New York Giants: Weston Richburg Lands On Breakout Player List
New York Giants center Weston Richburg is poised to break out according to ESPN’s NFL Nation.
The New York Giants have struggled developing young talent in recent seasons that they selected in NFL Drafts. It is a big reason why the Giants had to spend big time in free agency this offseason.
While Jerry Reese greatly upgraded the defense this offseason, one of the weaker parts of the Giants team is along the offensive line. The offensive line was not an area that Reese upgraded in free agency, leaving the Giants with virtually the same unit as last season.
While that leaves some people cringing, there is some positives to the group. Reese did well selecting Justin Pugh in the first round in 2013 and added another high-upside player in Ereck Flowers in the first round of 2015.
But, the best selection that Reese made along the offensive line could be Weston Richurg. Richburg was selected by the Giants in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, giving them two legitimate building blocks on that side of the ball; they selected wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in the first round.
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Richburg played center at Colorado State, but also had the ability to play guard. As a rookie, he played guard for the Giants and the results weren’t great. He was then moved back to his natural position of center in 2015 and his production took off.
Richburg is one of the best, young, offensive linemen in the NFL and the Giants look to have come away with a gem as the anchor of their offensive line. He is also someone that looks poised to continue breaking out in 2016.
Over at ESPN, their NFL Nation correspondents chose which player they believe will break out into stars. Jordan Raanan, the correspondent for the Giants, chose Richburg as the breakout star for the team. Here is what Raanan had to say about the former second round pick.
"The 2014 second-round pick’s rookie year was spent at guard. He moved back to his natural position of center last season, where he flashed signs of being one of the league’s top players at his position. Well, this is the season where Richburg becomes a dominant center. He’s technically solid and much stronger than in years past. Don’t be surprised to see him named to the Pro Bowl and possibly All-Pro team."
People harp on the negative more than the positive, which is why Reese is looked at so negatively. While he has had plenty of misses, his track record recently has been much stronger in the draft, and Richburg is evidence of that.
For too long the offensive line was an area that was ignored by the Giants, so they are pouring resources into it via the draft. Richburg looks like a lynchpin for the group in the middle and someone that will only continue improving.
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While the right side of the line is spotty with John Jerry and Marshall Newhouse, things get much stronger to the left of Richburg in Pugh and Flowers. Richburg looks to be the best of the group and should represent the Giants in plenty of post-season award lists.