May 10, 2024 • 33 mins
On this episode of the Giants Huddle podcast, John Schmeelk is joined by Ric Serritella from All Access Football, to discuss the Giants’ draft class and undrafted free agents.
:00 - Offensive undrafted free agents
9:39 - Defensive undrafted free agents
15:12 - Giants draft class
30:44 - Overall draft takeaways
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's time to get inside the Giants. Hulet's go, Let's go,
Let's go.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Alliance dunt coet on My Giants Bubble, give me some Job,
part of the Giants Podcast Network.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Let's roll.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Welcome to another edition of the Giants Little Podcast, brought
to you by Citizens, the official bank of the New
York Football Giants. I am John Schmelk and we're joined
by front of the program. We've been probably doing this
Rick for probably almost ten years now. Rick Saraatella, who
has about two million jobs. So I'm gonna let him
tell you where you can find all stuff because I've
lost track.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Yeah, John, how you doing? Man?
Speaker 4 (00:32):
Been a great Another draft run our twenty third year
of draft coverage at the NFL Draft Bible, which can
be found over at all Access football dot com. You know,
we're easy to find. You can follow us on x
for all the latest and the greatest stuff and looking
forward to chopping up big Blue style.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
You know, we go deep, we do.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
And Rick's also Scouting's out there, he's writing, maggot, he's deans,
he's doing everything.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
He's he's all over the place doing a lot of work.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
So we're gonna work backwards here because we've covered the
draft class a lot, but we haven't really gone into
the undrafted free agent class, and with rookie mintiecam getting
going this weekend, we want to kind of dive into
them first. Then we'll give Rick a chance to talk
about the draft class too. So we're gonna go one
by one year in terms of the guys that the
Giants have signed. Rick, So let's start with John Giles,
(01:18):
wide receiver out of West Florida.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
You're familiar with the Argonauts.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
I'm not sure you're familiar with the West Florida Argonauts,
though you're probably bore the the Canadian variety. But big kids,
almost sixty three, two hundred and twenty pounds.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
Yes, And I'm gonna give you a funny John Giles
story in a second. But I want to talk about
the undrafted free agent process real quickly here, because on
any given season, data tells us that between twenty seven
to thirty three percent of every fifty three man roster
consists of undrafted free agents. So I think it's, you know,
a very important element in terms of your scouting department
(01:55):
and guys that fall.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Through the cracks.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
You know, this is really how the bottom of your
roster shapes up, and a guy like John Giles.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
You know, I get a.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
Call about halfway through the season from our general manager
at the Edmonton Elks. He says, Hey, there's a guy
down in West Florida. I need you to go check
him out.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
He's a big, long, physical wide receiver.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Dominating the D two level. So I go check check
him out, John, and he is. You know, he's big.
He's six foot two and six ' eighth inches, two
hundred and twenty pounds and clearly was faster than the
level of competition down there. Now, kind of a one
trick pony right game speed, a lot of just fly patterns.
(02:38):
Just dominating with speed can go up vertically, makes those
contested catches love it. Transfer from Virginia Union now physical
off the line of scrimmage, his get off is strong.
He's a raw route runner, right, So if the Giants
keep him around, he's probably gonna have to stick on
(02:58):
the practice squad learn how to run extended roundtree.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
But I'll tell you what we did.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
Wind up putting him on our necklist up in Edmonton.
So those who aren't familiar with the Canadian Football League
how that works. If he does not last in the
NFL and decides to come up north to play in Canada.
Edmonton actually owns his rights.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
And D two program.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Over sixty catches, over twelve hundred yards, double digit touchdowns. Again,
a very productive player. Ran a four or five four
forty yard dash.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
So, and I will say one thing, yeah, another thing.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
There's a guy there and I'm so I'm watching number
zero Giles on West Florida. There's another kid coming next year,
number six, almost in the same mold.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
So keeping high West Florida. There's something in the water
down there.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Well, there's you know what, there's a lot of kids
coming out of Florida looking for places to play football.
Sol not surprised. Let's stay with the wide receivers here,
Rick and the guy that I, frankly had trouble finding
a lot of info on. Is I hear Asante a
wide receiver out of Wyoming. He's the opposite right, smaller guy,
not even eighty one pounds, not super productive, but you
(04:07):
could see some of the traits.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Well, I'll tell you what.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
I was down at the Tropical Bowl down in Orlando
during the All Star circuit, and this kid created a
little bit of buzz. There was some scouts asking me like,
is he going to get drafted? I said, ah, you know,
he's on the fringe. New Jersey product Franklin Township played
ball at Jersey City Saint Peter's went to two state championships.
(04:31):
I want you to think Kadarius Tony from a talent
level standpoint in terms of how he would be utilized.
Because he's an all purpose guy. He's going to line
up in the backfield. He's going to be used on
end rounds. I think where he might be able to
provide some competition in training camp is in the return game,
right because he's an excellent punt returner.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
You got the new kickoff rule.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
You mentioned these undersized He came in at five nine
and six eight inches four point five to two forty one.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Thing else.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
So I wanted to mention about this Giant's undrafted free
agent class and their draft class. They went with athleticism
across the board. If you notice that explosiveness, athleticism all
these guys have most for the most part, tested well.
And Ayasante is another one thirty six inch vert okay,
and he's a guy that is going to really have
(05:21):
to work his way on special teams.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
But I think he's got a shot.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
There was another kid from Central Michigan they had in
camp a couple of years ago. He reminds me of
so I think he'll get an opportunity to stick around
see if he can showcase some of that explosiveness. But hey,
under the radar guy made a buzz for himself down
there at the Tropical Bowl.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Local product. I'm excited for him.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Yeah, eight take returns for one hundred and sixty six yards.
He was a returner throughout his years and squad and
ran a four to one four shuttle too, So another
good testing mark.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Yes, in terms of his agility.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
All right, let's those are the only two skill guys,
so let's stick on the offensive side of the ball.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
North Dakota Skate Rick.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
He that is not a Power five team, but the
way they've played them in South Dakota State now has
really developed a lot of really good NFL players. Jake
Kubas an offensive tackle six three seven. You talk about
a good athlete. He had nine to four to four
RAS score. For people that don't know what that is,
I mean he basically tested in the ninety fourth percentile
for all offensive tackles tested over the past thirty years
(06:23):
and again just a lot of good traits and he
comes from a really good program.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Yeah again athleticism.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
Right, we talked about John Giles, the wide receiver who
jumped thirty four inches. Well here comes Kubas one hundred
pounds heavier. He jumped thirty one inches John, So you
know he's got crazy ups athleticism. Three year starter. At
one point he actually had forty one consecutive starts there
for the boyson until injury ended that one, mostly.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
At the guard spot. Right.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
So he's the guy now that is going to probably
be one of these pulling gets into the second level
with that speed, quickness, athleticism, agility.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Now, the issue here is.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
The girth, right, Like he comes from the FCS not
quite the best strengthen conditioning program. So what I'm seeing
here is probably a guy your red shirt him on
the practice squad. Get him with that NFL strength and
conditioning program, bulk him up a little bit. He did
do twenty eight bench press reps, so the strength is there.
He just needs to get the frame bigger for the
(07:30):
next level. But I think a guy who could probably
be like a swingman interior. Maybe the Giants test him
out at center. See if he can snap the ball
a little bit, that would definitely extend his chances to
get a longer look see in training camp.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Yeah, six four three or eight, that's gonna be a
little slender to be in there paneling with guards off
the top of You're right, he's gonna have to work
on Element thirty three and DRAMs though. That's very good length,
especially if you're gonna play inside. And you mentioned a
three year starter or right guard. Last year, according I
think PFF had him for no sacks Allott at only
ten pressures. So certainly productive player there. Daniel Marcellus Johnson
(08:03):
out of Missouri six four three thirteen over thirty three
inch arms. An ankle injury kept him out a lot
of twenty twenty three, right, but if you would have
played in twenty twenty three, this guy probably would have
been drafted.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
So he came over from Eastern Michigan where he did
start for two seasons, so he had nineteen starts at
Eastern Michigan. Came to Missouri this past season where his
brother played, Eric Johnson, who was a fourth or fifth
round pick. I believe by the Colts. We had him
out at the NFLPA Collegiate Ball a couple of years back.
So the bloodlines are strong. You mentioned the arm length right,
(08:39):
thirty three inch arms and a seven foot wingspan right,
so he's got the length to survive at the next level.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Now, my understanding is he was the highest.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
Paid undrafted free agent in terms of guaranteed money. I
think they gave him one hundred and seventy thousand guaranteed.
So what does that mean. He's gonna have every opportunity
to stick. The Giants did not use an offensive a
draft pick on an offensive lineman, as you know, they
decided to kind of rebuild through free agency. So to me,
(09:12):
this is their developmental swing tackle that they stash on
the practice squad, try to bring them along NFL bloodlines. Again,
extreme athleticism when you talk about these players, thirty bench
press reps and a thirty one and a half inch
vertical at three hundred and thirteen pounds. Again, quite the
(09:32):
impressive athletic specimen.
Speaker 5 (09:35):
You love turf, you're.
Speaker 6 (09:36):
Good at it, so you start a turf This business grows,
your savings grow, become the most celebrated name in turfs
are you ready for all that life brings.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Absolutely, And you hope with Carmen Barsoll, the Giants offensive
line coach, you can develop those two players down the road.
All right, let's jump over to the defensive side of
the ball. Rick, we'll start the line of scrimmage. Rogers
and again it's a theme. Really good athlete.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
Yeah, he came over from Nebraska, started his first year
at Oregon. Was more of a rotational guy this past season.
But man, when you're a three hundred pounder and you
run four eight six in the forty yard dash, I
mean that is rare. Now he's got a thirty five
inch vertical jump, which is unbelievable. Right, he's jumping as
(10:27):
high as a year as Sante from Wyoming that we
just talked about.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
So again, explosion, lower body, quick off, the get off.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
He does now show some interior pass rush, which is
where the value is right, so he can get after
the quarterback. I think he had six sacks over the
last two seasons. A bunch of plays behind the line
of scrimmage, so he can blow up the backfield, wreak havoc,
get after the quarterback again. You know, young athletic developmental guy.
You you want to bring these guys along. Hopefully they're
(10:57):
not playing as soon as this season. But again, it's
the traits, right they they the Giants did a great
job identifying players who have the skill set and traits
that they're looking for to slide into their scheme.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Yeah, and his Ajode numbers were really good too.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
And I think you know this just stream screams three
technique to me, rack And that's a spot where the
Giants I think would have liked to add somebody, you know,
losing Leonard Williams in the trade last year, they really
didn't bring in a true three technique this offseason. And
I think this is a guy that at least fits
that profile that you think maybe you can develop into
a player that can help you there.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
Yeah, and another somewhat local guy. He's from upstate New
York there in Syracuse. So another feel good story for
fans to root for.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
All Right, I'm gonna hopefully I got the pronunciation right here.
You got linebacker out of lsu Ovi Agufo, and if
the Giants looking for some pass rushelp, he might be
able to give it to you.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Even though we might be a little bit undersized.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
Yeah, you know, he played. He's got the pedigree, right.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
He started at Notre Dame, transferred to Texas, andish is
at LSU. That's the modern day NFL draft prospect. By
by the way, five years ago you would have been
red flagged for that, but now it's kind of common practice.
Twenty and a half tackles for loss, nine and a
half sacks. So to your point, he can bring some
of that past rush ability. He played that jack kind
(12:18):
of star strong side linebacker role for the Tigers, so
you know he can drop back and coverage a little
bit and cover he can get after the quarterback. Maybe
a guy that can be moved around as a versatile backup.
I think that's what you're getting here again, big time pedigree.
So those are the kind of guys you want to
roll the dice on when you're looking at those undrafted
(12:40):
free agents.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
And then Alex Johnson defensive back at ucl Any. Think
that jumps out to me is five interceptions last year,
so he's got a nose for the ball.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
Yeah, again, another one of these guys. The Giants paid
big money in terms of guarantees for an undrafted guy
one hundred and fifteen thousand dollars guaranteed, is my understanding,
So that means they like him. He's gonna have every
opportunity now to win a spot or stick around on
the practice squad, mostly a special teamer there throughout his career,
(13:09):
got elevated to a starting role this past season, exploded
onto the radar with five interceptions, didn't do enough to
get drafted right six foot and four eight inches four
four eight forty thirty seven inch vert. So again, the
athleticism is there a buck eighty five at that frame,
that size, that height probably wants.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
To add a little bit of bulk there.
Speaker 4 (13:32):
But when you talk about nose for the football ball instincts, again,
athleticism probably could play inside outside, So versatility there, I
think with the special team's element, this is a kid
who has an opportunity to make the fifty three man roster,
contribute on special teams, add some versatility there as a
(13:53):
cornerback five, and they gave him that guaranteed money.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
So keep an out eye out on this young man.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Yeah, and look, the Giants drafted one corner but they
still a widal But competition really for both those cornerback
spots and just born a veteran David Long Junior, so
he'll have an opportunity. We'll see if he can earn
his way onto the field. You mentioned specials there, and
Rick the last guy's a special teamer from Rutgers in Jersey.
Give us the lowdown on the kicker the Giants brought in.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Yeah, well you might. You might find him at the
local Irish pub there.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
He's from Ireland, you know, so maybe some International Pathway
program eligibility.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
Here is my guess.
Speaker 4 (14:30):
Set a school record at Rutgers this past year with
forty touchbacks, so he's got a boot.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
He can kick at the distance.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
Now, his longest field goal this past year was only
forty nine yards. Again, playing in Jersey, you got that
Northeast weather, especially late in the season. But he was
pretty accurate twelve of eighteen his loan year in Rutgers.
He actually transferred from DT Chowing and kind of made
a name for himself at Rutgers.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
So we'll see.
Speaker 4 (14:55):
You know, I don't know if he is going to
stick around with the special teams and that the Giants
already have.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
But again, if he is eligibly eligible.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
For that IPP not a bad insurance policy to have
hanging around.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
Yeah, and with those with that extended practice squad. Graham
Gano is a veteran kicker. You probably want to save
his leg at least in the spring a little bit,
especially coming off his injury last year. So who's the
guy that can obviously take some of those reps? All right,
let's get to the drafted class here, Rick, But first
I want to remind fans that the Giants Little Podcast
is brought to you by Citizens, the official bank of.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
The Giants from game data.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
Every day, Citizens is made ready for Giants fans with insights, guidance,
and solutions. Learn more citizens bank dot com. All right,
let's start.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Let's work backwards. We went undrafted frigents first, Let's start
the last pick. It will work our way into the
first one.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
So we're gonna start with Darius Mussau, the linebacker out
of UCLA recking.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
This is a guy you watch him on tape. He's twitchy.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
You kind of like his fast reaction stuff, a little undersized,
he screams. Start off on special teams and hope you
can work him into the defense somehow.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
Yeah, that's exactly where right. He can be a special
teams contributor. From day one. I saw him on one
of these All Star Games. He was lined wide out
like seven techniques coming off the edge, right.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
So I think he can blitch.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
He can blitch.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Yeah, he's got some get off now.
Speaker 4 (16:14):
And I think that's where, like, if he does develop
a role at the next level, it's gonna be that.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Situational pass rusher.
Speaker 4 (16:20):
Throw him in there on third down and hey, go
get the quarterback because he is quick, he's got that bend,
he can dip around, get underneath. Like you said, very twitchy.
I think there's again a lot of athletic upside here.
I don't have his numbers in front of me, but man,
when I saw him at the All Star Game and
that burst off the line of scrimmage, you know, we
all turned to each other and said, hey, make a note.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
Yeah, I'm not sure he has the long speed you're
looking for.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
With that short area stuff and the start and stop,
I think it's impressive. And when you're playing that position
around a lot of scrimmage, to me, that's almost more important. Correct,
All right, let's go pick number This would be round
number five. Tyrone Tracy running back out of a per
do by way of Iowa by way of wide receiver
and now running back. And he was a fun watch
(17:06):
on tape rig watching him before the draft. You know,
it reminds me of like you have, like a very
athletic kid, but he never played a sport before, and
you just throw him in there and he starts running
around and he succeeds, but you're not quite sure he
knows how he's succeeding, but he is. And that's what
Timer Tracy, and that's supposed to be a compliment. That's
how he looks at running back. To me, he just
is a really good athlete.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
Yeah, a tadpole, right, figure it out.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
Yeah, I'll tell you, man, this is probably my personal
favorite selection. And I think this kid is going to
really become a fan favorite. In fact, you talk about
the multi dimensional ability similar to a sa Kwon Barkley, right,
And I'm not talking about he is, say Kwon Barkley.
But what I'm saying is you mentioned the wide receiver background.
(17:51):
He's an incredible pass catcher. He could even line up
in the slot. He brings return experience as well. So
when you talk about doing all these things, you've got
a four down back who can play all three downs.
He can play special teams, and I'm.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
Telling you what.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
I might be going out on a limb here, but
I think when you take a look at the Giants
backfield in terms of all purpose yards, I would not
be surprised if Tyrone Tracy is sitting atop the leaderboard
on this Giants roster. I really think he's gonna carve
out a very big niche and a big role in
this Giants offense.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Yeah, I'm curious talking to coaches and scouts. You mentioned
the return game. To me, I think Tyrone Tracy is
built perfectly to be your kick returner in this new
kick return system. Talking to scouts and coaches, what type
of player do you think they are looking for in
that kick return role? They're looking for more of a
running back type, more of your tiny slot wide receiver type.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
Or is it going to vary from team to team.
Speaker 4 (18:50):
No, So, I've studied this kickoff rule in the XFL extensively.
So what you want is a guy with burst that
can explode through the first line of scrimmage and make
a quick decise decision.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
Right.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
You want a guy with vision that gets through the
hole because remember now there is no second and third level, right,
So you have to create that way. You have to
create that And so if you can bust through that
line of scrimmage, there's really not busters on the other
side coming down. It's kind of neutralized, you know, the
speed and the strength, Like everybody's just kind of in
(19:23):
that five ten yard short area radius. So if you
got a guy like Tracy, you can bust through that
first line and just go, baby go.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
That's exactly what you want.
Speaker 4 (19:32):
A guy with vision, quickness, quick decision making, doesn't hesitate.
You don't want that pity pattern. Now, you just want
to hit that hole and explode.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
It almost feels like you want a guy that would
be good at in the outside zone scheme. Right, that
kind of just probes, probes, hits the thing and then
boom gets a field one cut runner.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Right.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Yeah, and then I think you see a lot of
that too. And we mentioned the undrafted kid.
Speaker 4 (19:52):
I hear Asante, right, So they have a backup option
if Tracy does get elevated to a starting role or
there's an injury.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
They got a contingency plan as well.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
And we'll get to the Giants first round pick. Boy
who in a big spot. If you want to put
pinback the at a return a kicker too. I would
not necessarily have a problem with that either. But we'll
get there. We'll get there, all right. Let's keep sliding
back here. THEO Johnson, it was the Giants' first day
three pick Reckon. You know, we've kind of talked about
how they drafted a lot of really good athletes, and
he's on top of the list, ninety eighth percentile tight
(20:22):
end wise. He's got the frame, he's got size, he's
got the athleticism. He just came from an offense at
Penn State that didn't utilize him or brillied the passing
game for that matter a ton.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
Well, I'll tell you, John, I went up to the
Penn State training camp and I said, holy golly, they
got about three or four tight ends just hanging out
that could play at the next level. In fact, Dinkins,
the former Giant, has a son up there the tight end.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
Keep a lookout for him.
Speaker 4 (20:48):
But yeah, you know, they have so many competent tight
ends there at Penn State.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
The thing with THEO Johnson is he's just raw. Again.
Speaker 4 (20:56):
We talked about, you know, the route running there. He's athletic, Heck,
he's fast, but you know, he's got to sharpen some
of those cuts coming in and out of his brakes.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
That's why he fell today three.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
But when you talk about upside in this year's tight
end class, you know, he has all those physical attributes
that the one Darren Waller possessed coming out of college.
Now not as sharp as a route runner because Waller
was a wide receiver coming out. I think THEO Johnson
is gonna kind of be baptism by fire here. They're
gonna need him to play some kind of role early on,
(21:30):
I believe. So he's gonna have to learn on the fly.
He's got a lot to learn between now and training camp.
But he's a young, bright man Canadian born, by the way,
and I think he'll do well now.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
He's big, He's not a big frame Reik and Penn
State did ask him to play in line.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
What's his upside as a blocker in your opinion?
Speaker 4 (21:47):
You know, I think it's still a work in progress, right, Like,
he's so big that it's kind of a struggle for
him to stay low and get down in that crouch
and really drive the opponent. So that's something else he's
gonna just have to polish up the technique.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
All right, let's jumped around three Andrew Phillips out of Kentucky.
Rick and I said this throughout the process, I had
a lot of trouble this year stacking day two corners.
Just you know, nobody tested off the charts. Everyone was
kind of in that high four to four low four
five area. Some of the guys that didn't test well
had good tape. The guys that didn't have good tape
tested a little bit better. So I you know, I
(22:22):
love Mike Sanser still, he was my number one Day
two corner, but once I got past him, you know,
a lot of these guys for me, were kind of
jumbled up. And I liked what Phillips did because he
was multifaceted. He played inside, he played outside, He was tough,
he tried to tackle, he was physical. What were your
thoughts on Phillips coming out of Kentucky, Woo.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
I'll tell you what.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
I really wasn't too familiar with him until we got
to the draft process right into January and February, and
I can't remember if I saw him at the Senior
Ball or the combine.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
He was senior ball, he was senior ball, Okay.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
So I just remember being down there on the field
and sometimes John, like you've I've seen so many guys
in your head that you just like when you.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
See it, you know it.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
And like this dude's change of direction, instincts, his reaction skills.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
To me, they were off the charts.
Speaker 4 (23:12):
I said, Man, there's like something rare and unique about
this guy's his reaction, his change of direction. Now to
your point, you know, we've we've become accustomed now in
these draft classes, like almost every corner is six foot
and runs in the four to four.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
Like it's unbelievable how much it's evolved.
Speaker 4 (23:30):
So I think Phillips came in at like five eleven
and four or five two, which.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
Is, you know, downgraded in the modern day NFL.
Speaker 4 (23:37):
Right, not the ideal height, not the ideal speed, but
definitely adequate enough to hang. I think he's gonna be
a rookie impact contributor for the Big Blue.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
You like him inside, you like him outside better.
Speaker 4 (23:49):
Probably inside. I think he starts there and works his
way out.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
Yeah, And and it sounds like that's that the Giant's
gonna use him too. All right, let's go to stay
in the secondary let's go to Tyler Nuban safety out
of mind. And I don't understand why some people would
have other stafeties ahead of them, because I think other
guys are more depth to playing man. If you want
to have your safety play a little bit more man coverage, Rick,
but the Giants are going to play a lot of
his own. They play a lot of split stafy. You know,
Seaine Bowl played a lot of split safety at Tennessee.
(24:15):
And I think when you look at Nuban and his
ability to read the quarterback and anticipate and get to
the football and play the position with his mind and
be a cerebral player, I think you have to love
what he brings to the field as a experienced guy
that played over and started over forty games at Minnesota.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
Yeah, Man, row the boat.
Speaker 4 (24:34):
I'll tell you, I'm so happy he came to the
Giants because this was one of my favorite players in
the entire draft. He's got an open invite to come
down fishing with me here at the Jersey shore because
he's a baiton hooke guy.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
He's a baiting hook guy.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
He will bake the quarterback now and hook that interception.
I think he had something like thirteen career interceptions. Unbelievable
ball instincts. He truly is a coach on the field.
When you talk about all that experience he brings to
the table, you look at how he communicates pre snap coverage,
making sure his teammates are in.
Speaker 3 (25:05):
The right spot.
Speaker 4 (25:07):
Now, I think he struggled with some injuries this year,
so his draft stock was downgraded. But man, I'll tell
you what number one safety on the board on my
draft board, and I think the Giants got a good
one here man plug and play starter from day one,
Tyler Nuben Man, Oh, defensive playmaker.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
I love it.
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All right, now, let's finish with the crown jewel. Here, Rick,
when you're picking sixth overall, you expect to get a
really good football player, and I think the Giants did
do that with the league. Neighbors again and the way
(26:01):
I freezed it, best player in the class, any position
with the ball in his hands. So give me your
breakdown of Neighbors as a player on the field.
Speaker 3 (26:10):
Oh yeah, I mean he could do it all right.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
He could take the top off the defense, He can
operate in space. You just want to get the ball
in his hands and let him do work. I mean
the Giants failed to really get a true number one
wide receiver here in recent years. Jalen Hyatt was a
guy where I'm not sure they really know how to
use them because like he exploded, he had a big game,
(26:32):
then he went disappearing. So I think the addition of
Neighbors is also going to help the development Hyatt because
he's not going to be dependent upon so much to
come in and like, hey, we need you to make plays. No,
you line up two guys. Now you got two speed
burners who can stretch the field. You put them on
the opposite ends, and now you have some weapons that
(26:52):
can stretch the field that don't necessarily have to do
work in the short and intermediate game, and you could
put points up on the board in the blink of
an eye that's been missing since Odell Beckham junior.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
Right, So I get the LSU appeal. I mean, I'm
a big fan of Neighbors.
Speaker 4 (27:09):
I think this guy has the potential to be a
Pro Bowl caliber player in year one if the quarterback
can get him the football.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
Look, and I think he's a force multiplayer and the
wide receiver you mentioned it, right, I think he makes
high it better. And I'm curious to see how they
use him and Waldel Robinson, who both can play inside
and Neighbors has the flexibility to go outside as well.
They're both good run after the catch. I'm curious to
see how those two guys will work together on the field.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (27:33):
Well, they have a lot of guys who can operate
in space now and again they've acquired the speed the
athleticism on the roster, but the speed at wide receiver position.
That tells me they're gonna test defenses downfield a little
bit more, make them respect that deep ball, and that
opens up the running game, right, And I think that's
what the route the Giants really have.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
To go Yeah, and I heard those same whispers about
neighbors that you did, and I've asked. We had a
bunch of people from LSU come on our show talk
about it, and everyone has pretty much said that, yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
We didn't experience that with him.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
So the reviews that I've gone for people that around
him at LSU have been positive. And I think the
Giants and Brian Dieble have created a pretty good environment
here in order to try to help these guys along.
So if he can realize all that talent, I think
right away he's going to be the Giants leading target getter,
and I think he can be a real impact.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
Player right away.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
So your overall thoughts Rick on the Giants class and
kind of how they went about their business this year.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
Yeah, I thought like if I was giving a report
guard grade, which we all like to do, I'd give
it a B. You know, obviously, I think it's a
five year window before you can truly grade a draft class.
But you talk about limited picks and making the most
with those picks. They identified the offensive line need, I
think in the offseason, so they kind of took that
off the draft board said hey, let's operate within you know,
(28:54):
the skill positions. Let's build up some of that defensive depth.
So overall, I think they found themselves too really quality
starters and neighbors and nuban, which you know, picking with
just five picks. I think if you land two starters,
special teams, contributor and are able to accumulate some depth
(29:15):
to solid draft, and.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
Then I should have ask this you off to talk
considering we started the undrafted free agents. But coming into
this process, a lot of people told me that it
was going to be a tougher undrafted free agent class
just because so many collegians went back to school with
the extra COVID year nil and stuff like that. Did
you find that, like the back end of this draft,
round six and seven and then the UDFA class was
(29:38):
a little bit shallower than in most years.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
I've heard this too. I don't know if I subscribe
to that philosophy. Well, I asked you, Yeah, you know,
I just think that.
Speaker 4 (29:48):
Every year we see guys in the late rounds and
the undrafted they go on they start, it's really just
about doing the due diligence, doing the homework, really knowing
these guys. I think there is somewhat of what I
noticed in terms of just older prospects, just a lot
of twenty five year old rookies. Guys are gonna be
(30:09):
twenty six years. We're gonna see another year or two
of this, like Cam Rising is a seventh year senior quarterback.
I mean, these things were unheard of, but because of
that COVID nineteen, the eligibility, combined with the NIL and
the transfer portal, you're seeing, you know, amateurism is no more.
It's basically a professional game at the collegiate level. So
(30:32):
you know when my final year we didn't have the
NFL PA ball this past season, but our last year
doing it two years ago, we lost about thirty or
forty guys that were like Day three fringe players that
went back and got.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
The NIL money they played for.
Speaker 4 (30:47):
You know, fifty one hundred and fifty thousand exhausted that eligibility,
and I.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
Think you're going to continue to see more of that.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
All right.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
The final question, I know you haven't done like your
full review of the draft, but just from watching it
the way you did, anything stick out at you, anything
strike you that you would like to get off your
chest about what happened on the twenty twenty four NFL drafts.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
From just an overall league perspective.
Speaker 1 (31:09):
You can take it from any perspective you like my
friend anything.
Speaker 3 (31:11):
Thanks buckle up.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
I'm a big Michael Pennix fan, and I think what
the Atlanta Falcons did was a stroke a genius. You
get a guy like Kirk Cousins, who's the ultimate hold
the fort guy. You want to be competitive, you want
to be a con contender. Cool, let's go get Kirk
Cousins because he's going to elevate our competition level. Now
(31:33):
have we forgotten this is not a prime time performer. Literally,
he's only won one playoff game in twelve years, so
he can take you only so far. In my opinion,
you got a kid in Pennix to me, who can
make all the throws, who wins from the pocket. He's
the best pocket passer in the NFL draft that still
(31:53):
wins in the NFL last time I checked. So now
you've got a guy that doesn't need to be forced
into the starting role. You can hand the keys to
the Cadillac over when he's ready. And oh, by the way,
you can probably still recoup a first round pick, if
not more, for Kirk Cousins. If that scenario happened. So
I thought what the Atlanta Falcons did was an awesome move.
(32:14):
They set themselves up for the short term to compete
for the division, and now they have the long term future.
A guy that I can rest my head on the
pillow envisioning Michael Pennix holding a Vince Lombardi trophy because Kirk,
I love you, but you're not it.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
See.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
I love the varying perspectives. Rick, awesome stuff. Once again,
tell the folks with you and find all your good stuff.
Speaker 3 (32:36):
Yeah, all Access football dot com.
Speaker 4 (32:38):
You know I'll be up in Canada with the Edmonton Elks,
the training camp going on there, and you know on
the Twitter verse on x at Rick Saraatella. Always appreciate
you having me on. We've been doing this for quite
some time and I'm sure I'll see yeah rookie camp,
mini camp, training camp somewhere in between, Johns.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
I always love chat with your Rick.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
Always a pleasure, Rick Saraateella All Access Football check it out.
Thanks for joining us on the Giants Little podcast. Everybody
brought to you by Citizens The Official Bank of the Giants.
Will have a report on what happened at Rookie Mintcamp
next week he is to continue to dive into this
Giants draft class.
Speaker 1 (33:09):
Thanks for being with us, We'll see you next time.
It's time to get inside the Giants. Hulet's go, Let's go,
Let's go.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Alliance dunt coet on My Giants Bubble, give me some Job,
part of the Giants Podcast Network.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Let's roll.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Welcome to another edition of the Giants Little Podcast, brought
to you by Citizens, the official bank of the New
York Football Giants. I am John Schmelk and we're joined
by front of the program. We've been probably doing this
Rick for probably almost ten years now. Rick Saraatella, who
has about two million jobs. So I'm gonna let him
tell you where you can find all stuff because I've
lost track.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Yeah, John, how you doing? Man?
Speaker 4 (00:32):
Been a great Another draft run our twenty third year
of draft coverage at the NFL Draft Bible, which can
be found over at all Access football dot com. You know,
we're easy to find. You can follow us on x
for all the latest and the greatest stuff and looking
forward to chopping up big Blue style.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
You know, we go deep, we do.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
And Rick's also Scouting's out there, he's writing, maggot, he's deans,
he's doing everything.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
He's he's all over the place doing a lot of work.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
So we're gonna work backwards here because we've covered the
draft class a lot, but we haven't really gone into
the undrafted free agent class, and with rookie mintiecam getting
going this weekend, we want to kind of dive into
them first. Then we'll give Rick a chance to talk
about the draft class too. So we're gonna go one
by one year in terms of the guys that the
Giants have signed. Rick, So let's start with John Giles,
(01:18):
wide receiver out of West Florida.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
You're familiar with the Argonauts.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
I'm not sure you're familiar with the West Florida Argonauts,
though you're probably bore the the Canadian variety. But big kids,
almost sixty three, two hundred and twenty pounds.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
Yes, And I'm gonna give you a funny John Giles
story in a second. But I want to talk about
the undrafted free agent process real quickly here, because on
any given season, data tells us that between twenty seven
to thirty three percent of every fifty three man roster
consists of undrafted free agents. So I think it's, you know,
a very important element in terms of your scouting department
(01:55):
and guys that fall.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Through the cracks.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
You know, this is really how the bottom of your
roster shapes up, and a guy like John Giles.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
You know, I get a.
Speaker 4 (02:05):
Call about halfway through the season from our general manager
at the Edmonton Elks. He says, Hey, there's a guy
down in West Florida. I need you to go check
him out.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
He's a big, long, physical wide receiver.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Dominating the D two level. So I go check check
him out, John, and he is. You know, he's big.
He's six foot two and six ' eighth inches, two
hundred and twenty pounds and clearly was faster than the
level of competition down there. Now, kind of a one
trick pony right game speed, a lot of just fly patterns.
(02:38):
Just dominating with speed can go up vertically, makes those
contested catches love it. Transfer from Virginia Union now physical
off the line of scrimmage, his get off is strong.
He's a raw route runner, right, So if the Giants
keep him around, he's probably gonna have to stick on
(02:58):
the practice squad learn how to run extended roundtree.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
But I'll tell you what we did.
Speaker 4 (03:05):
Wind up putting him on our necklist up in Edmonton.
So those who aren't familiar with the Canadian Football League
how that works. If he does not last in the
NFL and decides to come up north to play in Canada.
Edmonton actually owns his rights.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
And D two program.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Over sixty catches, over twelve hundred yards, double digit touchdowns. Again,
a very productive player. Ran a four or five four
forty yard dash.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
So, and I will say one thing, yeah, another thing.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
There's a guy there and I'm so I'm watching number
zero Giles on West Florida. There's another kid coming next year,
number six, almost in the same mold.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
So keeping high West Florida. There's something in the water
down there.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Well, there's you know what, there's a lot of kids
coming out of Florida looking for places to play football.
Sol not surprised. Let's stay with the wide receivers here,
Rick and the guy that I, frankly had trouble finding
a lot of info on. Is I hear Asante a
wide receiver out of Wyoming. He's the opposite right, smaller guy,
not even eighty one pounds, not super productive, but you
(04:07):
could see some of the traits.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Well, I'll tell you what.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
I was down at the Tropical Bowl down in Orlando
during the All Star circuit, and this kid created a
little bit of buzz. There was some scouts asking me like,
is he going to get drafted? I said, ah, you know,
he's on the fringe. New Jersey product Franklin Township played
ball at Jersey City Saint Peter's went to two state championships.
(04:31):
I want you to think Kadarius Tony from a talent
level standpoint in terms of how he would be utilized.
Because he's an all purpose guy. He's going to line
up in the backfield. He's going to be used on
end rounds. I think where he might be able to
provide some competition in training camp is in the return game,
right because he's an excellent punt returner.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
You got the new kickoff rule.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
You mentioned these undersized He came in at five nine
and six eight inches four point five to two forty one.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Thing else.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
So I wanted to mention about this Giant's undrafted free
agent class and their draft class. They went with athleticism
across the board. If you notice that explosiveness, athleticism all
these guys have most for the most part, tested well.
And Ayasante is another one thirty six inch vert okay,
and he's a guy that is going to really have
(05:21):
to work his way on special teams.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
But I think he's got a shot.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
There was another kid from Central Michigan they had in
camp a couple of years ago. He reminds me of
so I think he'll get an opportunity to stick around
see if he can showcase some of that explosiveness. But hey,
under the radar guy made a buzz for himself down
there at the Tropical Bowl.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Local product. I'm excited for him.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Yeah, eight take returns for one hundred and sixty six yards.
He was a returner throughout his years and squad and
ran a four to one four shuttle too, So another
good testing mark.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Yes, in terms of his agility.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
All right, let's those are the only two skill guys,
so let's stick on the offensive side of the ball.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
North Dakota Skate Rick.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
He that is not a Power five team, but the
way they've played them in South Dakota State now has
really developed a lot of really good NFL players. Jake
Kubas an offensive tackle six three seven. You talk about
a good athlete. He had nine to four to four
RAS score. For people that don't know what that is,
I mean he basically tested in the ninety fourth percentile
for all offensive tackles tested over the past thirty years
(06:23):
and again just a lot of good traits and he
comes from a really good program.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Yeah again athleticism.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
Right, we talked about John Giles, the wide receiver who
jumped thirty four inches. Well here comes Kubas one hundred
pounds heavier. He jumped thirty one inches John, So you
know he's got crazy ups athleticism. Three year starter. At
one point he actually had forty one consecutive starts there
for the boyson until injury ended that one, mostly.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
At the guard spot. Right.
Speaker 4 (06:56):
So he's the guy now that is going to probably
be one of these pulling gets into the second level
with that speed, quickness, athleticism, agility.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Now, the issue here is.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
The girth, right, Like he comes from the FCS not
quite the best strengthen conditioning program. So what I'm seeing
here is probably a guy your red shirt him on
the practice squad. Get him with that NFL strength and
conditioning program, bulk him up a little bit. He did
do twenty eight bench press reps, so the strength is there.
He just needs to get the frame bigger for the
(07:30):
next level. But I think a guy who could probably
be like a swingman interior. Maybe the Giants test him
out at center. See if he can snap the ball
a little bit, that would definitely extend his chances to
get a longer look see in training camp.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Yeah, six four three or eight, that's gonna be a
little slender to be in there paneling with guards off
the top of You're right, he's gonna have to work
on Element thirty three and DRAMs though. That's very good length,
especially if you're gonna play inside. And you mentioned a
three year starter or right guard. Last year, according I
think PFF had him for no sacks Allott at only
ten pressures. So certainly productive player there. Daniel Marcellus Johnson
(08:03):
out of Missouri six four three thirteen over thirty three
inch arms. An ankle injury kept him out a lot
of twenty twenty three, right, but if you would have
played in twenty twenty three, this guy probably would have
been drafted.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
So he came over from Eastern Michigan where he did
start for two seasons, so he had nineteen starts at
Eastern Michigan. Came to Missouri this past season where his
brother played, Eric Johnson, who was a fourth or fifth
round pick. I believe by the Colts. We had him
out at the NFLPA Collegiate Ball a couple of years back.
So the bloodlines are strong. You mentioned the arm length right,
(08:39):
thirty three inch arms and a seven foot wingspan right,
so he's got the length to survive at the next level.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Now, my understanding is he was the highest.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
Paid undrafted free agent in terms of guaranteed money. I
think they gave him one hundred and seventy thousand guaranteed.
So what does that mean. He's gonna have every opportunity
to stick. The Giants did not use an offensive a
draft pick on an offensive lineman, as you know, they
decided to kind of rebuild through free agency. So to me,
(09:12):
this is their developmental swing tackle that they stash on
the practice squad, try to bring them along NFL bloodlines. Again,
extreme athleticism when you talk about these players, thirty bench
press reps and a thirty one and a half inch
vertical at three hundred and thirteen pounds. Again, quite the
(09:32):
impressive athletic specimen.
Speaker 5 (09:35):
You love turf, you're.
Speaker 6 (09:36):
Good at it, so you start a turf This business grows,
your savings grow, become the most celebrated name in turfs
are you ready for all that life brings.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Absolutely, And you hope with Carmen Barsoll, the Giants offensive
line coach, you can develop those two players down the road.
All right, let's jump over to the defensive side of
the ball. Rick, we'll start the line of scrimmage. Rogers
and again it's a theme. Really good athlete.
Speaker 4 (10:07):
Yeah, he came over from Nebraska, started his first year
at Oregon. Was more of a rotational guy this past season.
But man, when you're a three hundred pounder and you
run four eight six in the forty yard dash, I
mean that is rare. Now he's got a thirty five
inch vertical jump, which is unbelievable. Right, he's jumping as
(10:27):
high as a year as Sante from Wyoming that we
just talked about.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
So again, explosion, lower body, quick off, the get off.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
He does now show some interior pass rush, which is
where the value is right, so he can get after
the quarterback. I think he had six sacks over the
last two seasons. A bunch of plays behind the line
of scrimmage, so he can blow up the backfield, wreak havoc,
get after the quarterback again. You know, young athletic developmental guy.
You you want to bring these guys along. Hopefully they're
(10:57):
not playing as soon as this season. But again, it's
the traits, right they they the Giants did a great
job identifying players who have the skill set and traits
that they're looking for to slide into their scheme.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Yeah, and his Ajode numbers were really good too.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
And I think you know this just stream screams three
technique to me, rack And that's a spot where the
Giants I think would have liked to add somebody, you know,
losing Leonard Williams in the trade last year, they really
didn't bring in a true three technique this offseason. And
I think this is a guy that at least fits
that profile that you think maybe you can develop into
a player that can help you there.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
Yeah, and another somewhat local guy. He's from upstate New
York there in Syracuse. So another feel good story for
fans to root for.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
All Right, I'm gonna hopefully I got the pronunciation right here.
You got linebacker out of lsu Ovi Agufo, and if
the Giants looking for some pass rushelp, he might be
able to give it to you.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
Even though we might be a little bit undersized.
Speaker 3 (11:53):
Yeah, you know, he played. He's got the pedigree, right.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
He started at Notre Dame, transferred to Texas, andish is
at LSU. That's the modern day NFL draft prospect. By
by the way, five years ago you would have been
red flagged for that, but now it's kind of common practice.
Twenty and a half tackles for loss, nine and a
half sacks. So to your point, he can bring some
of that past rush ability. He played that jack kind
(12:18):
of star strong side linebacker role for the Tigers, so
you know he can drop back and coverage a little
bit and cover he can get after the quarterback. Maybe
a guy that can be moved around as a versatile backup.
I think that's what you're getting here again, big time pedigree.
So those are the kind of guys you want to
roll the dice on when you're looking at those undrafted
(12:40):
free agents.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
And then Alex Johnson defensive back at ucl Any. Think
that jumps out to me is five interceptions last year,
so he's got a nose for the ball.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
Yeah, again, another one of these guys. The Giants paid
big money in terms of guarantees for an undrafted guy
one hundred and fifteen thousand dollars guaranteed, is my understanding,
So that means they like him. He's gonna have every
opportunity now to win a spot or stick around on
the practice squad, mostly a special teamer there throughout his career,
(13:09):
got elevated to a starting role this past season, exploded
onto the radar with five interceptions, didn't do enough to
get drafted right six foot and four eight inches four
four eight forty thirty seven inch vert. So again, the
athleticism is there a buck eighty five at that frame,
that size, that height probably wants.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
To add a little bit of bulk there.
Speaker 4 (13:32):
But when you talk about nose for the football ball instincts, again,
athleticism probably could play inside outside, So versatility there, I
think with the special team's element, this is a kid
who has an opportunity to make the fifty three man roster,
contribute on special teams, add some versatility there as a
(13:53):
cornerback five, and they gave him that guaranteed money.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
So keep an out eye out on this young man.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Yeah, and look, the Giants drafted one corner but they
still a widal But competition really for both those cornerback
spots and just born a veteran David Long Junior, so
he'll have an opportunity. We'll see if he can earn
his way onto the field. You mentioned specials there, and
Rick the last guy's a special teamer from Rutgers in Jersey.
Give us the lowdown on the kicker the Giants brought in.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Yeah, well you might. You might find him at the
local Irish pub there.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
He's from Ireland, you know, so maybe some International Pathway
program eligibility.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
Here is my guess.
Speaker 4 (14:30):
Set a school record at Rutgers this past year with
forty touchbacks, so he's got a boot.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
He can kick at the distance.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
Now, his longest field goal this past year was only
forty nine yards. Again, playing in Jersey, you got that
Northeast weather, especially late in the season. But he was
pretty accurate twelve of eighteen his loan year in Rutgers.
He actually transferred from DT Chowing and kind of made
a name for himself at Rutgers.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
So we'll see.
Speaker 4 (14:55):
You know, I don't know if he is going to
stick around with the special teams and that the Giants
already have.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
But again, if he is eligibly eligible.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
For that IPP not a bad insurance policy to have
hanging around.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
Yeah, and with those with that extended practice squad. Graham
Gano is a veteran kicker. You probably want to save
his leg at least in the spring a little bit,
especially coming off his injury last year. So who's the
guy that can obviously take some of those reps? All right,
let's get to the drafted class here, Rick, But first
I want to remind fans that the Giants Little Podcast
is brought to you by Citizens, the official bank of.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
The Giants from game data.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
Every day, Citizens is made ready for Giants fans with insights, guidance,
and solutions. Learn more citizens bank dot com. All right,
let's start.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Let's work backwards. We went undrafted frigents first, Let's start
the last pick. It will work our way into the
first one.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
So we're gonna start with Darius Mussau, the linebacker out
of UCLA recking.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
This is a guy you watch him on tape. He's twitchy.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
You kind of like his fast reaction stuff, a little undersized,
he screams. Start off on special teams and hope you
can work him into the defense somehow.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
Yeah, that's exactly where right. He can be a special
teams contributor. From day one. I saw him on one
of these All Star Games. He was lined wide out
like seven techniques coming off the edge, right.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
So I think he can blitch.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
He can blitch.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Yeah, he's got some get off now.
Speaker 4 (16:14):
And I think that's where, like, if he does develop
a role at the next level, it's gonna be that.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Situational pass rusher.
Speaker 4 (16:20):
Throw him in there on third down and hey, go
get the quarterback because he is quick, he's got that bend,
he can dip around, get underneath. Like you said, very twitchy.
I think there's again a lot of athletic upside here.
I don't have his numbers in front of me, but man,
when I saw him at the All Star Game and
that burst off the line of scrimmage, you know, we
all turned to each other and said, hey, make a note.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
Yeah, I'm not sure he has the long speed you're
looking for.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
With that short area stuff and the start and stop,
I think it's impressive. And when you're playing that position
around a lot of scrimmage, to me, that's almost more important. Correct,
All right, let's go pick number This would be round
number five. Tyrone Tracy running back out of a per
do by way of Iowa by way of wide receiver
and now running back. And he was a fun watch
(17:06):
on tape rig watching him before the draft. You know,
it reminds me of like you have, like a very
athletic kid, but he never played a sport before, and
you just throw him in there and he starts running
around and he succeeds, but you're not quite sure he
knows how he's succeeding, but he is. And that's what
Timer Tracy, and that's supposed to be a compliment. That's
how he looks at running back. To me, he just
is a really good athlete.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
Yeah, a tadpole, right, figure it out.
Speaker 4 (17:30):
Yeah, I'll tell you, man, this is probably my personal
favorite selection. And I think this kid is going to
really become a fan favorite. In fact, you talk about
the multi dimensional ability similar to a sa Kwon Barkley, right,
And I'm not talking about he is, say Kwon Barkley.
But what I'm saying is you mentioned the wide receiver background.
(17:51):
He's an incredible pass catcher. He could even line up
in the slot. He brings return experience as well. So
when you talk about doing all these things, you've got
a four down back who can play all three downs.
He can play special teams, and I'm.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
Telling you what.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
I might be going out on a limb here, but
I think when you take a look at the Giants
backfield in terms of all purpose yards, I would not
be surprised if Tyrone Tracy is sitting atop the leaderboard
on this Giants roster. I really think he's gonna carve
out a very big niche and a big role in
this Giants offense.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Yeah, I'm curious talking to coaches and scouts. You mentioned
the return game. To me, I think Tyrone Tracy is
built perfectly to be your kick returner in this new
kick return system. Talking to scouts and coaches, what type
of player do you think they are looking for in
that kick return role? They're looking for more of a
running back type, more of your tiny slot wide receiver type.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
Or is it going to vary from team to team.
Speaker 4 (18:50):
No, So, I've studied this kickoff rule in the XFL extensively.
So what you want is a guy with burst that
can explode through the first line of scrimmage and make
a quick decise decision.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
Right.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
You want a guy with vision that gets through the
hole because remember now there is no second and third level, right,
So you have to create that way. You have to
create that And so if you can bust through that
line of scrimmage, there's really not busters on the other
side coming down. It's kind of neutralized, you know, the
speed and the strength, Like everybody's just kind of in
(19:23):
that five ten yard short area radius. So if you
got a guy like Tracy, you can bust through that
first line and just go, baby go.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
That's exactly what you want.
Speaker 4 (19:32):
A guy with vision, quickness, quick decision making, doesn't hesitate.
You don't want that pity pattern. Now, you just want
to hit that hole and explode.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
It almost feels like you want a guy that would
be good at in the outside zone scheme. Right, that
kind of just probes, probes, hits the thing and then
boom gets a field one cut runner.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
Right.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Yeah, and then I think you see a lot of
that too. And we mentioned the undrafted kid.
Speaker 4 (19:52):
I hear Asante, right, So they have a backup option
if Tracy does get elevated to a starting role or
there's an injury.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
They got a contingency plan as well.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
And we'll get to the Giants first round pick. Boy
who in a big spot. If you want to put
pinback the at a return a kicker too. I would
not necessarily have a problem with that either. But we'll
get there. We'll get there, all right. Let's keep sliding
back here. THEO Johnson, it was the Giants' first day
three pick Reckon. You know, we've kind of talked about
how they drafted a lot of really good athletes, and
he's on top of the list, ninety eighth percentile tight
(20:22):
end wise. He's got the frame, he's got size, he's
got the athleticism. He just came from an offense at
Penn State that didn't utilize him or brillied the passing
game for that matter a ton.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
Well, I'll tell you, John, I went up to the
Penn State training camp and I said, holy golly, they
got about three or four tight ends just hanging out
that could play at the next level. In fact, Dinkins,
the former Giant, has a son up there the tight end.
Speaker 3 (20:47):
Keep a lookout for him.
Speaker 4 (20:48):
But yeah, you know, they have so many competent tight
ends there at Penn State.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
The thing with THEO Johnson is he's just raw. Again.
Speaker 4 (20:56):
We talked about, you know, the route running there. He's athletic, Heck,
he's fast, but you know, he's got to sharpen some
of those cuts coming in and out of his brakes.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
That's why he fell today three.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
But when you talk about upside in this year's tight
end class, you know, he has all those physical attributes
that the one Darren Waller possessed coming out of college.
Now not as sharp as a route runner because Waller
was a wide receiver coming out. I think THEO Johnson
is gonna kind of be baptism by fire here. They're
gonna need him to play some kind of role early on,
(21:30):
I believe. So he's gonna have to learn on the fly.
He's got a lot to learn between now and training camp.
But he's a young, bright man Canadian born, by the way,
and I think he'll do well now.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
He's big, He's not a big frame Reik and Penn
State did ask him to play in line.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
What's his upside as a blocker in your opinion?
Speaker 4 (21:47):
You know, I think it's still a work in progress, right, Like,
he's so big that it's kind of a struggle for
him to stay low and get down in that crouch
and really drive the opponent. So that's something else he's
gonna just have to polish up the technique.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
All right, let's jumped around three Andrew Phillips out of Kentucky.
Rick and I said this throughout the process, I had
a lot of trouble this year stacking day two corners.
Just you know, nobody tested off the charts. Everyone was
kind of in that high four to four low four
five area. Some of the guys that didn't test well
had good tape. The guys that didn't have good tape
tested a little bit better. So I you know, I
(22:22):
love Mike Sanser still, he was my number one Day
two corner, but once I got past him, you know,
a lot of these guys for me, were kind of
jumbled up. And I liked what Phillips did because he
was multifaceted. He played inside, he played outside, He was tough,
he tried to tackle, he was physical. What were your
thoughts on Phillips coming out of Kentucky, Woo.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
I'll tell you what.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
I really wasn't too familiar with him until we got
to the draft process right into January and February, and
I can't remember if I saw him at the Senior
Ball or the combine.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
He was senior ball, he was senior ball, Okay.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
So I just remember being down there on the field
and sometimes John, like you've I've seen so many guys
in your head that you just like when you.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
See it, you know it.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
And like this dude's change of direction, instincts, his reaction skills.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
To me, they were off the charts.
Speaker 4 (23:12):
I said, Man, there's like something rare and unique about
this guy's his reaction, his change of direction. Now to
your point, you know, we've we've become accustomed now in
these draft classes, like almost every corner is six foot
and runs in the four to four.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
Like it's unbelievable how much it's evolved.
Speaker 4 (23:30):
So I think Phillips came in at like five eleven
and four or five two, which.
Speaker 3 (23:34):
Is, you know, downgraded in the modern day NFL.
Speaker 4 (23:37):
Right, not the ideal height, not the ideal speed, but
definitely adequate enough to hang. I think he's gonna be
a rookie impact contributor for the Big Blue.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
You like him inside, you like him outside better.
Speaker 4 (23:49):
Probably inside. I think he starts there and works his
way out.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
Yeah, And and it sounds like that's that the Giant's
gonna use him too. All right, let's go to stay
in the secondary let's go to Tyler Nuban safety out
of mind. And I don't understand why some people would
have other stafeties ahead of them, because I think other
guys are more depth to playing man. If you want
to have your safety play a little bit more man coverage, Rick,
but the Giants are going to play a lot of
his own. They play a lot of split stafy. You know,
Seaine Bowl played a lot of split safety at Tennessee.
(24:15):
And I think when you look at Nuban and his
ability to read the quarterback and anticipate and get to
the football and play the position with his mind and
be a cerebral player, I think you have to love
what he brings to the field as a experienced guy
that played over and started over forty games at Minnesota.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
Yeah, Man, row the boat.
Speaker 4 (24:34):
I'll tell you, I'm so happy he came to the
Giants because this was one of my favorite players in
the entire draft. He's got an open invite to come
down fishing with me here at the Jersey shore because
he's a baiton hooke guy.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
He's a baiting hook guy.
Speaker 4 (24:46):
He will bake the quarterback now and hook that interception.
I think he had something like thirteen career interceptions. Unbelievable
ball instincts. He truly is a coach on the field.
When you talk about all that experience he brings to
the table, you look at how he communicates pre snap coverage,
making sure his teammates are in.
Speaker 3 (25:05):
The right spot.
Speaker 4 (25:07):
Now, I think he struggled with some injuries this year,
so his draft stock was downgraded. But man, I'll tell
you what number one safety on the board on my
draft board, and I think the Giants got a good
one here man plug and play starter from day one,
Tyler Nuben Man, Oh, defensive playmaker.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
I love it.
Speaker 5 (25:23):
You're ready for a change. Payday comes early with Citizens,
So go to that retreat. Knew you moves to the country.
Now you're raising goats and launching a lifestyle brand. Are
you ready for all that life brings?
Speaker 1 (25:39):
Giant fans level winner? It's why they love Citizens.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
They need twenty twenty two best bank in the US
by the banker as the official bank of the Giants
and sponsor of the Huddle, Citizens is made ready for
fans of Big Blue. Learn more citizens bank dot Com.
All right, now, let's finish with the crown jewel. Here, Rick,
when you're picking sixth overall, you expect to get a
really good football player, and I think the Giants did
do that with the league. Neighbors again and the way
(26:01):
I freezed it, best player in the class, any position
with the ball in his hands. So give me your
breakdown of Neighbors as a player on the field.
Speaker 3 (26:10):
Oh yeah, I mean he could do it all right.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
He could take the top off the defense, He can
operate in space. You just want to get the ball
in his hands and let him do work. I mean
the Giants failed to really get a true number one
wide receiver here in recent years. Jalen Hyatt was a
guy where I'm not sure they really know how to
use them because like he exploded, he had a big game,
(26:32):
then he went disappearing. So I think the addition of
Neighbors is also going to help the development Hyatt because
he's not going to be dependent upon so much to
come in and like, hey, we need you to make plays. No,
you line up two guys. Now you got two speed
burners who can stretch the field. You put them on
the opposite ends, and now you have some weapons that
(26:52):
can stretch the field that don't necessarily have to do
work in the short and intermediate game, and you could
put points up on the board in the blink of
an eye that's been missing since Odell Beckham junior.
Speaker 3 (27:06):
Right, So I get the LSU appeal. I mean, I'm
a big fan of Neighbors.
Speaker 4 (27:09):
I think this guy has the potential to be a
Pro Bowl caliber player in year one if the quarterback
can get him the football.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
Look, and I think he's a force multiplayer and the
wide receiver you mentioned it, right, I think he makes
high it better. And I'm curious to see how they
use him and Waldel Robinson, who both can play inside
and Neighbors has the flexibility to go outside as well.
They're both good run after the catch. I'm curious to
see how those two guys will work together on the field.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (27:33):
Well, they have a lot of guys who can operate
in space now and again they've acquired the speed the
athleticism on the roster, but the speed at wide receiver position.
That tells me they're gonna test defenses downfield a little
bit more, make them respect that deep ball, and that
opens up the running game, right, And I think that's
what the route the Giants really have.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
To go Yeah, and I heard those same whispers about
neighbors that you did, and I've asked. We had a
bunch of people from LSU come on our show talk
about it, and everyone has pretty much said that, yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
We didn't experience that with him.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
So the reviews that I've gone for people that around
him at LSU have been positive. And I think the
Giants and Brian Dieble have created a pretty good environment
here in order to try to help these guys along.
So if he can realize all that talent, I think
right away he's going to be the Giants leading target getter,
and I think he can be a real impact.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
Player right away.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
So your overall thoughts Rick on the Giants class and
kind of how they went about their business this year.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
Yeah, I thought like if I was giving a report
guard grade, which we all like to do, I'd give
it a B. You know, obviously, I think it's a
five year window before you can truly grade a draft class.
But you talk about limited picks and making the most
with those picks. They identified the offensive line need, I
think in the offseason, so they kind of took that
off the draft board said hey, let's operate within you know,
(28:54):
the skill positions. Let's build up some of that defensive depth.
So overall, I think they found themselves too really quality
starters and neighbors and nuban, which you know, picking with
just five picks. I think if you land two starters,
special teams, contributor and are able to accumulate some depth
(29:15):
to solid draft, and.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
Then I should have ask this you off to talk
considering we started the undrafted free agents. But coming into
this process, a lot of people told me that it
was going to be a tougher undrafted free agent class
just because so many collegians went back to school with
the extra COVID year nil and stuff like that. Did
you find that, like the back end of this draft,
round six and seven and then the UDFA class was
(29:38):
a little bit shallower than in most years.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
I've heard this too. I don't know if I subscribe
to that philosophy. Well, I asked you, Yeah, you know,
I just think that.
Speaker 4 (29:48):
Every year we see guys in the late rounds and
the undrafted they go on they start, it's really just
about doing the due diligence, doing the homework, really knowing
these guys. I think there is somewhat of what I
noticed in terms of just older prospects, just a lot
of twenty five year old rookies. Guys are gonna be
(30:09):
twenty six years. We're gonna see another year or two
of this, like Cam Rising is a seventh year senior quarterback.
I mean, these things were unheard of, but because of
that COVID nineteen, the eligibility, combined with the NIL and
the transfer portal, you're seeing, you know, amateurism is no more.
It's basically a professional game at the collegiate level. So
(30:32):
you know when my final year we didn't have the
NFL PA ball this past season, but our last year
doing it two years ago, we lost about thirty or
forty guys that were like Day three fringe players that
went back and got.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
The NIL money they played for.
Speaker 4 (30:47):
You know, fifty one hundred and fifty thousand exhausted that eligibility,
and I.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
Think you're going to continue to see more of that.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
All right.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
The final question, I know you haven't done like your
full review of the draft, but just from watching it
the way you did, anything stick out at you, anything
strike you that you would like to get off your
chest about what happened on the twenty twenty four NFL drafts.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
From just an overall league perspective.
Speaker 1 (31:09):
You can take it from any perspective you like my
friend anything.
Speaker 3 (31:11):
Thanks buckle up.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
I'm a big Michael Pennix fan, and I think what
the Atlanta Falcons did was a stroke a genius. You
get a guy like Kirk Cousins, who's the ultimate hold
the fort guy. You want to be competitive, you want
to be a con contender. Cool, let's go get Kirk
Cousins because he's going to elevate our competition level. Now
(31:33):
have we forgotten this is not a prime time performer. Literally,
he's only won one playoff game in twelve years, so
he can take you only so far. In my opinion,
you got a kid in Pennix to me, who can
make all the throws, who wins from the pocket. He's
the best pocket passer in the NFL draft that still
(31:53):
wins in the NFL last time I checked. So now
you've got a guy that doesn't need to be forced
into the starting role. You can hand the keys to
the Cadillac over when he's ready. And oh, by the way,
you can probably still recoup a first round pick, if
not more, for Kirk Cousins. If that scenario happened. So
I thought what the Atlanta Falcons did was an awesome move.
(32:14):
They set themselves up for the short term to compete
for the division, and now they have the long term future.
A guy that I can rest my head on the
pillow envisioning Michael Pennix holding a Vince Lombardi trophy because Kirk,
I love you, but you're not it.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
See.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
I love the varying perspectives. Rick, awesome stuff. Once again,
tell the folks with you and find all your good stuff.
Speaker 3 (32:36):
Yeah, all Access football dot com.
Speaker 4 (32:38):
You know I'll be up in Canada with the Edmonton Elks,
the training camp going on there, and you know on
the Twitter verse on x at Rick Saraatella. Always appreciate
you having me on. We've been doing this for quite
some time and I'm sure I'll see yeah rookie camp,
mini camp, training camp somewhere in between, Johns.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
I always love chat with your Rick.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
Always a pleasure, Rick Saraateella All Access Football check it out.
Thanks for joining us on the Giants Little podcast. Everybody
brought to you by Citizens The Official Bank of the Giants.
Will have a report on what happened at Rookie Mintcamp
next week he is to continue to dive into this
Giants draft class.
Speaker 1 (33:09):
Thanks for being with us, We'll see you next time.
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