NY Giants Draft: Why their Draft Position Shouldn’t Matter

NY Giants 1st Round Picks Since 2004.

• 2004: QB Eli Manning, Ole Miss. #4 Overall (Trade with San Diego)

• 2005: 1st Round Pick Traded for Eli Manning

• 2006: DE/LB Mathias Kiwanuka, Boston College, #32 Overall

• 2007: CB Aaron Ross, Texas, #20 Overall

• 2008: DB Kenny Phillips, Miami (FL), #31 Overall

• 2009: WR Hakeem Nicks, UNC, #29 Overall

• 2010: DE Jason Pierre-Paul, USF, #15 Overall

• 2011: CB Prince Amukamara, Nebraska, #19 Overall

• 2012: RB David Wilson, Virginia Tech, #32 Overall

• 2013: OG/OT Justin Pugh, Syracuse, #19 Overall

• 2014: WR Odell Beckham Jr., LSU, #12 Overall

• 2015: OT Ereck Flowers, Miami (FL), #9 Overall

• 2016: CB Eli Apple, OSU, #10 Overall

• 2017: TE Evan Engram, Ole Miss, #23 Overall

• 2018: RB Saquon Barkley, Penn State, #2 Overall

• 2019: QB Daniel Jones, Duke, #6 Overall, DT Dexter Lawrence, Clemson, #19 Overall, and CB DeAndre Baker, Georgia, #30 Overall (Trade with Seattle)

• 2020: OT Andrew Thomas, Georgia, #4 Overall

1st Round Analysis:

There is a long list of NY Giants 1st Round picks to sort through since 2004.

There have been several key players as part of one or two Super Bowl teams, some players haven’t worked out for whatever reason, and there have been some major busts that have set the team back at key positions.

Looking at the first round picks since 2004, there are a lot of details and context to unwrap. Let’s start with 2004.

Infamously, Eli Manning refused to play for the Chargers if they selected him 1st overall in the ’04 draft. Eli helped maneuver a trade to New York where then-GM Ernie Accorsi gave up three draft picks to land the draft’s most touted quarterback. The move paid serious dividends for both teams; Manning won two Super Bowls in New York, winning game MVP honors in both games. San Diego went on to have Philip Rivers quarterback them for the next 16 years and also got two future All-Pros in Nate Kaeding and Shawn Merriman.

In 2006, Tom Coughlin tapped into the team he once head coached, and circled Mathias Kiwanuka out of Boston College with the team’s first pick.

Kiwanuka was taken #32 overall, the last pick of the first round. Kiwanuka went onto be a huge part of two Super Bowl teams, highlighting his versatility by changing positions from defensive end to linebacker several times during his nine-year career with the Giants. Kiwanuka won two rings, started 82 games, and racked up 38.5 career sacks. Although the first round’s last pick, Kiwi had similar or better production both stats and career-wise than many of the linebackers and defensive ends selected before him. He is one of many examples of finding an impactful 1st rounder late in the round.

In 2007, first-year GM Jerry Reese nabbed Aaron Ross from Texas with the team’s 1st round pick. Ross was a contributing rookie immediately, making his presence felt on the stat sheet and by inflicting pain into opposing receivers. Ross was a six-year player for the Giants, shaping into one of the core players of both Super Bowl teams. Aaron ended his NY career with 11 interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), 43 starts with NY, and also two rings. He was taken 20th overall and had a better career than several of the safeties and corners picked before him proving yet again later 1st round picks can still have a huge impact.

In 2008, the Giants stuck to the secondary with their 1st round pick and chose Kenny Phillips from Miami. Phillips never found his footing with NY as injuries hampered his entire career. When on the field, Phillips was a well-regarded player who usually made a positive impact. He won the 2011 Super Bowl with NY, racking up four interceptions, one fumble recovery, and starting 15 games. Although his career never panned out as many hoped, injuries can be blamed for his downfall.

NY went with offense in 2009 taking Hakeem Nicks from UNC. #29 overall, Nicks was another very talented player whose career was decimated by injuries, Nicks was on his way to being a premier NFL wide receiver before lower-body injuries killed his explosiveness and speed. Nicks gave the Giants six years and he was an elite player for two of them. In a two year span, Nicks racked up 155 catches for 2,244 yards and 18 touchdowns along with a Super Bowl Trophy. His legendary Hail Mary catch in Green Bay won’t be forgotten for a long time and he played a huge role with four touchdowns in the playoffs to help NY win their 4th Vince Lombardi trophy.

In 2010, the team nabbed the ultra-athletic Jason Pierre-Paul from USF. Although touted a very raw player, the back-flipping defensive end had an All-Pro season with 16.5 sacks in 2011 to power the Giants’ defense to the Super Bowl. Pierre-Paul was one of the very few 1st rounders on here to get a second contract before being shipped off to Tampa less than two years later. In eight years with NY, JPP racked up 59.5 career sacks, three Pro Bowls, and he led the pass rush for the better part of the 2010s. Pierre-Paul nearly lost his entire career with a crazy fireworks accident in 2015, but he came back to play late in the year and showed the same freak athleticism he still possessed. Although it came to a disappointing end, Pierre-Paul is one of the best and most impactful 1st round picks the Giants have had in the past decade.

In 2011, the team followed Pierre-Paul’s pick by taking a cornerback from Nebraska, Prince Amukamara. The 19th overall pick had an immediate impact, picking off a deep pass for an interception on his first career drive. He helped lock down the secondary that won Super Bowl 46 and he was a model leader and key player for five seasons in New York. Another player who could never stay fully healthy, Prince went onto have a healthier career with Jacksonville and Chicago as well.

After winning the Super Bowl in 2011, the team took David Wilson out of Virginia Tech with the 1st round’s last pick in 2012. The runningback with blazing Olympic-caliber speed, Wilson’s career was tragically taken away due to a career-ending neck injury. Wilson only got to play three years in NY but he holds the team’s record for most all-purpose yards in a game and probably would’ve helped the offense for years to come. He’s probably the biggest ‘what-if?’ out of all the 1st round picks on this list.

Following their pattern of back-to-back picks on offense or defense, the team went with Justin Pugh in 2013. The 19th overall pick, Pugh got to stay home to play NFL ball. Pugh gave NY five years, only starting all 16 games once due to many injuries. A talented and undersized player, Pugh used his technique and high football IQ to counter oncoming defenders. He is now a member of the Cardinals where he’s been the last three years.

In 2014, the NY Giants drafted their most electrifying, game-breaking talent, and unstoppable force since LT in Odell Beckham. The rookie exploded onto the scene in 2014, shattering every NFL rookie receiving record in the book. From there, he went onto have five seasons with the Giants, racking up 1000+ yards in four of them and missing 11 games the season he didn’t reach the century mark. Odell is one of just two players drafted by the Giants in the 2010s to get a second contract. He broke the NFL record for money given to a receiver before being famously traded to the Browns. It was one of the most marquee, headline-grabbing moves the team has made in several years. It was tough to see the team’s best player and biggest rockstar get traded.

2015 is where things got quite awry for NY in the first round. The team took the immature Eli Apple from Ohio State. Apple’s career in New York was full of disappointment, holding and pass interference penalties, and a bad attitude. Apple did just about everything wrong an NFL player can do and the team cut ties early and traded him during his 3rd season with the team. Apple is at the top of the list of most disappointing players on this list.

Following up on 2015, 2016 was not much different.

Ereck Flowers was the team’s most costly draft pick of the decade. A human turnstile at left tackle, Flowers singlehandedly cost the Giants numerous games (Ask  Ziggy Ansah and the Lions about the 2017 MNF game). He came with a reputation as a quiet, hard-working player with enormous size and would revitalize the offensive line. Instead, he brought a horrible work ethic, a poor attitude, and seemingly zero desire to get even remotely better. To cap it off, he found the need to physically shove a reporter and that sums up his entire career in NY. An absolute dumpster fire from the 9th overall pick.

2017 hasn’t been much kinder to NY with their 1st round pick.

Evan Engram, taken 23rd overall, has come nowhere close to replicating his rookie season. It seemed he’d be a massive weapon in Ben McAdoo’s offense before that went south. Engram has struggled with staying healthy, making far too many drops, has been responsible or targeted on various turnovers, and doesn’t even show up for many games. Engram’s missed 14 games in four years, nearly a full season. He has not lived up to his 1st round billing and has been a disappointment for the team.

2018 is where a lot of intrigue picks up in the Giants’ recent 1st round picks discussion.

Tasked with replacing Eli Manning as he faced the twilight of his career, the team doubled down on their franchise QB and gave him a shiny new weapon in running back Saquon Barkley. Barkley thrived as an individual, racking up over 2,000 total yards and 15 touchdowns but the team suffered a 5-11 record. In the two years since, Saquon has missed 17 games, and the team’s record hasn’t gotten much better. It’s no secret that running back is becoming a devalued position both financially and in terms of importance to NFL teams. They are easy to find in late rounds, easy to replace, and it’s one of the easiest positions to translate from college to the pros. Saquon hasn’t made the difference Dave Gettleman hoped for when he stuck his neck out and made a controversial pick with his first selection as the Giants’ GM. This pick remains very high in the ‘wrong’ pick conversation.

To conclude the 2010 decade, the Giants shocked everyone and passed on the ultra-talented defensive weapon in Josh Allen from Kentucky. Instead, they took the unassuming, reserved, and lowkey, Daniel Jones from Duke. This pick came as a huge surprise to many fans and several analysts immediately called it a reach. Jones went on to have a very impressive rookie season, with four games with 300 yards and 4 touchdowns. In his sophomore year, the Giants QB has seen a massive regression all across the board in every major statistical category. Jones has a similar offense to last season and his paltry numbers are far too low in today’s NFL. The jury is still very much out on the Jones pick at #6 overall and the pick will be closely followed for years to come.

With his second pick in 2019, at #19 overall, Gettleman took the big-bodied Dex Lawrence from Clemson. Gettleman passed up several talented defensive ends and EDGE players. It made sense given Gettleman’s history and infatuation with “hogmollies” on both sides of the ball. Nonetheless, Dex is a very good player that makes the defense better. However, there were better players at more important positions that could’ve made a bigger difference in this NY Giants’ defense.

To close the 2019 first round for the Giants, Gettleman made a catastrophic mistake trading up with three picks to take DeAndre Baker from Georgia. Baker looked like the second coming of Eli Apple in his brief tenure with the Giants. He couldn’t locate the ball, he was much too grabby, and he had a lazy work ethic that was becoming an issue. Baker’s career with the Giants ended due to the legal situation Baker found himself in and was arrested and charged with robbery and facing possibly 10+ years behind bars. The team moved on quickly from Baker and the bad press that came with it. Then of course, the move blew up in the team’s face as Baker was exonerated and all his charges were dropped. The team cut their first-round player less than 2 years removed from college and Baker now is a member of the KC Chiefs.