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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 Receive Average Grade From Mel Kiper For 2017 NFL Draft
Sep 17, 2016; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels tight end Evan Engram (17) runs the ball during the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Alabama won 48-43. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports /

4th) Tight End, Evan Engram; Ole Miss

This was another peculiar pick given the boom-or-bust potential. With the 23rd overall pick, the Giants selected tight end, Evan Engram. There is a lot to like about this selection, but there is also a lot of questions that come with it.

On the positive side, the Giants receiving corps are absolutely loaded. It will be nearly impossible to slow down Engram, Odell Beckham Jr., Sterling Shepard, and Brandon Marshall. Engram will be a matchup nightmare up the seam for Manning. He has drawn comparisons to Washington Redskins’ tight end Jordan Reed; that is something Giants fans love to hear.

But he does come with some negatives. For someone who is listed as a tight end, Engram cannot block at all. He was basically a slot receiver at Ole Miss, rarely lining up as an in-line blocker. How will the Giants deploy him knowing that they cannot use him as a blocker during his rookie season?

Tight ends usually come along slowly in the NFL, but Engram could possibly buck that trend given that he will more than likely be used more as a slot receiver. A reason for Engram being at this spot in the rankings is who the Giants passed on.

The Giants missed out on a top rated linebacker, passing on Alabama’s Reuben Foster. Foster had some medical red flags, but he is a difference maker at the position. The Giants also passed on Miami tight end David Njoku. Njoku is a better-rounded prospect than Engram, as he brings better blocking.

The Giants will have to work hard to make sure that Engram’s weaknesses are covered up for. It was disappointing to see Reese not make a move up or down the draft board. O.J. Howard and Garett Bolles were selected four and three spots before the Giants.

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