The 2004 draft featured a familiar name in Boston College product Chris Snee. For new coach Tom Coughlin, it wasn’t just a talented guard from the same school he earned his first big time head coaching gig at. Snee also happened to be engaged to Coughlin’s daughter at the time, perhaps giving further insight into a gifted guard who most had pegged as a 4th or 5th round pick. The Giants wound up choosing Snee in the 2nd round, and he went on to start 138 games over the next nine seasons.
His durability on the offensive line, missing only 1 game between 2005 and 2012, led to a renaissance of sorts for the New York Giants and their running game in particular. Around Snee, the Giants assembled a group of nasty road graders who bulldozed the Giants to the playoffs 4 straight years from ’05-08, including a victory in Super Bowl 42 and a 12-4 record in 2008 that also featured two backs rush for over 1,000 yards. That season, Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward each rushed for 1,000 yards, one of only six times in NFL history that a pair of runners has eclipsed 1,000 yards each. The offensive line that year, anchored by All-Pro Chris Snee at right guard, was the driving force of the most successful regular season the Giants have had in more than a decade.
Following the disappointing showing in the 2008 playoffs, Snee made the Pro Bowl in two of the next three seasons, and in 2011, he once again played a vital role in leading the Giants to a Super Bowl victory. Although the line was slightly altered from 2007, Snee helped protect Eli Manning and guide the Giants to another victory over the Patriots. The offense was vastly different than the ground and pound teams of the past. With a pass heavy attack, Snee and the offensive line again proved their worth, stymieing not only the Patriots, but a vaunted 49er defense in the NFC championship game.
Quantifying an offensive lineman’s worth can be a difficult process. Pro Bowls and All-Pro designations are often reserved for popular, winning teams. Even a team’s overall success might not reflect how well or how poorly an offensive lineman is playing. But with Chris Snee, you not only have one of the most accomplished lineman in Giant history, you have one of the most decorated, whose contributions were felt almost immediately and seen almost as quickly. His Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections show he was also recognized, and at this point, Snee stands as one of the top offensive lineman in Giants’ history.
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