NY Post Ranks New York Giants 31st In Drafts Over The Past Five Years
By Neal Lynch
Brian Costello of The New York Post looked at how all 32 NFL teams have done in the past five drafts to see where each war room ranks and the New York Giants ranked next to last, just ahead of the Detroit Lions.
As Costello wrote, “The rankings were based on: how many games the player actually played, Pro Bowl appearances, first team All-Pro selections, and awards like MVP and Rookie of the Year. They also factored in how much the team has won during the five years.”
I’ve listed out how the NFC East fared in Costello’s rankings along with my thoughts on each.
14. Dallas Cowboys (18th last year)
Pro Bowlers: 4
Best Pick: DeMarco Murray — 2011, third round
Worst Pick: Morris Claiborne — 2012, first round
"“The Cowboys’ best work has come along the offensive line, where they drafted center Travis Frederick in 2013 and guard Zack Martin in 2014, both look like longtime starters. DB Claiborne and LB Bruce Carter were huge misses for Dallas.”"
Wide receiver Terrance Williams is a two-year starter with 133 catches and almost 2,200 receiving yards with 16 touchdowns, so he could be a Pro Bowler down the road. Last year’s draft class didn’t yield any primary starters, but Byron Jones, Randy Gregory, and Damien Wilson all saw extended action. Of those three, Gregory got the most hype.
Other than Williams, Martin, and Frederick, the Cowboys’ most notable picks from the past five drafts still on the roster include Tyron Smith, and Anthony Hitchens. I’m not sure why Costello was so high on their drafts. They seem to have whiffed pretty hard on two or three of the past five classes.
16. Redskins (22nd last year)
Pro Bowlers: 3
Best Pick: Alfred Morris — 2012, sixth round
Worst Pick: Robert Griffin III — 2012, first round
"“It is hard to call someone who won Rookie of the Year the worst pick for a team in the past five years, but Washington gave up so much to get Griffin, and he did not play a snap in 2015. The Redskins have found some good starters early in the draft the last few years and are drafting better than they were.”"
Five of Washington’s 10 draft picks last year saw extensive playing time with first round tackle Brandon Scherff grading out the highest. Second round defensive end Preston Smith from Mississippi State had eight sacks. Third round running back Matt Jones should be the primary back going into 2016 after Alfred Morris signed with Dallas. Fourth round receiver Jamison Crowder had almost 60 catches for 600+ yards.
Other notable picks from the past five drafts include Ryan Kerrigan, Kirk Cousins, Jordan Reed, David Amerson, Trent Murphy and Bashaud Breeland. At first glance, they should probably rank higher than the Cowboys.
20. Eagles (8th last year)
Pro Bowlers: 3
Best Pick: Jason Kelce — 2011, sixth round
Worst Pick: Danny Watkins — 2011, first round
"“The front office drama between Roseman and Kelly has influenced the past few drafts for the Eagles. There were stories of Kelly not listening to scouts. Fletcher Cox looks like a stud. Marcus Smith looks like a terrible pick.”"
Last year’s draft had one starter, #1 pick wide receiver Nelson Agholor, who had less than 300 receiving yards in 13 games. Third round linebacker Jordan Hicks earned the highest grade among that class with two interceptions and a sack.
Other notable draft picks from the past five drafts include: Jordan Matthews, Lane Johnson, Zach Ertz, Bennie Logan, Fletcher Cox, Mychal Kendricks, and the aforementioned Kelce.
31. Giants (23rd last year)
Pro Bowlers: 1
Best Pick: Odell Beckham Jr. — 2014, first round
Worst Pick: Marvin Austin — 2011, second round
"“Reese’s failings were well detailed last season when the Giants fell apart. Beckham looks set to have an amazing career, but other than him they have failed to find any impact players. Justin Pugh and Weston Richburg are solid pieces, but they got next to nothing out of the 2011 and ’12 drafts.”"
I can’t really argue this ranking. What I can argue is how the G-Men went down from 23 last year considering their 2015 NFL Draft yielded a perennial Pro Bowl tackle in Ereck Flowers, a perennial Pro Bowl safety in Landon Collins, and a starting guard in Bobby Hart.
Other than the 2015 class mentions, other notable picks from the past five drafts include Odell Beckham, Weston Richburg, Devon Kennard, Justin Pugh, and Johnathan Hankins. Kennard is the ONLY starter still on the team from the past five drafts that was selected later than the second round.
Next: Top 10 Giants Third Round Draft Picks of All-Time
The 2011 and 2012 NFL Drafts were as bad as they get. Of the 15 selections over those two seasons, the only starters were Jacquian Williams, Prince Amukamara, and Rueben Randle.