Tag: Rueben Randle

Rookie Preview: New York Giants

David Wilson – The New York Giants 1st-round pick will begin the season as Ahmad Bradshaw’s backup but should see significant playing time. Under Tom Coughlin, the Giants have consistently used a two and even three man rotation at running back, leaving plenty of carries for Wilson in the backup role.

Rueben Randle – The 2nd-round pick likely won’t see much action early due to the crowded depth chart. He’ll likely start the year as the 5th or 6th option at receiver.

Adrien Robinson – The 4th-round pick starts the year as the third tight end behind and Martellus Bennett and Bear Pascoe.

Markus Kuhn – Kuhn was one of four defensive tackles to make the 53-man roster, which means he should see a fair amount of playing time as part of their rotation. He’s a bit of a developmental prospect though, so they may pick and chose the right spots to play him.

Jayron Hosley – Hosley competed for the nickel corner job during the preseason but appears to have lost out. He’ll start the season primarily playing on special teams and could return a few punts.

Jayron Hosley getting first-team reps

New York Giants 3rd-round pick Jayron Hosley has been getting reps with the first-team defense in nickel packages according to Mike Garafolo of The Star-Ledger.

According to Garafolo, the results have been mixed so far, but this appears to be an ideal spot for Hosley. While he’s slightly undersized, he’s quick enough to stick with nearly any receiver in the NFL. The key to Hosley’s development will be his willingness to listen to coaches and continue to develop his technique, as he often relied on his pure athleticism to get by in college.

Hosley has also been given an opportunity to handle punts, but fumbled one in the Giants preseason opener. He is competing with Jerrel Jernigan, Domenik Hixon and fellow rookie Rueben Randle for the punt return duties.

Draft Grades: New York Giants

With so few holes, I expected the New York Giants to simply target the best available player – a strategy which Jerry Reese has used frequently in the past – but he strayed from his typical approach and it may come back to haunt him down the road.

David Wilson was a reach, and there’s really no way to sugar coat that. The fact that Reese would reach for Wilson raises a serious question: is Ahmad Bradshaw healthy? If so, the selection makes little sense. But if they’re legitimately worried about Bradshaw’s ability to stay on the field in 2012, the pick is justifiable. Since the motivation behind the pick is a bit of an unknown, I’ll have to factor that into the grade and give Reese the benefit of the doubt.

The selection of Rueben Randle is more in line with the Giants typical draft strategy. He was among the top available players on the board and will help fill the void left by the departure of Mario Manningham. He’s a developmental prospect but should be able to provide some help as a third or fourth option at receiver this year.

Jayron Hosley fell due to character concerns, but was probably worth the gamble in the late 3rd round. He likely won’t see the the field much given the Giants crowded secondary, but he was a solid investment at that point in the draft.

Adrien Robinson was a hot name this offseason and a late riser up the draft boards. He’s a good fit for the Giants, who like their tight ends to be strong blockers. He was likely drafted as insurance behind Jake Ballard and Travis Beckum, who are both coming off injuries.

Brandon Mosley and Matt McCants add some much-needed depth to the Giants offensive line. Neither has much upside, but they both have the ability to play multiple positions along the line and have long careers as backup linemen.

Markus Kuhn will become one of the few players born in Germany to play in the NFL. He’s a good athlete for his size and is an interesting developmental prospect. However, the Giants depth chart is crowded at defensive tackle and he may struggle to make the final roster cut.

I’m having a hard time grading the Giants draft without knowing what prompted the selection of David Wilson. If they’re worried about Bradshaw, it makes sense. But if they panicked once Doug Martin was snatched out from under them by the Bucs, it’s a poor decision. Given Reese’s draft history, I’m inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt, but this was definitely not his strongest draft class.

Rueben Randle scouting report

Rueben Randle WR LSU #2
Ht: 6’4″

Wt: 208

 
Strengths:
Decent size. Strong hands; does a great job catching the ball away from his body and quickly securing it.  Consistent route runner. Relatively quick with his breaks and has deceptive speed; can get over the top if the defense isn’t paying close attention. Quick off the snap; gets up to full speed quickly. Has potential as a blocker.
Weaknesses:
Needs to do a better job using his body to shield defenders in tight coverage. Plays too soft for a guy his size; hesitates when he hears footsteps and will even give up on balls when he knows he’s going to get hit (see 2011 vs Miss. State). Physical defensive backs can get into his head. Not a strong runner after the catch; has the size to break tackles, but just doesn’t know how (or doesn’t want to put in the effort) to lower his shoulder and run with a purpose. Inconsistent effort as a blocker; needs to improve in this area to take full advantage of his size.
Comments:
Randle has the skill set to contribute at the next level, but he has never played up to his full potential. His best assets are his hands, and he can be an excellent possession receiver. However, he needs to become more physical in every aspect of his game. He has the size to take advantage of smaller defensive backs, but he just doesn’t seem interested in being that type of receiver. His lack of physical play, considering his relatively modest speed, is a red flag that definitely hurts his stock. While he could develop into a quality No. 2 receiver, he’s a definitely boom-or-bust prospect.
Videos:
2011 vs Auburn, Mississippi State
2011 vs Arkansas