Giants' surprise No. 1 pick: DB Amukamara

You didn't have to wake up at 4 a.m. to watch a royal wedding on television Friday morning. All you had to do was catch Thursday night's NFL draft, where the Giants got hitched to a Prince.

With a pick that surprised even the Giants themselves, Big Blue selected cornerback Prince Amukamara from Nebraska with the 19th overall pick. They had needs at other positions, but as Amukamara tumbled through the first round, the Giants could not resist. They stuck to their philosophy of drafting the best player available and took one whom many projected was going to be taken in the top 10.

The Giants thought he would go that high as well.

"We never dreamed he would be there when we were picking," general manager Jerry Reese said with a frog-kissing grin Thursday night.

Amukamara was surprised as well. "I thought other teams needed a corner and had earlier picks," he said. "I haven't worked out for them, I never visited here and they never really contacted me. That's just how the draft is."

But there he was, "clearly the highest-rated player on the board" when that 19th pick came around, according to coach Tom Coughlin. They had some cursory discussions about other alternatives, Reese said, listened to a few trade offers that weren't enough for them to bite at, and then decided to make Prince their newest king.

With the fans at Radio City Music Hall chanting "We want Prince!" he was announced a little after 10 p.m..

SEE PHOTOSHit or miss: Giants 1st-round picks since 1986

Reese said Amukamara also represents a need for the Giants, although where he will fit into the defensive backfield could get sticky. The Giants have two returning starters at corner in Corey Webster and Terrell Thomas -- both former second-round picks -- and have a former first-round pick in Aaron Ross as their nickel back. Ross and Thomas are free agents after next year. But Reese said he expects Amukamara to compete right away for a starting job.

"You always need good corners and you always need pass rushers," he said.

It's the third time in the last five years the Giants have picked a defensive back in the first round -- Ross and Kenny Phillips are the other two -- and the sixth time in seven years that their first pick in the draft was a defensive player.

How dominant was Amukamara at Nebraska? He had zero interceptions in 2010 and was named not only a unanimous All-American but the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. Coughlin and director of college scouting Marc Ross also liked that he played in the Big 12, which is loaded with pass-happy offenses.

SEE PHOTOSTop 10 Giants of all time

"I'm definitely a cornerback who likes to be very physical and get my hands on the receivers, and I did that a lot in college," Amukamara said. "So in the offseason I just worked on playing more with my feet and less on my hands. Coach Coughlin said they were fired up to have me there, and he said a couple of jokes and that they are excited that they had a chance to get me."

If he had Coughlin cracking one-liners, he must have made the Giants' wishes come true.