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Taylor Lewan could very well be the next great New York Giants offensive lineman. It seems like every OL the Giants draft in the early rounds ends up being successful. Justin Pugh was the first rookie in more than two decades to play all 16 games his rookie year and was arguably the best rookie tackle last year. Chris Snee was a perennial All-Pro before father time took over. Will Beatty was a great technician last year, despite his failings this year.
Pros
- Nasty on the field. Mean, aggressive, and intimidating. Will bully you into submission.
- Strong length and perhaps the best punch of any player in this draft. Hits fast and heavy.
- Intelligent and athletic enough to understand protections and properly execute screens, pulls, 2nd level blocking
- Natural knee-bender for the most part. Is unmoved by bull rushes.
- Very good recovery speed if beaten.
Cons
- Nasty off the field. Mean, aggressive, and intimidating. Will bully you into submission.
- Kick slide is a bit inconsistent and not as smooth as you'd like it to be.
- Short area quickness is an issue. Could get beaten by elite speed rushers off the snap.
Does He Fit With The Giants?
Yes. He'd likely slot right in at right tackle, moving Pugh to guard and would provide insurance for Beatty at left tackle. He'd likely succeed from an athletic standpoint with that. However, that's not the question. The question is his character. Would the Giants take someone like that? They've taken character red flag players before, but Lewan brings with him reportedly allegations of threatened rape and possible assault. The Giants will have to do lots of homework and for sure have to meet with him and his coaches.
Prospect Video
Taylor Lewan and Michael Schofield vs Notre Dame 2013 (via JmpasqDraftjedi)
Big Board Rankings
Big Blue View - 14
Mocking The Draft - 21
CBS Sports - 10
Draft Countdown - 7
Draft Tek - 22
Final Thoughts
More than possibly anybody else, Lewan's draft stock is determinant on how teams view his character. On the field, he's right behind Jake Matthews and Greg Robinson for me. He's got all the makings of a great NFL offensive tackle and reminds many of his predecessor, Jake Long. He's the type of hard nosed, shove you while you're on the ground type of guy that I think the Giants need. They need someone nasty. They need someone to tell the other teams that they won't take anything from anybody.
What they don't need, though, is a Richie Incognito. I don't know if he's draftable for me, and that reason for pause is enough for me to pass if there's someone else I like on the board.