After trading up for Mark Sanchez in the first round, Mike Tannenbaum started the day with a trade to the first pick of the third round. Guess we’ll get the details later. They wound up picking Iowa RB Shonn Greene, who some scouts suspect is a one-year wonder. Could be a risky deal.

UPDATE 12:10: Giants just drafted tight end Travis Beckum of Wisconsin with the 100th pick, their compensatory choice. He’s 6-3, 243, a tad undersized for tight end. A curious pick here, since there are questions about his blocking ability, intelligence, and maturity. They might have gotten themselves another Dustin Keller, who actually had a couple of good games for the Jets before dropping off the map at the end of the season. Doesn’t seem the prototype pick for a team that bases its offense on the running game. But he does have catching ability, and makes yards after the catch.

Here’s Travis on tape.

Tom Coughlin was just on ESPN and explained the Beckum pick as a guy who had some high production, and would have been better had he not gotten hurt as a senior. “He gives us a different style,” Coughlin said. “Third down, second down, teams are gonna have to make some decisions on how they play us, especially in the green zone.”

As for how close the Giants came to making a trade for a veteran wide receiver, Coughlin said, “A lot of rumors prevail at this time of year. That’s pretty much all they were.”

UPDATE 11:55: Just got off the phone with Barden. Sounds like a nice kid. Of course, he insists he’s a complete receiver, but with 4.56 speed, that kind of takes away the deep threat. When asked if he enjoys running that fade route, he gave a slight laugh, as if to say, “Sure I do.”

“Definitely. If that’s what’s needed, I want to bring down those balls in the red zone and help us score and move the chains.”

Because of his leaping ability, Barden may have a chance to make a more immediate impact, even, that first-rounder Hakeem Nicks. He can come in situationally, in red zone situations, and just go out for the jump ball. He can also go over the middle.

Problem is, he played mostly on a Division 1-AA level. He did have a good outing against Wisconsin, however, and Cal Poly nearly beat them in overtime. Barden scored once and set up another touchdown with a 31-yard catch in the 36-35 loss last year. He scored his touchdown in overtime on a 25-yard strike.

“I think (the Wisconsin game) was a big part of it,” Barden said. “I’ve always had confidence in my abilities. That’s what that game was, another opportunity to go against a top level of competition. It was an opportunity to test ourselves on a national stage.”

The kid’s got leaping bloodlines. His dad played on NYU’s Final Four basketball team in the ‘60s

UPDATE 11:19: Giants just traded up to Philadelphia’s pick at No. 85 and picked their second receiver of the draft, Ramses Barden of Cal Poly. He’s a 6-foot-6, 225-pound leaper. They swapped threes and gave up their own fifth-round pick, the 164th pick overall. They still have the fifth-rounder from the Jeremy Shockey trade, No. 151 overall.

Not a bad thing to do. In Nicks, they have the guy who can make the spectacular catch. In Barden, they get a guy who is even taller than Plaxico Burress, and who made a living at Cal Poly running Burress’ end zone fades. He’s not a true downfield guy, since he doesn’t have tremendous speed. But if you want somebody to go up for a jump ball in the end zone, he’s your guy. Take a look.

We’re going to get the kid on the phone soon, so we’ll have something in a later update.

UPDATE 10:52: The Cowboys just made an interesting pick with one of their, I believe, 250 picks. They chose Robert Brewster, a 325-pound tackle out of Ball State. Must be thinking about him taking over for Flozell Adams eventually, or maybe moving inside to guard. Dallas seems to like those big bodies, as they’ve consistently fielded one of the heaviest offensive fronts in the league. Fits right in. But he’s got conditioning problem

UPDATE 10:36 a.m.: Hmm. Giants addressed wide receiver, outside linebacker, and tackle with their first three picks yesterday. Now they have the 27th pick in the third round and the compensatory 36th pick in the second round, No. 100 overall. Wonder what positions they’ll address with those. Remember, by rule you can’t do anything with the comp pick except use it, so I’m thinking they stay right where they are and get a little somethin’ somethin’ for the backfield and the secondary.

EP

Okay. I’m back for good, and ready and rarin’ to go for the second day of the draft.

This is really where the scouts make their money, digging up those late-round gems. And the Giants have seven draft picks remaining. Tom Rock of Newsday has set the over/under on picks at 4 1/2. I’m taking the under, as I still believe there’ll be some sort of trade.

So there it is. I’ll keep you posted throughout the day, so stick around. Just make sure to go out occasionally and sample the beautiful weather.

EP

Howdy, folks. Me again, for just a short time while I tend to some personal business.

First of all, I want to thank Sam Borden for sitting in on the Draft Day jam session for me. I know it was a change for Sam, going from sports columnists mode to blue-collar working stiff, but I heartily appreciate the big assist. After tonight, I officially release you to return to your regular affairs, taking with you all rights and privileges of Ernie Knighthood as Sir Sam of Borden.

There is no money attached to this honor.

Second, the old poll had more than 50 percent of you wanting Jerry Reese to trade for a veteran wide receiver. How’d that work out for ya? Now, I don’t want to brag, because it was as much a shot in the dark as anything, but I did call the pick, didn’t I? First one I had right in about 10 years, I’d say.

Last, we have a new poll up. What did you think of the pick? As usual, vote, and then leave the comments here. We’ll keep it up until Monday.

I’ll be back tomorrow to wrap up the draft with you. Until then, happy drafting!

EP

Hello everyone, it’s Sam Borden, your friendly neighborhood sports columnist, here in the basement of Giants Stadium along with the rest of the Big Blue press corps. A few years ago, when I was working as a columnist in Jacksonville, the team allowed the press to watch the draft in one of it’s larger team video rooms, which meant we had several large HD televisions and a nice food spread set up in the back. Here, the press room has a sort of old-school pillbox feel and there are two TVs which look to be from the late 80’s. Then again, smaller screens mean less of Mel Kiper’s hair to look at, so …

The first pick is about 20 minutes away, though not much drama there. Matt Stafford to the Lions is already a done deal, so the Rams are really the ones on the clock. Feel free to chime in on the comments section often and if you want to email me, I’m at sborden@lohud.com.

Update, 4:04 p.m.: What a shock – Stafford to the Lions. I completely realize that athletes operate in another stratosphere than everyone else when it comes to salaries, but does it bother anyone else this guy gets $40 million guaranteed before he ever does anything in the NFL? Tell me another sport where players routinely become the highest-paid player around before they step on the field. I know Stafford may be the real deal, but it just seems wrong …

Update, 4:26 p.m.: Tyson Jackson over Aaron Curry for the Chiefs. Nice prediction by Ralph Vacchiano of the News. I caught a few minutes of Curry on Jim Rome’s TV show the other day and I can only assume the Chiefs dropped him on their board because of his interviewing skills. That said, I do like the guy because he brought a special guest to the draft.

Update, 4:39 p.m.: And everyone just goes crazy at Radio City … Jets are now on the clock. Traded up for the pick. Gotta be Sanchez, right?

Update, 4:42 p.m.: And for the second straight year, the Jets make a move for a QB. Everyone thinks this kid is going to be a stud, though he only had 16 starts at USC. Bottom line: The Jets went nuts on defense after Rex Ryan came in, so now they’re trying to make the other side look a little better. Reports are that the Jets gave up their first and second round picks, along with several players including Brett Ratliff. So much for Kellen Clemens.

Update, 4:56 p.m.: The Raiders just took Darrius Heyward-Bey at No. 7. DH-B was a popular pick for the Giants in many mock drafts which had the moving up a little – but not this much – from 29. Hardly anyone thought DH-B would go this high, especially not since Michael Crabtree is still sitting there. One commentator just called this a “typical Al Davis pick,” which I assume means “a crazy one.”

Update, 5:05 p.m.: The Jaguars, who everyone thought would trade their pick at 8, apparently didn’t get an offer they were comfortable accepting. They went with Eugene Monroe, OT from Virginia. You’d have to think the Giants are pushing to get up and take Crabtree, no? If they’re not, it’s a mistake (or it’s a sign the Edwards/Boldin possibilities are still legitimately possible).

Update, 5:21 p.m.: So the Niners take Crabtree at 10. Could the Giants have gotten there? College WRs that go in the first round are a real crapshoot in terms of NFL success, but the general consensus is that this kid is a playmaker. The Giants have an obvious need there, and still figure to address that at some point today.

Update, 5:31 p.m.: Congratulations to Belford, N.J., as well as Journal News editor Henry Freeman and all the rest of Georgia Nation, as Knowshown Moreno goes to Denver. Kind of an odd pick by Josh McDaniel and the Broncos, given their needs. It’s also a good bit higher than most projections had Moreno.

Update, 5:51 p.m.: The Chargers take Larry English, LB from No. Illinois at 16. In other news, the second TV in the press room here is only capable of showing the Yankees-Red Sox game in letter-box mode with no color and no audio. In other words, I think Jason Varitek just hit a grand slam, but it could have been Luis Tiant. On this TV, they sort of look the same.

Update, 5:58 p.m.: Does Mangini realize there’s no prize for the team that ends up with the most picks? Like, it’s not a cumulative thing?

Update, 6:01 p.m.: The Bucs, who got the pick from the Browns, picked QB Josh Freeman from Kansas State. Former Bucs coach,  NFL Network analyst and notorious QB collector Jon Gruden seems to like this pick, saying, “I’m happy for the Tampa Bay Buccanneers.” Well, all right.

Update, 6:11 p.m.: You sort of get the feeling that someone bet Eric Mangini $50 he couldn’t end up with 27 picks in a single draft and Mangini just decided to go for the pocket cash. At this point, the entire sixth round will be the Browns picking over and over.

Update, 6:13 p.m.: Eagles take the Browns pick and go with WR Jeremy Maclin. At this point, the Giants still haven’t addressed their need and a division rival just took one of the guys that might have been able to help them. I’m still thinking we’re going to hear about another trade when the Giants get on the clock and Braylon Edwards will be going to NY.

Update, 6:29 p.m.: Vikings take Percy Harvin at 22. I had the opportunity to watch Harvin while working in Florida and there’s no doubt he’s an incredible talent when he has the ball in his hands. I’m just not sure how he’ll hold up to the physical demands of the NFL. There are also about a billion jokes to be made about a guy who got busted for smoking pot at the Combine ending up in Minnesota, which has seen its share of off-field issues. Fortunately for you, I’m not going to make any of them.

Update, 6:40 p.m.: Apparently Mike Mayock has no such concerns. While his colleagues on the set were extolling Harvin’s virtues, this was his comment: “We all think it’s a great pick, but if he winds up on the Love Boat smoking a bone, it’ll be a different story.” Well said, Coach.

Update, 6:43 p.m.: And the Falcons take Peria Jerry at 24. How many times in Jerry’s life do you think people have screwed up which name goes first and which name goes second? I guarantee it happens at least once a week.

Weary DMV clerk: Name?

Jerry: Peria Jerry.

Weary DMV clerk: Peria comma Jerry?

Jerry: No, Peria Jerry.

Weary DMV clerk: Jerry Peria.

Jerry: No, Peria Jerry.

Weary DMV clerk: OK, so first name is Gerry with a “G” …

Jerry: (shaking head) No!

Update, 7:02 p.m.: THE GIANTS ARE ON THE CLOCK!

Update, 7:10 p.m.: They take Hakeem Nicks. Jerry Reese in here now.

Update, 7:20 p.m.: Reese says the Giants were never close trading – either up or down – and had four players they were comfortable taking at 29, with Nicks being the only receiver in the group. He likened Nicks’ body type to Anquan Boldin. “We expect him to come in and compete for a job and make a contribution,” Reese said.

When Reese was asked what he’d say about the Giants not having a top veteran receiver on the roster right now, he said: “I say some guys better step up. We look forward to seeing which guys step out of the shadows.”

Update, 7:29 p.m.: Tom Coughlin said Nicks has “big hands, very big hands.” He admitted the Giants were concerned there might not be a WR available for them at 29 as the early 20’s picks played out, and there were several phone conversations about moving up but “nothing materialized.” He also pointed out that there was no chance for the Giants to move back because Tennessee, who took Rutgers WR Kenny Britt right behind them, was also in the market for a WR and would have likely snapped up Nicks.

Update, 7:42 p.m.: Just got off a conference call with Nicks. He was at home in Charlotte and clearly had some family around – lots of kids’ voices chattering in the background. When asked to describe himself as a player, he said he was a “great physical receiver” and also assured the media that the hamstring issue which kept him from running at his Pro Day was no longer an issue. “I’ll be full-go,” he said. “Once I get up there, it’s football time.”

In terms of what kind of an impact he could make in his rookie year, he went with the standard, “I just want to get in the program and find my role” soundbite, and said he’s heard the comparisons to Boldin and Michael Irvin in the past. As for being a deep threat – something the Giants are lacking now – he said, “I feel like I’m a very deep threat. That just wasn’t my role (in college).”

Lastly, when asked about his impressions of Sergeant Tom Coughlin, he said (in all seriousness): “He seems like a pretty cool coach.”

Cool. All righty then.

I’ve got to get started on my newspaper stories now. Back later on.

Update, 8:25 p.m.: Giants are on the clock again. Second pick upcoming.

Update, 8:31 p.m.: They go with LB Clint Sintim out of Virginia. The Cavaliers played a 3-4, so it’ll be interesting to see how he fits in on a team that uses a variety of defensive schemes.

Update, 9:10 p.m.: Just had Sintim on a conference call and he said the Giants have told him he’ll be playing a similar role to what he held at UVA as the strong-side outside linebacker. He said he visited Buffalo, New Orleans, Kansas City and the Giants, and enjoyed meeting Coughlin and other Giants execs. “The 3-4 is a little different than the 4-3 but … the game of football is the same. I’m excited about this opportunity.”

Update, 9:21 p.m.: The Giants second second-round pick is coming up soon. Meanwhile, I’m beginning to get blurred vision from six hours of exposure to the dank flourescent lights in this dungeon.

Update, 9:36 p.m.: Giants take T William Beatty out of UConn.

Update, 9:53 p.m.: Giants director of college scouting Marc Ross is in here now. He says Beatty is “a natural left tackle.”

Ross said he’s not concerned about Sintim adapting to the Giants’ scheme because “he’s a presence” and “has a good understanding of the routes. … He’s done it all.”

In terms of Nicks, Ross said “a lot of guys can catch without people around them. This guy catches with bodies around him. … He’s got a big catching radius.” He then likened him to Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin—read more about my thoughts on those comparisons in my column for The Journal News and LoHud.com tomorrow.

Ross also said that the fact Nicks played in a pro-style offense at UNC made the Giants believe he may be more NFL-ready than some of the pure speed receivers that went ahead of him. “This guy was a pro-style receiver,” Ross said, adding that he believes Nicks is “polished.”

Update, 10:03 p.m.: First two rounds are in the books and the Giants are closing up shop for the night. I’m about send in my column and capsules and hit the road for the long drive home. Hope you all enjoyed the live blogging—be sure to check back tomorrow when Ernie P. is back at the wheel. Goodnight!

Maybe not. I’m still thinking that “Braylon Edwards trade is dead” talk is just that. If Jerry Reese really wants Edwards, he’ll get him. So I believe he’s going to head into the 29th pick with a veteran receiver in hand and take a linebacker in the first round.

However, if the trade doesn’t go through and the Giants take a first-round wide receiver, I believe it will be the North Carolina kid, Hakeem Nicks. They may like Darrius Heyward-Bey of Maryland better, but they won’t get high enough to take him. So they’ll grab Nicks, a guy who can make the spectacular catch.

Bet the house on it. And then find yourself a cardboard box to live in. I haven’t hit one of these predictions in years.

EP

Join me and Ernie Palladino for our video chat in a few minutes. Here’s the link: http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/99999999/MOGULUS0105/399990027&template=mogulus

Quick! Write a caption!

While I was sitting through 14 innings at Yankee Stadium, the Giants were awarded offensive lineman Andrew Carnahan off Kansas City waivers. The 6-foot-7, 308-pound Arizona State product spent the last two years with the Jags and Chiefs, but hasn’t played a game.

Sounds like camp fodder at best. Just an opinion.

EP

Here are five areas the Giants might be looking at long and hard come the weekend.

WIDE RECEIVER: I promise, from this point on, no more jokes about Plaxico Burress blowing holes in any of his appendages. One, they’re old and stale. Two, it’s no joke anymore. The Giants need to fill that deep threat hole, and they need to do it by getting a veteran receiver in there. General manager Jerry Reese said he’d be content with the current receiving corps if it came to that. But let’s be honest. Outside of Steve Smith—a fast-developing star—all they’ve got is a lot of unproven talent. Domenik Hixon can go downfield, but he’s not consistent enough. Sinorice Moss is still trying to get quality field time after three years of injuries and inconsistency, and last year’s third-rounder, Mario Manningham, spent most of his rookie year inactive. Kind of makes you wonder about Reese’s claim that “We like Mario. We like Steve Smith. We like Hixon. We like our tight end. So we have guys – I think people are panicked a little bit about the receiver. I don’t think we are panicked about it. We are not panicking about getting a receiver. We have good players that we can win football games with; we have pro football receivers on our team right now.” The way things set up now, Eli Manning could sure use a big, deep threat like Burress. The next best thing might just be for drop-prone Braylon Edwards of Cleveland, a trade that will very likely happen given the Browns’ interest in Kenny Britt of Rutgers and Mohamed Massaquoi of Georgia. The Cardinals’ Anquan Boldin will probably be a bit too pricey. Either way, they won’t find anyone with the sheer height and leaping ability of the 6-foot-5, 232-pound Burress.

LINEBACKER: Middle linebacker is set with Antonio Pierce and the hard-driving Chase Blackburn behind him. The weak side should be fine with free agent Michael Boley. But the strong side could use a younger presence than the aging Danny Clark. And then there’s the depth issue. Gerris Wilkinson hasn’t figured out a way to stay healthy. Bryan Kehl was mostly a backup. Zak DeOssie is more long-snapper than linebacker at this point. And Jonathan Goff was hurt a lot. If Reese trades for the veteran wide receiver, this position might get the first-round pick, assuming Reese hasn’t given it away to Arizona on the Boldin pricetag. What would be really nice is a guy who could replace Pierce in coverage situations, as it does get tiresome watching him try to keep up with running backs. USC’s Rey Maualuga had four interceptions and four forced fumbles last year. A violent tackler in the image of Bill Romanowski, he earned the rep of “The most menacing linebacker in the Pete Carroll era” by the coaching staff. Keep him around a year or two, and you’ve got your instant successor to Pierce. If they go outside, they’ll need a pass-rusher like USC’s Clay Matthews, who showed natural pass-rush talent. Matthews is also an outstanding special teams player. Ohio State’s Jim Laurinaitis showed both qualities, and he’ll probably be there at No. 29. The others might require a trade up.

OFFENSIVE LINE: It’s true that the starting line of David Diehl, Rich Seubert, Shaun O’Hara, Chris Snee, and Kareem McKenzie will be intact for at least another year or two. But there’s no time like the present to start looking at successors, especially if a quality guy shows up. After all, Grey Ruegamer isn’t getting any younger. Kevin Boothe did a nice job filling in for the injured McKenzie against Seattle, but didn’t do much outside of special teams the rest of the season. Adam Koets didn’t even do that much, spending all but one game on the inactive list. This could be an area for later in the draft.

SPECIAL TEAMS: This is always a good area to consider in the later rounds. But there’s a guy in the first round that makes this an intriguing situation. Florida receiver Percy Harvin doesn’t have the size to replace Burress, Harvin being only 5-11. But he can also play running back, and his incredible speed and ability in space create great potential for him as a returner. Since Ahmad Bradshaw is going to be taking more of a rushing load now that Derrick Ward is gone, the Giants could use someone with Harvin’s return potential. And his ability as a wide receiver works right into that glaring need area, too. Look for them to take a late-round coverage guy, since nobody really knows whether David Tyree will ever get back from his knee surgery.

RUNNING BACK: You say they’re loaded in the backfield with Brandon Jacobs, Bradshaw, and Danny Ware? Look at it this way. Jacobs gets hurt far too much for a back of his size. If he continues as he has the past couple years, he’s going to keep getting banged up. Adding a quality rookie won’t hurt. Ask Bradshaw. He was that guy two years ago, and he came in awfully handy in the Giants’ run to the Super Bowl. The beauty of Bradshaw was that he came in the seventh round. Don’t be surprised to see another mid-to-late round pick. Arian Foster of Tennessee could be intriguing because of a bad senior season that dropped him from a potential first-day pick into the middle rounds. He’d be a nice character project to assign to Bradshaw, another collegiate back who saw his stock drop because of character issues.

EP

We’ve got a poll up asking you what you’d do with the Giants’ 29th pick in the first round. Check off a box, and then come to this post to get more detailed in your answer. Or, if you’re thinking of a totally different answer than what’s listed, there’s a spot for that, too. Just make sure to come back here and share your logic with everyone.

We’ll keep the poll up until the Giants make their pick Saturday. The guy who hits it on the head in his explanation gets a double-click!

EP

The bad thing with old dogs like myself is that learning new tricks comes slowly and in increments. So it is with this live video chat me and Jets writer Jane McManus are doing Friday at noon. I’ll continue to pump the public relations on it right up to “action!” or, whatever the heck they say to kick us off.

I do know this about procedure, however. You will be able to write in questions during the chat. I’ll try to figure out the how as we go along, but be assured you’ll have the opportunity to make your voice heard. And, wonder of wonders, we might even have intelligent answers for you.

Have to admit, this is a little intimidating for a first-timer like me. Bright lights, intricate scenery, cinematographers, directors, gaffers, go-fers. Or maybe it’ll just be me, Jane, and a desk. Guess we’ll find out together. I do know it’s big stuff,  though. They’ve told me to wipe the tomato sauce off my shirt and wear pants. High class.

So that’s that, for now. More details to follow. Oh, and one more thing. I’d really appreciate it if all my guys and gals out there got in on this to make my first appearance a successful one. You watch my chat, I’ll watch yours. Or, as my aunt and uncle used to say, “One hand washes the other—and both hands wash your face!”

EP