Although I think the Giants have a chance, there’s too much talking this week for my tastes. First Plaxico Burress goes and gives a prediction. And then there are whispers about the Giants wearing black on the plane because they are going to the Pats funeral.

Now, Randy Moss, swipes back.

To me this will all be bulletin board fodder for both teams. Personally, I grew up on playing the game and let the field do the talking. But we shall see if this has any effect.

This is the eighth of an eight-part series analyzing each Giants draft choice. 

Ahmad Bradshaw, Round 7 (250):

With every position of need addressed in some way, the Giants took a running back with their last pick, even though they didn’t really need one. With both Jacobs and Droughns signed through at least 2008, and the unexciting but adequate Derrick Ward recently re-signed, we have enough competent running backs on hand.

But perhaps Bradshaw can provide an upgrade over Ward (whom you would never want to see starting a game for us), allowing us to be in a better position a year from now. That might entail cutting Droughns as he enters the last year of his contract, or perhaps using Droughns at fullback (the position he played his rookie year with the Broncos), parting ways with Finn, and having Bradshaw back up Jacobs.

A best-case scenario for Bradshaw’s would be for him to become our third-down back, either this year or in the future. The scouting reports say that he is pretty good at picking up the blitz, a quality that may allow him to immediately surpass Derrick Ward, who is apparently a poor pass blocker (Source: Pro Football Prospectus 2006, just so you don’t think I’m talking out of my ass.)

Who knows? The point is that we had filled every other area of need, and with this pick, the fact that we must have liked Bradshaw and our desire to upgrade from Derrick Ward converged.

The big thing that recommends Bradshaw is his production at Marshall, where he rushed for 1,523 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior last year for an average of 6.1 yards per carry. That’s pretty sick, and though it obviously won’t necessarily translate over to the pros, it’s certainly worth taking a flier on.

Even though he’s not very big (5-9, 198), Bradshaw is a good between-the-tackles runner, known for his good vision and ability to read blocks, pick the right hole, cut decisively, and run hard through the hole with a good initial burst. He has some moves, is a pretty good receiver out of the backfield, and is good at picking up the blitz.

Bradshaw turned heads during rookie minicamp as well. Here’s a quote from Colonel Tom:

“You’d have to say Bradshaw had a noticeable morning. He’s been back on kickoff returns, on punt returns. He caught the ball coming out of the backfield. You saw a couple of runs where he was able to turn the ball north-south. It catches your eye, for sure.”

Sure, these rookie minicamps shouldn’t be read into very much, but for a guy who will have to struggle to get noticed and contribute in a pinch, it bodes well.

On the negative side, despite his physical style, Bradshaw is small and not fast (4.66 in the 40). Scouting reports say that he doesn’t really have the speed to turn the corner consistently and won’t win any footraces in the open. There’s certainly a strong likelihood that his production at mid-major Marshall won’t translate and that he’ll find himself out of his league physically.

Another concern are a couple of “off-field incidents,” for lack of a less ridiculous term. Before his freshman year at Virginia, where he started his college career before transferring, he was arrested for underage drinking. This one doesn’t concern me, and if it concerns you, you are either a prude or a hypocrite.

The second incident is a more troubling, being that it didn’t involve drugs, alcohol, or fighting, but was rather a moral transgression indicative of a bad person: Last January, Bradshaw stole a PlayStation 2 from a dorm room at Marshall. What a fucking dick. He can talk all he wants about “learning from his mistakes,” but you don’t “learn” to become a good guy if you’re that big of an asshole when you’re 21. If I were the poor dude whose PlayStation got jacked, I’d root for this guy to tear his ACL and be working at a gas station in two years.

(If you think I’m being sarcastic about this, I’m not. Like, what a dick. I can’t stand when athletes, in their self-absorption, paper over legitimate dick moves that fuck other people over as “youthful transgressions.” Getting bagged for drinking or drugs is a youthful transgression, indicative of poor judgment. But you don’t steal someone’s shit because you have poor judgment; you do it because you’re an asshole.)

But I’m not the guy whose PlayStation got jacked. I’m a Giants fan, and I’m rooting for him. And I think that there’s a pretty decent chance that we’re gonna hear from this guy, if not this year then in the near future.

This is the seventh of an eight-part series analyzing each Giants draft choice.

Michael Johnson, Round 7 (224):

Our two starting safeties are set: Will Demps, who was a huge disappointment in his first year in Big Blue but improved considerably towards season’s end (possibly as a result of his finally getting over the effects of a partially torn ACL he suffered in 2005), will start at free safety. Gibril Wilson, who has not quite matched the excitement he generated in his 2004 rookie season but is nonetheless a good player, will start at strong safety.

These guys don’t comprise the best safety tandem in the league, but behind them isn’t much either. James Butler, a third-year undrafted free-agent, has shown flashes of competence, but nothing to get especially excited about. The recently signed Michael Stone, a bust of a second-round draft pick for Arizona in 2001, is mostly a special teams guy.

Of our four safeties, Gibril is really the only guy you would consider an asset at his position. But he’ll also be an unrestricted free-agent after the year if we don’t resign him to a long-term deal.

So the logic behind drafting a safety was is obvious. And even though Johnson lasted until pick number 224, we may have gotten ourselves a potential starter to either replace a departed Gibril or to supplant Demps if he doesn’t improve his play.

At 6-3, Johnson is a rangy guy known for taking good paths to balls in the air, a smooth stride and ability to change directions, and most importantly, good hands, timing, and leaping ability. Though he played strong safety at Arizona, these qualities show that he has the versatility to play both spots if need be.

On the negative side, his speed (4.55 in the 40) is kind of on the slow side for safeties, but is certainly well within the acceptable range and can probably be compensated for by his outstanding instincts. And his lean frame (he weighed in at 211 at the combine, but the NFL.com scouting report thinks he can add another 15 pounds) makes him vulnerable to getting blown off the ball on running plays, although scouting reports say that he has no qualms about sticking his nose in there.

Still, Johnson projects as a better talent than his seventh round status would indicate. One of the reasons he may have slipped is his injury history during his two years at Arizona after he transferred from Tyler (TX) Junior College (the hometown of Giants first rounder Aaron Ross). A spring injury in 2005 precluded him from competing for the starting job – he didn’t get much burn until he took over the job with four games remaining in the season. His senior year was marred by a series of injuries, including a quad contusion that kept him out of practice for a month (though he played in the games), and a deep hamstring pull that cost him the last two and a half-games.

There are two ways to look at this injury history: 1) That he is injury prone, which is a legitimate reason for his slippage; or 2) That because his injuries rendered him not at his best, we got the opportunity to draft a classic undervalued commodity who could turn into a steal.

But I like the pick, and so does Mike Tanier of FootballOutsiders’ and Fox Sports, who counts Johnson as one of the best picks in the seventh round:

Johnson battled nagging injuries throughout his career at Arizona. When healthy, he looked like a first-day prospect and future NFL starter. He’ll need seasoning, but he projects as a big, rangy free safety.

So there’s really no reason not to like this pick. We needed a safety, and we took a chance on a pretty talented one who slipped because of his injuries. But for a seventh round pick? I’ll take it.

This is the sixth of an eight-part series analyzing each Giants draft-choice.

Adam Koets, Round 6 (189):

Ok, we’re officially at the point where we’re talking about guys who probably won’t see the field much this year: Koets will be our fourth tackle this year, behind Kareem McKenzie, who is penciled in at right tackle, and Dave Diehl and Guy Whimper, who are competing for the left tackle job (scroll down to the fourth and fifth bullet points on that one. Remember that Diehl will stay at left guard if Whimper earns that left tackle spot.)

So it will take at least two injuries for Koets to get snaps. If any of the three tackles ahead of Koets gets hurt, you can expect the other to shuffle in at the other tackle spots while Rich Suebert or Grey Reugamer fills in at left guard. Another oft-discussed option at left tackle is Browns veteran Kevin Shaffer, who was made expendable by his team’s selection of stud tackle Joe Thomas with the third pick in the draft.

Whatever happens, don’t expect to see Koets much in 2007, barring a disastrous cascade of injuries. Remember, you hardly ever see a rookie on an NFL O-Line: Because there are so many schemes that have to be mastered, a coaching staff almost always go with vets who are more familiar with these schemes, regardless of long-term potential.

But for Giants fans who wanted to take Joe Staley in the first round – myself included – well, here is our left tackle. Koets can be seen as the poor man’s Staley: Both are agile, finesse, pass-protection specialists who need to bulk up to become physically adequate for the position at the next level. And while Staley has much more potential, Koets is intriguing in his own right.

The scouting reports describe Koets as a lean dude who, at 6-5, 298 lbs, has a frame that could accommodate twenty more pounds without losing much of his signature quickness. This quickness is his best attribute: He “shows good body control and change-of-direction agility,” “plays under control… working his hips properly to wall off and force the chase route,” and “keeps his base wide and does a good job of sealing off defenders attacking his outside shoulder,” according to the NFL.com scouting report.

Here’s a promising stat: he only allowed four sacks during his last two years at Oregon State (where he was a three year starter), no shabby accomplishment in the pass-rusher laden Pac-10.

On the downside, he’s not too big, not too physical, and, perhaps most damningly, has questionable aggression. The NFL.com scouting report says that “some might see his lack of aggression for a lack of desire.”

So time will tell with Koets, which is fine because we wouldn’t want to be in a position where he’s making much of an impact this year. But the philosophy behind the pick – prioritizing offensive lineman who specialize in pass-protection on the hope that Eli will develop into something resembling what Ernie Accorsi thought he saw at Ole Miss – is sound.

This is the fifth of an eight-part series analyzing each Giants draft choice. 

Kevin Boss: Round 5 (153):

Boss is an intriguing prospect who could turn into a fifth-round steal. This former basketball player’s strong, sure hands, excellent body control, and knack for timing his jump make him a potentially excellent red-zone target, an important attribute for second tight ends who see a lot of action in double-tight formations near the goal line. Here’s what ESPN’s scouting report had to say about the 6-6 Boss on the subject:

“Uses wide frame to shield defenders from the ball and has the strong hands to make the tough catch in traffic.”

So between Boss and Steve Smith, we’ve drafted two sure-handed, capable targets for Eli as we try to improve what was a brutal red-zone passing game last year. And I love that he’s a basketball player: These power-forward types know how to go up and get it.

Boss’s receiving abilities go beyond the red-zone: The NFL.com scouting report – which, I must say, was pretty damn glowing for a fifth round pick – says that Boss “shows the power to break tackles and the stride to separate after the catch… Demonstrates good awareness of the sticks and good balance running down the sidelines…. With his size and power, he is simply too much to tackle in one-on-one situations. Lowers his pads and squares his shoulders well to simply obliterate the smaller defensive backs who that dare to get in his way.”

Boss also fills a position of need by replacing Visanthe Shiancoe, who left as a free-agent for Minnesota this offseason. Shiancoe was a decent player, but certainly was not worth the outlandish 5-year, $18.2 million contract the Vikings gave him. The selection of Boss makes the Giants look good: They did a smart thing by not overpaying Shiancoe and replacing him – and quite possibly upgrading from him – all for the price of a second-day draft choice. And given Shockey’s penchant for getting nicked up, we really needed to address the backup tight end situation.

Mike Garafolo, in his observations of rookie minicamp, came away impressed, saying, “TE Kevin Boss had a big afternoon highlighted by a diving catch on a short crossing route over the middle. He’s definitely got the receiving ability, has size and runs good routes. It’s just a matter of whether or not he can become an accomplished blocker fast enough to see the field this year.”

On the negative side, Boss is described as a “low-gear” player, which basically means that he’s not explosive. NFL.com says that he makes up for his lack of initial explosion on passing plays by “using his hands effectively to escape jams,” so this quality will be more of a detriment to his blocking than his receiving. Addressing the subject, ESPN’s scouting report says that Boss “doesn’t deliver a violent initial punch and isn’t going to knock many defenders back. Lacks ideal lower body strength and isn’t much of a drive blocker at this point.”

But these are hardly deal-breaking qualities, and given all the positives, one has to wonder why Boss lasted until the fifth round? The fact that he comes from obscure Division II Western Oregon might have something to do with it. But the G-Men have demonstrated a good track record with guys from obscure schools recently: Osi Umenyiora from Troy, Brandon Jacobs from Southern Illinois, Rich Seubert from Western Illinois, Chase Blackburn from Akron, Visanthe Shiancoe from Morgan State, and if you want to go back a little bit, a fellow named Strahan from a school called Texas Southern.

Another reason for Boss’s slippage could have been a shoulder injury that cut short his 2006, which NFL.com says “requires further medical evaluation.” Who knows if we’ll ever hear about that again.

So this looks like a really good pick by the Giants. Boss is a guy who fills a need, will probably contribute immediately, and has a good chance of developing into a good NFL player.  That’s not bad for a fifth round draft pick.