The New York Giants were the clear winner on night one of the NFL Draft
I think there were a lot of winners in the first round of the draft, with scant few teams really doing dumb things with their picks. Still, when looking at who "won" the night, I just keep coming back to the Giants.
The Arvell Reese pick at No. 5 was inspired. At first it seemed a little puzzling why a team with Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux needed more pass rush help -- but the big difference with Reese is scheme flexibility the others don't possess. I could very well see a world where Reese plays inside, then gets flexed off the edge in bear fronts and other trickery.
John Harbaugh loves toolbox defenders, and Reese has the most tools of any defensive player in this draft. Talk of him being a "tweener" with no real position was locked in old thinking, and to me, Reese is the kind of player the NFL is moving more and more towards.
Flexibility is the keyword to this class, because following it up with Francis Mauigoa was fantastic. Not only do I think he can play either tackle spot, but he has the quick footwork that could allow him to kick inside and play left guard. Also, talk about an on-stage interview. Sure, every prospect talks big -- but give me an offensive lineman any day of the week who gleefully talks about being willing to die for their quarterback.
This had to be a building block draft that would take the Giants to the next level, and my goodness do I think they delivered.
What do you think? Did the Giants win the first round?
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