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New York Giants: Ranking 2017 NFL Draft class pick by pick

By Kenneth Teape

Jan 15, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; General manager Jerry Reese and new head coach Ben McAdoo shake hands during a New York Giants press conference at Quest Diagnostics Training Center Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 15, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; General manager Jerry Reese and new head coach Ben McAdoo shake hands during a New York Giants press conference at Quest Diagnostics Training Center Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports /
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New York Giants Select Youngstown State Edge Rusher Avery Moss 167th In 2017 NFL Draft
Jan 21, 2017; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; West Team defensive end Avery Moss (90) rushes as East Team offensive tackle Dan Skipper (70) blocks during the second quarter of the East-West Shrine Game at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

6th) Defensive End Avery Moss; Youngstown State

It is hard to nitpick a fifth round pick too much. The Giants made this pick looking at Moss’ upside. He ended his career at Youngstown State, but began it at Nebraska; he was forced to leave Nebraska after an off-field incident. There is talent here, but using a fifth round pick on him was peculiar for a few reasons.

For one, his track record. After what happened with Josh Brown, it is surprising that the Giants selected anyone with off-field issues. Many people believed that Moss would go undrafted, so value wise this is a huge stretch for the Giants.

But, there is some value here. Moss projects as a 4-3 defensive end, which the Giants play. They could develop him into a rotational pass rusher, adding much-needed depth to the defensive line. He is already a good against the run, but inconsistent in areas such as contain the edge and tackling.

His run defense is above average, which should help him stick around. But, his athleticism is lacking. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.79 seconds and has average top end speed at best. That could limit his impact at the NFL level as he took full advantage of smaller offensive tackles at Youngstown State. He will need to improve his technique to stick in the NFL.

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