The New York Giants opened the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft on Friday with a bold deal to move up seven spots to select Alabama safety Landon Collins with the No. 33 overall pick.
Safety was a clear need for the Giants entering the draft after watching Antrel Rolle and Stevie Brown depart this offseason and having only untested Cooper Taylor and Nat Berhe on the depth chart. Collins is a bit limited in coverage but a hammer in run support, and the Giants landed NFLDraftScout.com’s top-rated strong safety in exchange for the 40th overall pick, a fourth-round pick and a seventh-round pick in this year’s draft.
“(It) couldn’t be a better situation for us,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. “Everybody thinks of him as a solid hitter.
“He is very skilled and very motivated. He will help us on special teams. He will compete for a starting job. He is a smart guy. He has contributed at Alabama in many different ways, as a leader and as a guy in the secondary making the calls.”
With the 40th overall pick, the Titans selected wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham, a first-round talent who was still available in the second round due to off-field issues. Green-Beckham transferred from Missouri to Oklahoma last offseason, but the NCAA ruled him ineligible for the 2014 season. The Titans landed the 6-foot-5, 237-pound playmaker as a downfield weapon for No. 2 overall pick quarterback Marcus Mariota.
— The Carolina Panthers acquired the 41st pick and selected Michigan wide receiver Devin Funchess. The Panthers sent the 57th, 89th and 201st overall picks to the Rams to move up 16 spots.
— The Houston Texans moved eight spots to select Mississippi State outside linebacker Benardrick McKinney with the 43rd pick, sending the No. 51 overall pick to the Cleveland Browns along with a fourth- (No. 116) and sixth-round (No. 201) picks.
— The Philadelphia Eagles moved up five spots to select Utah cornerback Eric Rowe with the 47th overall pick. They also received a sixth-round pick (No. 191), and sent the Miami Dolphins the No. 52 overall pick and two fifth-round picks (Nos. 155, 156).
— The Baltimore Ravens moved up three spots to select Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams with the 55th overall pick, sending the No. 58 overall pick and a fifth-rounder (No. 158) to the Arizona Cardinals.
Bucs sign No. 1 pick Winston
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers already have signed No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston.
General manager Jason Licht announced Friday that Winston signed his rookie contract. The former Florida State quarterback will get $25.35 million over four years, including a $16.7 million signing bonus, according to reports from NFL Media and ESPN.com.
“It’s something we wanted to do,” Licht said. “And it was something where they had no reluctancy either. It was fairly smooth. We wanted Jameis to start off on the right foot. There’s no reason to punish Jameis. He’s going to be treated contractually in terms of money just like any other first overall pick.”
Winston said, “I’m glad we got the contract stuff out of the way. I’m just looking forward to getting with the team. We’ve got some great teammates and I’m looking forward to working with the coaching staff, just playing some football. This whole thing has been long for me. But football is what I’m here for and I can’t wait.”
The Buccaneers and Winston downplayed a photo of the quarterback posing in front of a serving of Alaskan king crab legs as he celebrated being drafted No. 1.
General manager Jason Licht denied a report that the team told Winston to remove the picture. Winston was celebrating with his family and apparently trying to poke some fun at his past, which includes a civil citation for taking crab legs from a Tallahassee, Fla., grocery store.