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With the 63rd and final pick of Pride of Detroit's 2012 NFL mock draft, the New York Giants select California offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz. TuffLynx is serving as the Giants' general manager, and his reasoning for the pick is below.
The Giants had a lot of trouble on the offensive line last season. They ranked as one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL by the websites that create advanced statistics. The offensive line did get better as the season wore on, but one position stood out as needing an upgrade in a major way. That is the right tackle position.
The right tackle is important to the Giants because they are typically a mauler type that can get some drive in the running game while still having enough agility to pass protect. Mitchell Schwartz fits this mold very well. He has great size for the position and good active hands with a violent initial punch. His long arms allow him to get his hands on the defensive end before they can push him away. While his foot speed is not elite, it is sufficient to play the right side in the NFL because there are not as many speed rushers on that side.
Schwartz will be a very good run blocker in the NFL and has the pop needed to make room for his runners behind him. Though he is tall, he usually plays low enough to get good leverage and move the pile. When called on he can be a reliable road grader for short-yardage runs.
Schwartz has sufficient speed to pull when asked. He is effective in getting out to block on screen passes but needs to improve his open-field blocking technique to avoid lunging on his blocks.
With just a bit of coaching Mitchell Schwartz will be a very fine right tackle for a decade or more. The Giants are a stable team with a veteran coaching staff that values football players with work ethic. Mitchell Schwartz is a perfect fit for what the Giants need at right tackle.
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Check out the 2012 Pride of Detroit Community Mock Draft tracker for a look at all of the picks.
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