New York Giants: Top 15 first-round draft picks all-time

Jeremy Shockey’s tenure with the Giants surely didn’t end as well as it started, but New York’s first-round pick in 2002 had to make this list.

The Miami Hurricanes’ First-Team All-American made his presence felt immediately at the next level. Shockey caught 74 passes for 894 yards in his rookie year, earning First-Team All-Pro honors. The four-time Pro Bowler may not be remembered as highly as Mark Bavaro, but he does hold the franchise-record for most receptions (371) by a tight end.

The 10-year veteran was a part of two Super Bowl winning teams, but missed New York’s Super Bowl run during the 2007 season due to a fractured leg. Shockey would go on to catch the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLIV, helping the New Orleans Saints win their first and only Super Bowl in franchise history.

Shockey’s 547 receptions ranks 12th all-time among tight ends, placing him just ahead of Pro Football Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow, according to Pro Football Reference. The 6-foot-5, 253-pound tight end spent his first six seasons in the league with the Giants after winning a National Championship at Miami.

The Giants traded Shockey to New Orleans after winning Super Bowl XLII without him. Big Blue received just a second-round and fifth-round pick in the 2009 draft for the Pro Bowl tight end.

Although Shockey’s time with the Giants was far from perfect, his play on the field made him one of the greatest tight ends in franchise history.