Blue Bags Beatty

For Jerry Reese, drafting is as simple as 1-2-3. The Giants most obvious needs coming into the 2009 Draft were WR, LB and LT. Giants fans can now check all three off the list. New York used its own second-round draft choice, the 60th overall pick, to select Connecticut’s William Beatty. The 6-6, 307-pounder projects as a player that can play left tackle in the NFL.

The Giants intend to place Beatty at left tackle and let him learn from the older players on the offensive line. He spent the last two seasons anchoring UConn’s OL.

“William, athletically, just raw athletic ability,” Giants director of scouting Marc Ross said. “He could have been up at the top with some of those other guys that got taken up there – really top feet for a tackle – left tackle feet. He has long arms. The kid benched 29 (reps) for having 35-inch arms; smart kid and still growing and developing as a player. A lot of upside. With our situation he doesn’t have to come in right away. He can learn from those guys that we have. We are excited about his growth.”

Ross said the club was not scared off at all by Beatty’s less-than-stellar week of practices before the Senior Bowl.

“Yeah, he was up and down that week,” Ross said. “He was up and down. But he showed you the things that intrigue you. But he was up and down. A lot of people are. It is tough. We don’t kill people by the Senior Bowl or skyrocket them off ….the Senior Bowl or Combine. We go off the tape. It is a tough environment sometimes in that Senior Bowl setting.”

Once again, Big Blue got its man – and all three players at positions that should most help the team. Consider the Giants three-for-three during Saturday’s opening day. All in all, it was a very productive – and successful – day for Reese and Co.