POD Community Mock Draft: Pick No. 29

Rd. # Player Pos. College 1 29 Donald Brown RB Connecticut General Manager: NorthLeft12

With the 29th pick of the 2009 Pride of Detroit Community Mock Draft, the New York Giants select Connecticut running back Donald Brown.

Here is NorthLeft12's reasoning for the pick:

When I reviewed the Giants' roster and their needs for the future, I was bombarded with information regarding their gaping hole at wide receiver with the release of both Plaxico Buress and Amani Toomer. However, a more serious loss was the departure of running back Derrick Ward. This Giants team has been built on the ability to run the ball on anyone with a three-headed running back by committee and a great offensive line. Brandon Jacobs is the key person in this group, but his punishing style leads to him missing games -- three last year and five in 2007. While Ahmad Bradshaw is a fine change of pace (fast) runner, he cannot shoulder the load, and his problems hanging on to the ball are a major concern. They do have Danny Ware on the team, but I don't have enough information to believe that he can be considered a reliable back up.

Donald Brown is a great all around back who has all the tools and has shown a well-rounded game at UConn while leading all Div. 1 rushers with over 2,000 yards in 2008. He doesn't fumble and can carry a heavy workload. He worked effectively in a committee situation in his sophomore year and is considered an outstanding person and team player. He would be an instant upgrade over Derrick Ward to keep the Giants at the top of the league in rushing.

I did consider two other running backs for the Giants. First, Chris Wells of Ohio State. He has the same strengths (power) and weaknesses (injuries) as Brandon Jacobs, so I did not consider him a good long-term fit. The other back was Andre Brown of NC State. He is a real possibility for the Giants in the second- or third- round. He is a fast, big, powerful, runner and a great receiver. He has broken his foot twice, so he is a bit of a risk. I would not pick Andre in the first-round but would not be surprised if the Giants picked him up later in the draft.

I did look at the wide receivers available (Kenny Britt was tempting) but decided that a high-quality receiver would be there at the Giants' #45 pick. Donald Brown will be long gone before that pick, and the alternates are not in the same class. The bottom line for me is that the Giants are about running and stopping the run. They took care of their defensive front seven in free agency; now they will reinforce their running game in the draft.