With the NFL Draft approaching, the NY Giants and Joe Schoen must be wise as they get closer to making their first-round pick. The G-Men have missed on several first-round picks in recent history and are hoping to change the narrative this year.
As a team hoping to contend next season and to have a legitimate chance in the NFC East, the Giants must address their positional needs and significantly improve their roster with whoever they select, especially in the early rounds.
The Giants' first-round picks in years past have turned out differently than the team had anticipated multiple times. With that said, let's take a look at four first-round mistakes that continue to haunt the organization.
4. TE Evan Engram
The Giants selected Evan Engram with the 23rd pick in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Ole Miss. While the tight end had flashes of success in New York, his dropped passes and inconsistent play made him a target of frustration by the Big Blue fan base. In 2020, in a game against the Eagles, Engram dropped a pass from Daniel Jones on third-and-six at the Eagles 25-yard line, resulting in the Giants opting to punt and eventually losing 22-21.
Engram struggled to become what the Giants had hoped he would be, but that is not the case in Jacksonville, as he has evolved into a valuable piece of the Jaguars' offense, and his confidence is at an all-time high. This is another example of players who struggled to unlock their full potential with the Giants due to the pressure of playing in New York with the fans and media who expect immediate success and to win.
“I needed Jacksonville.”
— 2nd Wind Podcast (@2ndWindPod) May 25, 2023
A year before he left the @Giants, Evan Engram had his confidence shattered and hit rock bottom mentally...
He turned to Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan for inspiration, studying how they worked, matured, and overcame adversity to become basketball… pic.twitter.com/hxrufcTegg
Since Engram's departure, the Giants have struggled to find consistency at the tight end position. Big Blue currently relies on Darren Waller to meet expectations and make a significant impact. The Giants had a lot of success in the early 2000s with Jeremy Shockey, who spent six seasons with the team, but the last time a Giants tight end broke 1,000 receiving yards in one season was in 1986 when Mark Bavaro had 1,001 yards. The G-Men will have to wait and see who will be the next tight end to have a similar impact and success. So far, Waller hasn't lived up to the hype.