It its latest 2012 NFL Mock Draft, the DraftTek computer simulation has selected Brandon Thompson, a defensive tackle from Clemson, with the 32nd and final selection of the first round.
Draft Tek Giants' analyst Bill Bliss does not seem to be in love with this choice:
"He won't net many sacks, but he's stong as an ox (35 bench reps at Combine) and will attract double teams, freeing up the other linemen to wreak havoc in the backfield. NYG has a solid set of DTs in Canty and Joseph, but behind that we have the untested Marvin Austin and not much else. The downside here is that this pick is admittedly a bit of a reach. Zach Brown, while an athletic freak, would be a backup to Boley, and compete for a spot that Jacquian Williams seems capable of filling. The Giants could address OT, but at No. 32, Bobby Massie is a bit of a reach. I may prefer a RB pick here: David Wilson or Lamar Miller, but with the depth at RB in this class, Thompson may be the best option."
To be honest, I am not in love with it, either. This pick feels a little bit like a "settle" for the Giants -- and you hate to settle with your first-round pick.
In this simulation, Zach Brown (OLB, North Carolina), Massie, wide receiver Stephen Hill (Georgia Tech) and running backs Lamar Miller (Miami) and David Wilson (Virginia Tech) and tight end Coby Fleener (Stanford) are all still on the board. Each of them seems to either fill more of a need for the Giants than Thompson, or be a higher-upside player you might be more willing to invest a first-round choice in.