Giants targeting O line in draft

David Diehl had to wait until the fifth round of the 2003 draft to find out where his NFL future would take him. He wound up with the Giants, became an immediate starter, won a Super Bowl and played in a Pro Bowl.

Now, once again, Diehl's path is uncertain and tied to the draft. This time, though, he probably won't have to wait until the fifth round to figure out what it will mean for him.

Diehl is one of the tight group of Giants offensive linemen who most likely will be adding a high-round pick to their membership by the time the lockout ends and the team gathers again. Although whom the Giants pick and where they pick him will affect just about every position -- guard Chris Snee likely is the only returner cemented in place for 2011 -- it is Diehl who will get the best glimpse of his role.

As the Giants move the furniture around, Diehl is left to wonder whether he'll be a loveseat or a sofa.

If the Giants decide to take a tackle and build from the outside in -- Boston College's Anthony Castonzo or Colorado's Nate Solder are expected to be available in the neighborhood of No. 19 -- it likely will mean that Diehl will have to move from tackle to guard.

But the Giants' most pressing need probably is in the middle of the offensive line, where their top three centers from 2010 are coming off surgery. Conventional draft wisdom tells teams to take a tackle high -- since 1991, 81 were taken in the first round, compared with 10 guards and eight centers -- but if Florida's Mike Pouncey is available, he might be too valuable for the Giants to pass on.

If they take Pouncey, it could mean the end of Shaun O'Hara's tenure with the Giants. And it likely would mean that Diehl would battle Will Beatty and possibly even Shawn Andrews at left tackle. In the past, all Diehl has asked for is a chance to compete for the left tackle job.

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Although general manager Jerry Reese did not suggest that the Giants will draft an offensive lineman high, most outsiders figure that to be the plan. The line was a backbone of the 2007 championship team, but the Giants failed to reach the playoffs the last two years and have seen age and injury creep up on the unit.

Since 2005, the year after they took Snee in the second round, the Giants have drafted only one offensive lineman, Beatty, in the first three rounds. They've picked only four since 2005, the fewest in the NFL. That trend appears likely to change this week.