Giants Spend Fifth-Round Draft Choice On Texas' Mykkele Thompson
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- After drafting for need with their first three picks, the Giants spent their fifth-round choice Saturday on Texas cornerback Mykkele Thompson.
Thompson, a 6-foot-2, 191-pound senior, started all 13 games for the Longhorns. He played every position in the secondary during his four seasons, but had a down year as a senior. He still averaged seven tackles per game over the last seven games.
He is regarded more as a cornerback than safety. The Giants traded up Friday to get a potential starter at strong safety in second-rounder Landon Collins.
He finished 2014 with 69 tackles, half a sack, and one interception, two pass breakups, and a forced fumble. Thompson played every game in his career, a testament to his durability, and proved an able special teams player with three blocked punts.
Despite that, Thompson said he was surprised he went as high as the fifth round.
``Honestly, I had no idea where I was going to go,'' Thompson said. ``I thought free agency was the main goal because I didn't really get the numbers this season. I didn't have that much action.''
The well-traveled cornerback was born in Naples, Italy and moved to England, Georgia, and then San Antonio before enrolling at Texas. He joins a cornerback depth chart that includes starters Prince Amukamara, Dominique-Rodgers Cromartie, Jayron Hosley, and Chykie Brown, the latter of whom could be converted to safety.
The Giants used their first three draft picks to fill potential starting holes with Miami tackle Ereck Flowers, Collins, and third-round defensive end Owa Odighizuwa out of UCLA.
The Giants went to work and engineered a trade for the fourth and seventh-rounders with the Tennessee Titans before the start of the second round on Friday and selected Collins with 33rd pick overall.
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