What convinced the Giants that Abdul Carter was the right pick in the draft

It seems so obvious. A team scouts a player and makes the determination to select him based on what he was able to accomplish at the college level. The thinking goes like this: He did it there and we think he can do it here, for us, at the NFL level.

Too often, though, the process leading into the NFL Draft focuses less on what the player was asked to do in college and more on what he might be able to do once he becomes a pro. Might is risky business, when it comes to the common goal of collecting as many sure things as possible when assembling a roster.

Still, that prism is the one teams use with alarming regularity. This offensive lineman spent the bulk of his college career on the outside at tackle, but we believe his future is inside, at guard. This defensive lineman lined up on the interior and thus his sack totals were minimal, but we feel he has untapped potential as an edge rusher. This defensive back was used mostly as a nickel corner, but we see him as a guy who can thrive on the perimeter.

A certain amount of projection is necessary. Completely relying on a leap of faith when drafting a player and assigning a new role to him is a strategy fraught with peril.