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Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Every year it seems the Giants throw a curveball during the draft—that one move few, if any, saw coming.

One potential candidate for this year's draft curveball could see them taking an outside linebacker as high as No. 23 overall.

That's where Vanderbilt's Zach Cunningham (6'3", 234 pounds) could be had for a team looking to add at that position.

The Giants, of course, haven't drafted a linebacker in the first round since 1984, when they took Carl Banks third overall out of Michigan State.

Banks, who after the 1992 season made stops in Washington and Cleveland before calling it a career, is a two-time Super Bowl champion and a four-time Pro Bowler.

The Giants, who haven't had a Super Bowl champion/Pro Bowl linebacker wrapped up in one guy since Antonio Pierce patrolled the middle of the field for the 2007 championship team, could be looking to give their linebacker unit a nice boost for down the line when both projected outside starters Devon Kennard and Jonathan Casillas are both set to hit free agency in 2018.

Last year, the Giants were believed to be coveting Leonard Floyd, who ultimately went to the Bears, and they might be looking at Cunningham to fill a similar role of a player who can line up with his hand in the dirt, play in coverage and rush from standing up.

Indeed, just as general manager Jerry Reese was, per the New York Daily News, present for Floyd's pro day last year, this year, ESPN reported that Reese was there to watch Vanderbilt's pro day, leading to speculation that the Giants' interest in Cunningham might just be great enough for them to consider drafting him in the first round.

Ranked as NFL Draft Scout's second-best outside linebacker prospect, Cunningham has 256 career tackles (36.0 for losses), seven forced fumbles and six sacks in three seasons, and is widely regarded as a natural playmaker.

NFL.com's Lance Zierlein noted that Cunningham is a three-down linebacker whose "downhill approach is made for attacking 4-3 defenses."

Cunningham, who projects to the weak side, could in fact give the Giants a solid option that they can potentially work into the mix this year even with Casillas still projected to be a starter.