It is going to be exceedingly difficult for the Giants to find a great deal of help for their offensive line in the upcoming NFL draft.
There is a general consensus that the three top offensive line prospects are Cam Robinson of Alabama, Ryan Ramczyk of Wisconsin and Garett Bolles of Utah. All three could go in the first round. The problem is, the Giants are not enamored with any of the three.
Sure, there are aspects of all three that are intriguing, but when assessing the entire package, the Giants look at the players, look at their pick – No. 23 overall – and it is difficult to find a match of need and value.
Last year, seven offensive linemen were taken in the first round. This year, two or three might be it. No wonder ESPN analyst Jon Gruden said Wednesday it is “a lean year’’ for offensive linemen.
A year ago, the Giants had Jack Conklin of Michigan State graded as one of the three best players in the entire draft and anticipated having a shot at him when their pick came around at No. 10. It did not work out that way: The Titans traded up to No. 8 and took Conklin, who went on to prove the Giants’ lofty assessment of him was on the mark, named to the NFL All-Pro team as a rookie.
The Giants saw Conklin as a can’t-miss right tackle prospect, but do not view any of the offensive linemen in this year’s draft as anywhere near that stature. Robinson, a three-year starter for the Crimson Tide, is far and away the most experienced of the top three. Ramczyk and Bolles were only one-year starters and thus are greater risks.
Robinson, at 6-foot-6 and 322 pounds, certainly looks the part, and probably will be first off the board. He does not lack for confidence.
“I always just say: ‘Just put on the tape,’’’ he said when asked at the scouting combine to describe his skill level. “Since my freshman year, I’ve played against a lot of NFL guys.’’
The Giants have taken notice, seeing how Robinson did not allow a sack to Derek Barnett of Tennessee and gave up only one sack facing Myles Garrett of Texas A&M two years in a row.
“He has been solid against the best players, which probably is what counts the most,’’ said a source familiar with the Giants’ draft thinking.
The perception is Robinson is better suited to the right side, but the Giants are not sure that is true. Robinson started three years at left tackle for a premier college program. The Giants have concerns about his durability – he’s had recurring shoulder issues and did not participate in the bench press at the combine or at Alabama’s Pro Day. There is also a feeling Robinson was not appreciably better as a junior than he was as a freshman.
In Ramczyk, the Giants see a player who most closely resembles Conklin as far as skill set and body type, and seem more concerned with his health – Ramczyk is coming off right hip surgery to repair a torn labrum – than his unusual path. Coming out of high school, Ramczyk briefly quit the game and then bounced around before landing at Wisconsin.
“I was 18 years old, I really didn’t know what I wanted to do at the time,’’ Ramczyk said at the combine. “Being out of the game for a little bit made me realize what I gave up.’’
Ramczyk’s path was direct compared with Bolles’ long and winding journey. He was a troubled kid growing up in Utah, admittedly into drugs, drinking and gangs. He was arrested for vandalizing the field of a rival high school and was kicked out of his father’s house, eventually living with a neighbor. He later went on a Latter Day Saints mission, and is now married with a son. He will be a 25-year-old NFL rookie.
Bolles is a vicious run-blocker, but is raw as can be, and the Giants do not really see him as an NFL left tackle. He probably does not warrant a ranking in the top 23.
The best way for the Giants to upgrade their offensive line might be a move they already made, signing massive D.J. Fluker to a one-year deal. The Giants liked Fluker better than Justin Pugh in the 2013 NFL Draft. Fluker, out of Alabama, went to the Chargers at No. 11, and the Giants took Pugh at No. 19. Fluker is only 26, and the Giants see him as an in-line mauler at right guard – they do not believe he has the footwork to slide outside to right tackle.
So, anyone hoping the Giants can find someone to supplant Ereck Flowers at left tackle or Bobby Hart at right tackle likely will be disappointed following this year’s draft.