" | 294 | JR |
Ed Valentine: "This turns out to be a much easier decision than the agony I put myself through to make the selection for the Giants in the Big Blue View Community Mock Draft, where Richardson and several other players I was interested in were off the board when my selection came. The Giants have emphasized getting better on the line on both sides of the ball this offseason and Richardson, the No. 5 ranked player on the Mocking The Draft Big Board, still being available makes this a no-brainer. He should anchor the middle of the giants’ defensive line for years to come." |  | ||||
Here’s our own Dan Kadar to break down the pick:
At this point in the first round, a player with Richardson’s value is a steal. But is he a fit for the Giants? He certainly fits the best player available mold. Known for his first step to split gaps, Richardson is also a good athlete for his position. Add to it the Giants finishing 25th in the league in run defense last season and you have a smart pick. Linval Joseph is fine at one tackle spot, but Rocky Bernard and Chris Canty are both gone. Cullen Jenkins was a smart free agency signing, but he struggled against the run last season. This would be a move we’ve seen from Jerry Reese before. Stick to BPA and ease a player into the lineup. He could do that with Richardson and help bolster the run defense.
This mock draft will officially graduate from the teens and turn 20 at Noon ET, when the Chicago Bears and Windy City Gridiron will make their pick. See you then!
| # | Player | Pos. | College | Ht. | Wt. |
| 11 | Bjoern Werner * | DE | Florida State | 6'3" | 266 |
| 15 | Arthur Brown | LB | Kansas State | 6'0" | 241 |
| 16 | Kenny Vaccaro | S | Texas | 6'1" | 215 |
| 19 | Tyler Eifert | TE | Notre Dame | 6'6" | 250 |
| 20 | D.J. Fluker * | OT | Alabama | 6'5" | 339 |
| No. | Team | Player | Pos. | College |
| 1 | Kansas City Chiefs | Luke Joeckel | OT | Texas A&M |
| 2 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Geno Smith | QB | West Virginia |
| 3 | Oakland Raiders | Sharrif Floyd | DT | Florida |
| 4 | Philadelphia Eagles | Eric Fisher | OT | Central Michigan |
| 5 | Detroit Lions | Ezekiel Ansah | DE | BYU |
| 6 | Cleveland Browns | Dion Jordan | OLB | Oregon |
| 7 | Arizona Cardinals | Barkevious Mingo | OLB | LSU |
| 8 | Buffalo Bills | Jarvis Jones | OLB | Georgia |
| 9 | New York Jets | Chance Warmack | OG | Alabama |
| 10 | Tennessee Titans | Dee Milliner | CB | Alabama |
| 11 | San Diego Chargers | Star Lotulelei | DT | Utah |
| 12 | Miami Dolphins | Desmond Trufant | CB | Washington |
| 13 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Xavier Rhodes | CB | Florida State |
| 14 | Carolina Panthers | Lane Johnson | OT | Oklahoma |
| 15 | New Orleans Saints | Alec Ogletree | LB | Georgia |
| 16 | St. Louis Rams | Tavon Austin | WR | West Virginia |
| 17 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Cordarrelle Patterson | WR | Tennessee |
| 18 | Dallas Cowboys | Jonathan Cooper | OG | North Carolina |
| 19 | New York Giants | Sheldon Richardson | DT | Missouri |
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