The New York Giants entered the 2014 NFL Draft with seven picks and just as many needs: tight end, wide receiver, offensive line, defensive tackle, safety, defensive end and as always linebacker. As we take the Giants “Off the Clock”, we’ll break down all seven of their draft picks, continuing with their sixth-round choice:
Round 6; Pick 11 (187th Overall): CB Bennett Jackson, Notre Dame
Measurables: His 4.51 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine is down the list of cornerback prospects but in the range of first-round picks of Kyle Fuller (4.49) and Darqueze Dennard (4.51). Jackson’s three-cone time (7.65) was dead last among covermen, however he crushed it in the short shuttle with a 4.00 (tied for first). That drill is designed to replicate a DB’s ability to mirror wide receivers in and out of breaks. He also flashed explosiveness with a 38” vertical jump (ninth) and a 10’8” broad jump (tied for third). At Notre Dame’s pro day he picked up his straight-line speed with 4.41 and 4.42 40 times. Jackson has good length at 6’0” and average bulk (193 pounds).
Skill Set: A converted receiver, Jackson’s instincts and recognition skills have improved since he switched to defense as a sophomore. As expected, you can count ball skills among his strengths. The former Golden Domer tracks the ball well and has very good hands for a DB. He’s also not afraid to take on blockers and ball carriers in the run game. However, he will need to get bigger and stronger to do so at the NFL level. Added bulk will also help him battle the league’s bigger wide outs.
Value: The Notre Dame product could have easily gone sooner on Day 3, as some gave him a fourth-round grade, which is where I envisioned him going. I thought the G-Men did very well with this selection.
Need: The Giants added free agents Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Walter Thurmond and Zack Bowman, as well as re-signed Trumaine McBride to go with holdovers Prince Amukamara and Jayron Hosley so this was more of a value than a need pick.
Mogollon’s Pick: I’m sticking with Jackson. Why not? I’m a big believer in picking the best available player on the board. I’d rather draft a player who makes the team based on merit rather than default.
Who Did They Pass Up? Looking at the positions the Giants could have addressed with this pick—tight end, offensive line, linebacker, defensive end, safety—there really wasn’t much available which is probably why they went with value. Two seventh rounders that might have better addressed a need are former five-star recruit OT Seantrel Henderson (Miami) and former Baylor S Ahmad Brooks, or maybe even Missouri man Michael Sam, who could have given them a young DE to groom. The two most talented players on the board were probably RB Storm Johnson (UCF) and DT Dan McCullers (Tennessee).
The Fit: The book on Jackson is that he is more of a zone coverman who would struggle in a predominantly man-to-man scheme, which should be fine considering that’s what defensive coordinator Perry Fewell prefers.
2014 Outlook & Beyond: Factoring in how deep the Giants are at the position, Jackson may have to earn his way onto the team by his special teams play, which he’s more than capable of doing. Barring injury he won’t crack the top three, but it’s foreseeable that he could push guys like McBride, Hosley and Bowman for playing time. Even though he slipped to the sixth round, I’m not ready to write off Jackson as a potential starter down the line.
