Three Draft Prospects Who Could Boost Giants' Linebacker Depth

While the New York Giants should look to improve their defensive line depth in the draft, it is not the most pressing position of need on the defensive side of the ball.

In fact, it is not even the second most pressing need defensively; that distinction goes to linebacker.

One of the things exposed last season was that the Giants were in serious need of depth at edge rusher and upgrades at inside linebacker. There are intriguing options on all three days of the draft, and depending on if New York wants to address one or both positions, there should be ample opportunities regardless of the round.

Day 1: Pick 25

If you saw my Giants-only mock draft, then you know I did not go the route that many would have wanted in round one. That was because if the idea in round one is to take the best available player, then there's a chance that won't be a cornerback or receiver when pick 25 rolls around.

It is also worth noting that trying to predict trades are only self-serving to make a person's mock draft selection look more realistic. Ultimately nobody knows what is going to happen on that front. So at pick 25, if he does indeed fall, Giants fans should be ecstatic to see New York add Georgia edge rusher Nolan Smith to a defense that will be predicated on pressure.

Smith is a top-10 talent and an absolute terror off the edge. But it is not simply his pass rush ability that should excite fans; it is his ability to be effective within a collection of talented players.

He does not need many at-bats to hit a home run, so being in a rotation with two others in the position should not bother him. It would also be interesting to see how defensive coordinator Wink Martindale could deploy him with Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari at the same time.

At 6-foot-2 and 238 pounds, Smith is built like an inside linebacker and could be utilized similarly to how Micah Parsons is deployed in Dallas.

RELATED: Three Prospects Who Could Boost Giants' Interior Defensive Line Depth

Day 2: Picks 57 and 89

It is likely that on Day 1, the Giants fill a more pressing need, but on Day 2, they will run into the same issue that they ran into on Day 1. If they can draft the best player available, do they go that route or try to fill another pressing need?

On Day 2, they will have a couple of opportunities (barring trades) to add a linebacker. In round two, there's a chance that Iowa inside linebacker Jack Campbell could still be there--it would be really difficult to pass him up if he is.

At 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, Campbell is built in the mode of the big, dominant inside gap-plugging "MIKE" linebackers, but he has the athleticism to run sideline to sideline.

He has been recognized as one of the cleanest prospects in the draft, but for some reason, many believe he will still be waiting to hear his name called on Day 2. Yes, the Giants have linebackers they like from last year's draft, but none have been Campbell.

Putting him next to Bobby Okereke would give them a duo at the second level that could grow with the young defensive linemen and edges and safety Xavier McKinney. He would bring instant leadership and that thump that many Giants fans believe has been missing at the second level.

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

This could be when the Giants take a chance on a player who might not fit the mold perfectly but has something that makes them a stellar performer. The curiosity is based on if they can find a way to be just as successful in the NFL as they were in college, even if they don't fit the measurables.

That is where a guy like Cincinnati linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. comes in. At 5-foot-10.5, some defensive backs are taller than Pace, but that does not mean he is the definition of what people believe he should be.

Pace is a throwback old-school "box" linebacker. He uses his intelligence and dogged determination to get to the ball carrier, which has resulted in being a tackling machine over the past couple of seasons for the Bearcats.

Pace's size, which many look at as a negative, is a positive in an NFL filled with behemoths, he is big in a small package. His dense frame allows him to still take on and shed blocks and stop ball carriers' momentum when he strikes.

He could be a fifth- or sixth-round pickup that can be a valuable special teamer immediately and, through his normal work ethic, grind his way into legitimate snaps on the defense. Size is not a skill, and Day 3 is where that theory is constantly put to the test.

Check back on Tuesday for a look at No. 3 of my top five position groups the Giants need to address in the draft. We move to the offensive side of the ball.

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