Over at Big Blue View I speculated recently that if the New York Giants were to do something ‘outside the box’ in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft on Thursday night that might be to grab Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith with their selection at No. 19.
Do I really believe that is what General Manager Jerry Reese will do? Probably not. Most likely he looks at his draft board and takes the best available lineman — offensive or defensive — on the board when the Giants’ turn comes.
Cornerback, though, is an area the Giants should not ignore if a player they really like is available.
New York’s starters are Terrell Thomas and Corey Webster, neither of whom had a great year in 2010. The third corner is Aaron Ross, who has never lived up to his first-round selection (20th overall) in the 2007 draft.
Beyond that, the Giants had a revolving door of cornerback/kick return specialists or guys who were primarily on the roster to play on special teams coverage in 2010.
Analysis: At worst, the Giants could use some depth at this spot. At best, finding a guy who can be a No. 1 corner would dramatically change the back end of the Giants’ defense.