Three Cornerbacks to Boost the Giants' Depth

The NFL is an offensive league; more specifically, it has become a passing league. With unreal talents at quarterback and receiver all around the league, the need for talented cornerbacks who can cover and take the ball away is at an all-time high.

The corner is currently the most unstable position on the Giant's defense. The rotation of guys in and out of the lineup last season was excessive. Whether it was injury or suspect performance, it is clear that the Giants need upgrades or, at the very least, talented players to develop for the future.

With Adoree' Jackson in the final year of his deal and the rest of the corners unknown, there’s no doubt they will address the position in the draft. The question becomes when.

Day 1: Pick 25

If you polled Giants fans, they would probably overwhelmingly agree that the team should acquire a cornerback in the first round. The problem is that at pick 25, there will be a lot of corners off the board.

At that point, should the team grab whichever corner is there, or should they wait? That should depend on which corner is still available. If Emmanuel Forbes is still available, he would be the type of corner the Giants should covet. The Mississippi State product is sticky in coverage, and he takes the ball away.

Yes, he is slightly built at 6-foot-1 and 166 pounds, but the NFL knows how to fill out a frame or make it the strongest it needs. What separates Forbes is that when he takes the ball away, he takes it to the house.

Six of his career 14 interceptions were returned for touchdowns. Today’s NFL needs guys who can put points on the board for the team.

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Day 2: Picks 57 and 89

If the Giants feel the value is not there with whichever cornerback is available at pick 25, they could wait until Day 2 to select a corner. There will be talented guys who are legit NFL starters that fall into the second round because they can't all be taken in the first; not every team needs to spend a first-round pick on a corner this year.

Successful collegiate corners like Michigan’s D.J. Turner could be available on day two for a team like New York to steal.

Do not try to label Turner as a slot corner because he is only 5-foot-11. His speed and fluidity are tailor-made for field corner duties. He can cover double moves, deep shots, and speed-crossing routes.

A Wink Martindale defense thrives on cornerbacks who can cover man to man, and that is what Turner does best. He has been a part of a winning program that helps players prepare for the NFL, and he has faced Ohio State, which prepares corners for the pass-happy league that they are entering.

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Day 3: Picks 128, 160, 172, 209, 240, 243, and 254

There is always talent on Day 3 of the draft; teams need to know how to mine it. Looking for polished diamonds is not always the way.

Some corners have warts, but if you focus on the blemishes instead of the beauty marks, you can miss a lot of future talent. A corner like Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson could be a gem that gets discounted and picked up for a bargain on Day 3.

The name Tomlinson sounds familiar not just at TCU, where the cornerback manned the third-level perimeter for the past three seasons, but in the NFL, where his uncle LaDainian Tomlinson was a Hall-of-Fame running back.

Yes, Hodges-Tomlinson is short, but he has a strong frame and knows how to overcome his height. The temptation will be to put him in the slot, but he is not a slot corner; he is an outside corner who understands how to dislodge the ball from receivers. He could be a late pick-up that will surprise fans with his skill and toughness.

Make sure you keep it here on Giants Country tonight and throughout the draft, as I will bring you immediate reactions from all the Giants Picks and write-ups on all of the new additions.

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