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If USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams slips, the Giants may pounce. (Mark J. Terrill | AP Photo )

If you want it, sometimes you must go get it in the NFL draft. Wait too long and your target could end up on a rival's roster.

It happened to the Giants in 2009 with wide receiver Jeremy Maclin. They wanted him, but the Eagles beat them to the punch and he landed 90 miles south in Philadelphia.

In the end, it didn't come back to bite the Giants. They drafted Hakeem Nicks with the 29th overall selection. That seemed to work out pretty well. Nicks was a key piece on the Super Bowl XLVI team.

But the point is that the only way to guarantee landing your player of choice in the NFL draft is to be aggressive. And the Giants may need to be ultra-aggressive this year if they truly want one of the elite talents. They may not be able to sit tight with the ninth-overall pick. This year's Odell Beckham Jr. may not slip through the early cracks.

So who are the truly elite? It depends who you ask, but for the Giants it's likely the two quarterbacks (Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston) and wide receivers (Amari Cooper and Kevin White), defensive lineman Leonard Williams and pass rushers Dante Fowler and Vic Beasley. Pass rushers Shane Ray and Randy Gregory are for someone else. Some of the offensive linemen are good, but none come without a wart. Cornerback Trae Waynes is solid and physically gifted, but not spectacular.

Count 'em and that makes seven top prospects. The Giants pick ninth. It doesn't take a genius to figure they could mathematically be squeezed out of an elite prospect. The only way to guarantee one of the top players lands on the Giants roster would be a move up.

There have undoubtedly been talks the past few weeks at the Quest Diagnsotics Training Center detailing all the scenarios. One that likely has occupied the most time is making a move for Williams, a dominant defensive tackle who made collegiate linemen look silly this past season. He's the rare combination of size, speed and athleticism on the interior of the line that has teams drooling.

The Giants are among those very high on Williams. Because of this, if the USC product happens to be available anywhere after the third pick, it wouldn't at all be surprising to see the Giants make the bold move.

After all, they are an organization that has never been shy about grabbing prospects they desperately want, even if it proves costly. Reese's mentor, Ernie Accorsi, made it happen when they wanted quarterback Eli Manning and tight end Jeremy Shockey. While Reese isn't one to trade down in the draft, he will trade up if necessary, even if he's done it mostly in the middle rounds.

And for Williams, it would be costly. The Bills moved from No. 9 to No. 4 last year. It cost them No. 9 and a first and fifth-round pick in 2015.

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But Williams can be a defensive difference-maker. He can immediately change the look of the Giants defense, improving their 30th-ranked run defense and interior pass rush with one fell pick. If Williams is anywhere near as good as some scouts suggest, he's worth the hefty price.

"Leonard Williams is hands down the best player in the draft," a scout said in Nolan Nawrocki's NFL Draft 2015 Preview.

"He is Reggie White. He can play anything and dominate. Watch the bowl game. When he could have shut it down, he dominated Nebraska. He will be a perennial Pro Bowler ‐ no and's, if's or but's. If I am Lovie Smith, I'm not taking a chance on a quarterback. I'm taking the sure thing."

It's not one rogue scout either. Another scout told NJ Advance Media's Mark Eckel:

"He's legit. He can play in any scheme. He can play inside or outside. He's a great pass rusher. He's athletic. He's tough. He's strong. He's got great moves. I mean [in college] they couldn't block him.''

That's extremely high praise, and worth sacrificing multiple picks rather than drafting an offensive lineman who may, in other years, be a middle-of-the-first-round pick.

Williams alongside tackle Johnathan Hankins and end Jason Pierre-Paul would immediately turn the defensive line into a strength. It would make the linebackers and the secondary better. It would help mask the open tryout at both safety spots. It would effectively change the outlook of the entire team.

And it could happen if Williams makes it past the first few picks, which could happen if Winston and Mariota go 1-2 and the Jaguars want Fowler. The Giants may be inclined to pounce.

It's not often the Giants have a Top 10 pick. This is the first time in 11 years, since they traded for quarterback Eli Manning. Once again, they could get bold and try to take full advantage. A trade up for Williams could be that kind of franchise-changing move.

Jordan Raanan may be reached at jraanan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JordanRaanan. Find NJ.com Giants on Facebook.

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