Giants Add 'Battleship' To O-Line, Now Need Help On Defense

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) — Having put the finishing touches on their offensive line in the first round of the NFL draft, expect the New York Giants to turn their attention to the defense in the second and third rounds of the draft.

They have plenty of needs on Friday. The defense finished 29th overall and 30th against the run in posting a 6-10 record last season and missing the playoffs for the third straight year.

It cost coordinator Perry Fewell his job and led to the hiring of former coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. New York needs a run stopper at tackle, a middle linebacker for the future and a safety after losing Antrel Rolle and Stevie Brown to free agency.

The Giants took big offensive tackle Ereck Flowers with the ninth pick overall on Thursday night.

"The kid is an outstanding athlete," head coach Tom Coughlin said. "He is very young. He is a battleship, an aircraft carrier or however you want to describe him at six-foot-six, 329 (pounds). Strongest guy in the draft. Outstanding feet."

Flowers was the second offensive lineman to be taken by the Giants in the first round in the past three years.

"We always talk about we're going to take the best player, but we're always cognizant of what our need is as well," Giants general manager Jerry Reese said. "And we think this is a good need and a value pick for us. We think this can help solidify the offensive line, so hopefully this will settle the offensive line down and we don't have to keep talking about the offensive line as much."

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