Mel Kiper Jr.'s latest mock draft has the New York Giants selecting Iowa offensive lineman Brandon Scherff with the No. 9 pick in the first round.
It would be an extremely sensible pick for the Giants. Regardless of whether Scherff profiles as a guard or tackle at the NFL level, a strong run-blocking mainstay on the offensive line is something the Giants need for the short term as well as the long. Decay of the offensive line, brought on by years of poor drafts and an inability to develop mid-round picks, is one of the biggest reasons the Giants find themselves in their current sub-.500 rut, and devoting high-end resources to the problem is both the surest and the quickest way to fix it.
My question is whether, when push comes to shove, the Giants would really make a pick like this.
A year ago, when they held the No. 12 pick in the first round, the Giants were choosing between exciting playmaking wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and offensive lineman Zack Martin, a college tackle who profiled as an NFL guard. Giants GM Jerry Reese has said several times that they had Beckham and Martin rated very close together but that given the choice between the playmaker and the offensive lineman that early in the draft, he's always going to take the playmaker.
Obviously, after Beckham's brilliant Rookie of the Year performance, the Giants are happy with the choice they made. But Martin was an All-Pro and a critical part of the division-champion Dallas Cowboys' dominating rushing attack. Neither would have been a bad choice, and the fact is the Giants needed them both.
A year later, with the roster still in rebuild mode, the Giants again have multiple needs. They need long-range answers on the offensive line, yes, but they also need playmakers at all three levels of the defense. So given the choice between a defensive playmaker and an interior offensive lineman, would the Giants break form and go with the less sexy pick? It's possible, but I wouldn't bet on it.
Given the way Mel's mock falls, there are four pass-rushers already off the board by the time the Giants pick. Florida's Dante Fowler and Clemson's Vic Beasley are still on the board, as is Alabama safety Landon Collins, who'd be a strong (and in-character) pick for Reese to make at No. 9.
We have a long way to go before the draft, and obviously evaluations are going to change and shift a lot -- both in mock drafts and in real life. But for the Giants to take an offensive lineman at No. 9 who's not a long-term answer at left tackle would be very much out of character. No matter how much they may need him.