With March Madness in full swing and Giants.com releasing their 2016 Bracket, GMenHQ decided to get into the game with a list of the New York Giants top 10 draft picks of all-time.
New York Giants draft speculation remains hot amid the NFL’s free agency lull (minus Bill Belichick) and college basketball’s seasonal sensation (curse you, West Virginia). While many continue to force offensive prospects Ezekiel Elliott and Laquon Treadwell into the No. 10 pick discussion, Giants.com is hosting its third annual Bracket Challenge in honor of March Madness (come on, Northern Iowa), and the first-round selections of legend.
So, in between Middle Tennessee State prematurely busting your bracket and Jerry Reese potentially adding to this list come April, who are the Giants draft picks to most sufficiently uphold their first-round prowess?
Before we get to the top 10, we’d be remiss if we didn’t show some respect to the following Giants first round draft picks…
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
20. Tucker Frederickson (RB, 1965) quickly validated being drafted No. 1 overall by becoming a rookie Pro Bowler and New York’s primary back of the late 60s.
19. Luke Petitgout (OT, 1999)
18. Mathias Kiwanuka (DE, 2006
Both men met injuries frequently but were regularly counted upon to fill multiple positions within their respective facets of the field, with the latter collecting two Lombardi Trophies.
17. George Connor (OT/LB, 1946) played the majority of his Hall-of-Fame career with the Chicago Bears, but the hybrid was New York’s very first first-rounder to be inducted, so kudos to scouting.
16. Mark Ingram (WR, 1987) catalyzed the Giants’ offense in Super Bowl XXV with 74 receiving yards and a tone-setting third-down conversion, eluding multiple tackles to capture second-half momentum.
15. Ike Hilliard (WR, 1997) took advantage of eight consistently serviceable seasons with the fifth-most receptions (368) in team history.
14. Jeremy Shockey (TE, 2002) stabilized his position during New York’s first championship run of the 2000s and remains franchise leader in receptions (371) as a pass-catching TE.
13. Kyle Rote (WR, 1951) played the role of Frank Gifford before Giffer was even a thing, tallying 5,668 scrimmage yards (No. 9), 52 offensive touchdowns (No. 7) and two passing scores.
12. Mark Haynes (CB, 1980) reawakened the Giants’ secondary and franchise as a whole, from helping return them to the playoffs in 1981 after an 18-year drought, to ironically succumbing as Super Bowl runner-up with the Denver Broncos.
11. Terry Kinard (DB, 1983) essentially carried Haynes’ torch as part of the winning club in 1986, and overall accumulated 27 interceptions (seventh-best) in 105 regular-season games.
Drafting from the pool of candidates in the Giants.com bracket, enjoy the top 10 NYG first-rounders of all time while I still mourn Providence’s inbound deflation of USC…
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