*From Denver

My basic response is let's see who they do in Round 1?tonight and then tomorrow and Saturday speculate about those rounds. If I have my way, the Giants hit it big tonight and tomorrow and make Saturday a non-event.

They can stay the course and select some good players, or they can be proactive and creative and get themselves some difference-makers.

There are three scenarios that the Giants will have to prepare for Thursday.

One: Stay the course and wait for the best available player to fall to them at No. 9. We won't know who that is until the time comes. But I feel it will be one of five players: Iowa OL Brandon Scherff, Clemson DE Vic Beasley, DE Bud Dupree of Kentucky, Alabama WR Amari Cooper or WR Kevin White of West Virginia.

The Giants have missed the playoffs the past three seasons since winning the Super Bowl in 2012 and jobs are on the line. The past two years have not been good: The team has been out of the postseason picture by roughly Thanksgiving.

Records of 7-9 and 6-10 are not going to cut it with co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch.

The 80th annual NFL Draft will be held in Chicago, at the Auditorium Theater of Roosevelt University. Three projected Top-10 selections - Florida State QB Jameis Winston, WR Amari Cooper of Alabama and Oregon QB Marcus Mariota, the Heisman Trophy winner, have chosen not to attend.

Over two dozen other highly-touted prospects will be on hand however (NFL Communications).

"Safety is going to be really important. For the New York Giants in particular," Cosell said on NFLN's Championship Chase: The Draft. "They really can't line up right now with what they have."

"So, there's Damarious Randall from Arizona State, who I think is as good a back-end safety as there is in this draft. And not only does he have back-end skills, but he has the box mentality. He's not a big guy, he's only about 196-198 but he has a box mentality and he can also play over the slot, which is critical in today's NFL."

Some have contended that Scherff does not possess the wingspan to be an effective tackle in the NFL. The Giants don't really care about that, having drafted Justin Pugh in the first round two years ago. Pugh was said to have "short arms" as well. They appear to be comfortable with just adding Scherff to their roster and upgrading the offensive line.

From Rotoworld:

SNYGiants insider Ralph Vacchiano believes the Giants should focus on upgrading the offensive line in this Week's NFL Draft rather than select another weapon at WR in the first round.

It?s not an implausible scenario. In fact, some in the NFL can envision at least one of the top two receivers ? Alabama?s Amari Cooper or West Virginia?s Kevin White ? slipping into the Giants? lap. And if they do, several Giants sources insisted drafting yet another receiver will get strong consideration.

Running backs, after several seasons of receiving no love in the early rounds of the NFL Draft, are back in vogue. The Seahawks with Lynch and other teams have recently shown what a punishing, high-motor back can bring to an offense.

NFL Defenses in recent years have been stocking up and strategizing to defend the pass and have chosen to forego stopping the run. NFL offenses have gotten the message and adjusted. The rumors of the death of the running back position at the professional level are premature.

RB Shane Vereen made his first appearance at the Giants' facility since signing with the club last month. It's a new experience for Vereen, who played his first four seasons with the New England Patriots. It is going to take him some time to get to know his new teammates.

"I know a couple of the guys, not too many compared to other teams in the league," Vereen told reporters at the team's initial voluntary workout at QDTC Monday. "There are a couple guys I worked out with out in California. We work out in the same area and now that I am in here and getting to know even more ? I actually prefer not knowing that many because it will force me now to step outside my comfort zone and meet some new faces. I am looking forward to it."

From Rotoworld:

Schefter reports free agent S Stevie Brown is considering "5-6 offers" and should make his decision "soon." Schefter lists the Giants, Cowboys, Falcons, Raiders and Titans as interested teams, but there could be a surprise organization lurking. Brown struggled last season after missing 2013 with an ACL tear, but he was solid in 11 starts with the Giants in 2012. The Giants are desperate for safety help after striking out in free agency.

The 6'3", 215 lb White, who has already visited with the Titans, will also visit with the Jets, Rams and Bears.

From Wilson:

Scherff has all the earmarks of becoming a solid NFL offensive lineman, but he may not be what fans and pundits think he is. Listed on many mock websites as a tackle, Scherff is actually projected by scouts and experts to be a guard in the NFL.

The Giants were hoping that a top OT would emerge from the pack this spring and they could implement their plan to move Justin Pugh, who struggled at RT last season, inside to plug the hole at guard. But that hasn't happened that we know of. They might be fooling themselves if they think Scherff is the guy who can force that change.

But, with the NFL Draft just two weeks away, the Giants are still without solid answers at the safety position. Their roster still lists only two players as safeties - Nat Berhe and Cooper Taylor - neither of whom has started an NFL game.

Both players were taken in the fifth round in the NFL Draft. Taylor, a 2013 pick, missed all of 2014 with a foot injury. Berhe, selected last season, served as mainly a special teams player.

1. Tampa Bay - are still believed to covet Florida State QB Jameis Winston first overall. But last week, ownership began to scrutinize Winston fearing he was a PR problem. ESPN's Chris Mortensen is reporting the Bucs have moved on to his Heisman successor, Oregon QB Marcus Mariota.

2. Tennessee - are said to be committed to Zach Mettenberger at QB and that is going to create a frenzy over the next two weeks. The Titans will be receiving offers from multiple teams to part ways with the pick regardless of which one of the top two QBs is available.

Some players are being moved up while others are being shoved down but one thing has remained constant: The Bucs will select FSU QB Jameis Winston first overall. Another is that USC DL Leonard Williams will be a top five pick.

Other than those two, it's a  "you-say-tomayto-I-say-tomahto" world. Some mockers have Oregon QB Marcus Mariota going as high as No.2. Others see him dropping down as afar as No.9.

The Giants' selections for this year's draft, which is in Chicago from April 30-May 2:

Round 1, Pick 9

In the upcoming NFL Draft, the Giants hold the ninth overall selection. Some say they are on the apron of where the top players end and the second-tier players begin. I'm not sure about that, but I am becoming more wary that teams may be looking to trade up into the top ten this season.

Since he took over as GM, Jerry Reese has yet to make a trade with his first round selection. With the talent in this draft considerably deeper than normal at some positions, he may reconsider come April 30. Let's face it, the way things are going one player ain't gonna do it anyway.

With only two unproven safeties on the current roster (Nat Berhe, Cooper Taylor), the club will be actively seeking several safeties to help fill the void left by Rolle, who played every game in the Giants' defensive backfield the past five seasons.

With many of the top free agent safeties already off the market, the Giants' options are wafer-thin. It appeared that they were on the verge of re-signing Stevie Brown, but may wait now that Brown is still recovering from foot surgery.

Q: What is your take on what the Giants have done so far in free agency? JF: I'm not doing cartwheels down 6th Avenue over these transactions, but they had some needs and JR went out and covered most of them. They needed depth and diversity at RB and I think they got that with Shane Vereen. He's a winning player that brings another dimension to the offense along with key intangibles. They needed to get deeper on special teams and LB and Jonathan Casillas and JT Thomas will help towards that. Of course the signing of KR/PR Dwayne Harris serves a duel purpose - giving the Giants a quality return man while taking a key player away from Dallas. OL Marshall Newhouse is an upgrade over the other backup lineman the Giants have had the past few seasons. So, overall, I believe these moves make the Giants a better team. Not sexy, but an efficient use of cap space. Five guys that will make the roster, as well as make it better and deeper.

Q: What is the plan at safety now that Antrel Rolle has moved on? JF: They chose not to continue on with Rolle, not because they didn't want him back, but because they didn't want to give him more than a two-year deal. He got three years from Chicago and the Giants chose not to match. They will miss him for sure, but as part of their new "young and cheap" philosophy, they didn't want to be paying Rolle past his prime. If you believe they will go into 2015 with Nat Berhe, Cooper Taylor and Thomas Gordon as their safeties, think again. I see them re-signing Stevie Brown and possibly another veteran. They also can spend an early round pick on a safety. For some reason, I have this crazy notion that they might draft Washington OLB Shaq Thompson and make him a box safety. The kid is a great prospect.?

I recently participated in a mock draft with 31 other national bloggers/writers from around the NFL. I was asked to represent the Giants at No. 9. (draftseason.com, March 5).

I took Nebraska DE/LB Randy Gregory (6 foot 6, 240 pounds).

My take is there are few offensive lineman in this draft that warrant the ninth overall selection. If the Giants are to take an OL this high in this draft, he better be able to come right in and start from Day One. There are several inside lineman who can do that, but very few tackles. Most of them come with too much risk.

Our friend John Norris over at Rotoworld.com likes the combination of speed and quickness that Oregon's Jake Fisher possesses. Fisher scored a 4.33 in a 20-yard short shuffle, and as a former tight end, has the feet and dexterity to go with his exceptional size (6'6", 306).

DE/OLB Vic Beasley, Clemson (6'3", 246) - Helped his draft stock a great deal the past few days and is now raked the 4th top pass rushing prospect in the draft by NFL.com's Mike Mayock. Even with the return of JPP and the rising prospects of Robert Ayers, Kerry Wynn, Devon Kennard and Damontre Moore, the Giants can always use another pass-rushing option. And a quality LB. Chances are Beasley isn't the BPA come the Giants' turn, but is things break right, he could be there at 41, when the Giants select in Round 2.

From Walter Football:

The Giants hit the jackpot last year with WR Odell Beckham Jr. at the NFL Draft. With an improving Rueben Randle and Victor Cruz (knee), who is expected to return in time for the regular season, the Giants could be considered receiver rich.

GM Jerry Reese feels that way, too, but he's not averse to taking another WR high in this year's draft.

What am I looking for at this combine? As a Giant enthusiast, I'm looking for players that dominate in the trenches. The Giants have a glut of players that possess average height, weight, strength and speed. What they need going forward are a few players of exceptional size and strength.

In short, no one on the Giants' current roster scares anyone. This spring, they need to find players that do. The objective is to win the battle in trenches. If I'm the Giants, I'm looking to grab one starter on the OL (preferably at LT) and one difference-maker on the defensive line.

It's the week after the Super Bowl, which means mock draft season has officially begun. The NFL Scouting Combine begins in less than two weeks, at that point?we'll begin to smoke out some favorites for you when it comes to the Giants and their ninth overall pick this year.

That hasn't stopped others from mocking away these days. The Giants' roster is an open book for the most part. Just about any player they pick this April will likely have the opportunity to make an instant impact. There are many who feel they will use their first-round pick on an offensive lineman. In today's NY Post, veteran columnist Steve Serby has the Giants looking defense first....

Danny Shelton (DT, Washington)Jay Bromley, the third-round pick in 2014, barely saw the field, so there is an opening for a 343-pound space eater alongside Johnathan Hankins. And Cullen Jenkins is 34. The big fella can shield MLB Jon Beason, if not the sun. A critical question coach Tom Coughlin and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will need to answer: If Pete Carroll saw this guy on the Giants? goal-line defense, would he let Russell Wilson throw from the 1-yard line to win an NFC Championship game? An offensive lineman always is in play, of course.

Giants scouts have met with several players at the East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg, Florida this week. As per Matt Lombardo of NJ.com, the Giants have shown interest in at least two players: Leterrius Walton, a DT from Central Michigan and USC defensive back Josh Shaw. (NJ.com, Jan 16)

It's no shock that the scouts are paying specific attention to defensive players. The Giants were statistically one of the worst defenses in the NFL in 2014.

It's way too early to speculate on who the Giants will select in this spring's NFL Draft. Or is it? I visited WalterFootball.com, one of my favorite websites, and checked to see who they have the Giants selecting in the first three rounds of their mock draft.

Round One, Pick 9: Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford (6'7', 312) Jr.

The 2015 NFL Draft will be held in either Los Angeles or Chicago.London must have been unavailable. The draft has been held in New York every year since 1965. The change is supposedly the result of Radio City Music Hall being unavailable, but in reality, taking the show on the road makes sense as the next step in the evolution of the draft as a spectacle. There have been reports that the 2015 draft could even be split between two cities, and across four days.

Roger Goodell and the NFL do not like to be manipulated, which is what happened this year in New York. The draft is usually held the last weekend of April at RCMH but was bumped to the second week of May by a new Rockettes production, which was subsequently cancelled by Garden head James Dolan.