The Giants' first-round selection of cornerback Eli Apple was a head-scratcher to many.

In the final days leading up to the draft, all signs pointed to linebacker Leonard Floyd being the Giants' preference as they continue to rebuild their defense.

However, after the Tennessee Titans moved up for Michigan State offensive tackle Jack Conklin with the No. 8 overall pick and the Chicago Bears jumped up to No. 9 to snatch Floyd from the Giants' grasps, Apple became the selection.

Count ESPN NFL insider John Clayton among those surprised by the events of picks 8-10. He wasn't complimentary of the way the Giants played their hand.

"For the Giants, clearly it was intelligence failure," Clayton said during my radio show on 97.5 FM The Fanatic Sunday. "It wasn't intelligence as far as the selection, but the intelligence in the office, because I was hearing, like everyone else, that John Mara wanted to take Jack Conklin. He was going to try [to] push Jerry Reese to do that.

"However, Jerry and the staff were looking to take Leonard Floyd. ... Guess what, two teams jumped the Giants and now they had to reach a little bit to take Eli Apple. That kind of diminishes it a little bit."

Clayton's assessment -- shared by many -- is that the Giants settled for Apple, who may now be forced to play in the slot in order to get on the field regularly his rookie season. It's a position Apple rarely played at Ohio State.

Matt Lombardo may be reached at MDLombardo@yahoo.com. Follow him on Twitter: @MattLombardo975 and Facebook.