New York Giants: 10 worst draft busts of Jerry Reese era

No. 10 – Darian Thompson S, Boise State 3rd Rd (71st) 2016

Although just a third round pick, Darian Thompson came into his rookie year with lofty expectations to potentially finally be the free roaming coverage safety the Gmen have sorely lacked since Antrel Rolle’s departure. Like another guy featured later on this list, Thompson may have been unjustifiably let go too early by the new regime and we may never know how good he ultimately could have been.

Lauded in college for being a rangy ball hawk, Thompson finished off an impressive career at Boise State by breaking Eric Weddle’s Mountain West career interception record with 19 total picks in his four years. An All-American selection his Junior year, Thompson was seemingly as ready as any third round prospect could ever be to step in and contribute right away.

While a foot injury put a halt to his rookie year early, Thompson managed to stay healthy for the entire 2017 season and played almost every snap. The results weren’t pretty; 13 missed tackles and an overall grade of 52.2, good for 70th in qualifying safeties, according to Pro Football Focus.

To make matters even worse for Giants fans, according to SportsDay, Thompson recently signed with the Dallas Cowboys after being poached away off Arizona’s practice squad. The former Boise ballhawk was one of the final cuts by the G-Men, after he surprisingly lost the starting job to newcomer Curtis Riley. While it’s fair to say he deserved more time, his overall stay with the Giants was disappointing enough to land him a spot on our list.