Months removed from defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI, the New York Giants decided to add a unique spark to their already talented team, selecting running back David Wilson in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Unfortunately for the Giants and Wilson, that union was short-lived.
Wilson, who was named a Second Team All-Pro as a rookie, suffered a career-ending neck injury in 2013 and was forced to retire early.
With that in mind, Gil Brandt of NFL Network had the Giants go in an entirely different direction as part of his 2012 NFL re-draft, selecting offensive guard Kelechi Osemele at No. 32 overall.
Original pick: David Wilson, RB.
Osemele was actually drafted by: the Ravens in Round 2 (No. 60).This can’t be considered a knock on Wilson, since an early career-ending neck injury prevented us from seeing what he could have become. The Giants could have avoided some of the problems that later surfaced along their offensive line by selecting Osemele here, with Cordy Glenn receiving strong consideration, as well.
The Giants did cycle through various guards from that point forward, but a quality offensive tackle would have been even more valuable to the team long-term.
Still, as Brandt alluded, having Osemele, a two-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro, locked into place would have afforded the team an opportunity to dive deeper into their search for a quality tackle.
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