Big Blue shifts to ‘D’ in 3rd round
— The Giants drafted Georgia outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter and N.C. State defensive tackle B.J. Hill three picks apart in Friday night’s third round with their eye on, as head coach Pat Shurmur put it, “the playoffs.” Carter, 22, a 6-foot-5, 250-pound specimen with length, range and speed taken 66th overall, is here to provide a pass rush off the edge. Shurmur cited the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl victory to demonstrate the importance of upgrading that area. “You look at the Super Bowl, there was what, 2,000 yards of offense? And it came down to one pass rush knocking the ball out of (Tom) Brady’s hands, Brandon Graham on a guard,” Shurmur said. Hill, 23, a powerful athletic interior lineman the Giants took 69th overall, adds depth to what Shurmur and GM Dave Gettleman hope can become an Eagles-type defensive line rotation that keeps players fresh for January. “We can get a little rotation there, it’ll keep them all fresher throughout the game and limit their reps throughout the season so that they can play longer hopefully into the playoffs,” Shurmur said. “That’s the idea.” The Giants opened the draft going offense with Penn State RB Saquon Barkley and UTEP guard Will Hernandez in rounds one and two, so they used their two thirdrounders — the second acquired from Tampa Bay in the Jason Pierre-Paul trade — to supplement James Bettcher’s defense. In other words, the Giants traded away a defensive lineman and used the primary return on a player also on the defensive front.
Carter admitted on his conference call that he was “a little bit” frustrated about falling down the board to 66th (second pick of the third round), but he said he is “honored” to be a Giant. And Gettleman wanted him badly enough that he tried to trade up into the back of the second round to get Carter.
“We tried and thank God we didn’t have to,” the GM said.
Shurmur shared a funny text that he received from his son Kyle, Vanderbilt’s quarterback, after the Giants took Carter. It was a photo of Carter sacking Kyle in a game with a text reading: “Me and Lorenzo go way back.” Carter only registered 14 sacks in four college seasons, but the Giants brass assured the stats don’t reflect his ability.
“What you have to appreciate is his unseen production,” Gettleman said. “If he is flying off the edge, he is creating pressure.”
Former Giant Chris Canty, who announced the Carter selection from the stage in Arlington, Texas, incorrectly identified Carter’s school as Clemson. But it turned out the league handed Canty a faulty card with Clemson, not Georgia, listed below Carter’s name.
SHUN FLOWERS: It’s hard to believe Ereck Flowers is still a Giant after skipping the team’s voluntary minicamp this week, but if GM Dave Gettleman gave any indication on Friday night, his days with Big Blue are almost up.
“He’s in Miami and we are here,” Gettleman said. “He decided not to come. He’s an adult and he has the ability to make decisions on his own. This is a voluntary program and he has decided to stay in Miami. If you want to know why he is not here, call him.”
Flowers, 24, the ninth overall pick of the 2015 draft, has one year remaining on his rookie deal.