The New York Giants should absolutely not operate this way in the NFL Draft.
The New York Giants will certainly be busy in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night, especially now that they own two top-10 picks.
The Giants will be on the clock at Nos. 5 and 10 in the draft, and there are a variety of directions in which they can go.
New York can still trade down from one of those two picks to acquire even more draft capital, which is actually advisable considering that the Giants don't have a third-round selection and own just two picks inside the top 100.
But if New York stays put? It should choose wisely.
That means railing against the ridiculous mantra of simply going "best player available" with those two selections.
It may be the most asinine draft strategy in existence considering it completely ignores need. Should New York take a quarterback if he is the best player on the board? Should it take yet another edge rusher?
Actually, the latter is exactly what ESPN's Peter Schrager has the Giants doing at No. 5, as he is predicting them to take Ohio State edge rusher Arvell Reese because "the roster needs good football players."
This even though New York already has a massive logjam at the position with Brian Burns, Abdul Carter, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Chauncey Golston.
Thibodeaux, in fact, has been the subject of rampant trade speculation for quite some time now. So you're telling me the Giants could potentially trade him and then just select another edge rusher in his place? Or, God forbid, keep Thibodeaux and completely waste a pick on an edge?
New York Giants coach John Harbaugh. Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images.I'm okay with taking an edge rusher a bit later on in the draft for depth purposes, but using a top-five pick on one when New York has glaring needs at cornerback, defensive tackle, guard and wide receiver would be football malpractice.
It's also why I do not want the Giants taking linebacker Sonny Styles or safety Caleb Downs — Reese's former Buckeyes teammates — on Day 1, either. Neither plays a premium position, and neither fills an immediate hole for New York.
Guys like Mansoor Delane, Carnell Tate and Francis Mauigoa ... those are the types of players the Giants should be targeting.
Delane is the best cornerback in this year's class and could instantly start for Big Blue. Tate is the top wide out and would serve as the X-receiver New York so desperately needs while also providing insurance for Malik Nabers, who is recovering from a torn ACL.
Mauigoa is a tackle, but there has been some chatter of him potentially kicking inside to guard. He also may very well be the best offensive lineman available.
The Giants are not the New York Jets or the Cleveland Browns. They don't have a completely barren roster. If that were the case, I would be okay taking best player available. But that's not the situation for John Harbaugh and Co.
New York is actually not as far away as you might think. It just needs to rectify some pretty obvious problems on the roster, and edge rusher isn't one of them.
Drafting for need does not necessarily mean reaching. If that were the case, I would be calling for the Giants to take Peter Woods at No. 5 or No. 10. It means taking the best players at positions of need.
That is what the G-Men should be doing on Thursday night.
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