Hindsight is always 20/20, especially when it comes to the NFL Draft. One wrong pick could set a franchise back at least five years, while the right move can set a team up for a while. For the NY Giants, they've had a good mix of this in the past five years.
The end of the David Gettleman era definitely saw some struggles, while the Joe Schoen era couldn’t be off to a better start. Despite the difference in approval ratings with these two from Giants Nation, there are some big names both of them missed out on:
5. Antoine Winfield Jr. in 2020
Antoine Winfield Jr. felt like one of those guys who had been in the league for at least half a decade when he was a rookie. In just three years in the league, he already has a resume that a lot of veterans in the league would love to have. He was named to the PFWS All-Rookie team in 2020, earned his first Pro Bowl berth in 2021 and helped Tom Brady win his seventh Super Bowl.
The accolades speak for themselves, but if you look at his box score numbers, well, those are pretty good too. With four interceptions, 15 passes deflected, nine sacks and five forced fumbles, Winfield has established himself as a top safety in the league. This is also a position the Giants have struggled to find consistency with in the past half decade.
The downside to this revisionist history is who he would have been taken over. Xavier McKinney would no longer be a Giant and that is a bummer to even think about. But, numbers never lie. Winfield has better all around numbers and is a more complete safety when you look at the individual play.
In an alternate reality, it's Winfield anchoring the Giants safety unit, but McKinney isn't such a bad consolation prize in that regard. Also, the Giants technically could have drafted Jalen Hurts over McKinney, but as a "Daniel Jones is good" supporter, I simply wasn't going to let that happen.
4. Gregory Rousseau in 2021
Gregory Rousseau had a lot of hype coming out of college. Despite playing for some bad University of Miami teams, a lot of the talking heads looked at him as the next great defensive lineman. Through two years in the league, he is one of those guys who has sneaky good numbers that you may not realize unless you are locked in to Buffalo Bills games.
He missed four games last year, but was still able to put together a season with 27 solo tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 14 QB hits and eight sacks. In only 13 games played, that's pretty impressive for a second year guy. Imagine him on the defensive line with Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence. Just awesome.
The butterfly effect is real with this one. The Giants initially took Kadarius Toney with the 20th pick. Toney never produced for Big Blue on the field, but his worth as an asset proved to be huge. He was traded to the Chiefs in 2022 and ended up winning the Super Bowl (good for him).
But, what the Giants got back from the Chiefs was flipped this offseason in a trade package that brought the G-Men Darren Waller. So, technically, if the Giants never drafted Toney, Waller may not be a Giant.
3. George Pickens in 2022
The 2022 receiver class was absolutely loaded. Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Drake London and so on. The league looks to be in pretty good hands in terms of pass catchers for the foreseeable future. With all these big names that took the headlines, George Pickens was a guy that a lot of people seemed to forget about.
He had a solid rookie year turning in 52 receptions for 802 yards and four touchdowns. Averaging 15 yards a reception, Pickens would have given the Giants a much needed downfield threat. Imagine Pickens' ability in the Brian Daboll/Mike Kafka offense. Who knows what Pickens and Jones could accomplish together.
To say Pickens should have been the pick here in the second round isn't admittedly fair to Wan'Dale Robinson. Injuries truly screwed up his rookie season and he only played in six games. We don’t really know what he is yet, and who knows, with a healthy second year he may emerge as a better option than Pickens.
But, that's a big if. Pickens has all the skills to be a monster in this league. Pickens is 6-3 with 4.4 speed at 200 pounds. Add in those measurables to the production and he would've been the better pick over the 5-8 Robinson.
2. Deebo Smauel in 2019
Deebo Samuel was an early second-round pick in 2019 and like a lot of prospects, no one really knew what he was coming out of school. With playing on a lot of sub-par South Carolina teams, a good amount of folks looked at this pick as a reach. Maybe more so drafting for potential than production.
Well, that is why people in NFL front offices have those jobs and people like me don't. Samuel has turned out to be one of the biggest difference makers in the entire NFL. He can hurt you every single way imaginable. Not only is he just a good receiver, he also does a lot of damage coming out of the backfield.
In fact, he has more rushing touchdowns (14) than he does receiving touchdowns (12). A true Swiss army knife that would have made Jones' life much easier. When we look at the Giants 2019 draft, it really was solid. They hit with their first two picks in the first round (Jones and Lawrence) But, then it happened. Cornerback Deandre Baker was taken with the 30th pick.
A pick where the Giants gave up a good amount of draft capital to get. Baker ended up playing just one season with the Giants because of trouble with the law and is regarded by many as one of the worst Giants' picks in the past 20 years. The Giants brass was so close to a perfect round. Jones, Lawrence and Samuel... what could have been.
1. Shaquille Leonard in 2018
It's really hard to have a better individual resume in your first five years in the league than Shaquille Leonard. As a rookie, not only was he named the Defensive Rookie of the Year, but he was also named a First Team All-Pro. Literally he was one of the best linebackers in the league at 22 years old.
He would make First Team All-Pro in 2020 and 2021, with a Second Team All-Pro honor in 2019. He made the Pro Bowl three times from 2019-2021 and already has years where he has led the league in tackles and forced fumbles. The only reason you don't see any accolades for the year 2022 is because injuries forced him into only playing three games.
Now, say the Giants had the foresight to know what Leonard was going to be. Whose place would he take in the draft? Will Hernandez. Hernandez isn't even a member of the Giants anymore and he was the No. 34 overall pick.
This could have been a masterclass for Gettleman. He would have drafted not only the Offensive Rookie of the Year in Saquon Barkley, but also the DROY in Leonard. The Giants could have had two of the most talented players at their positions in the entire league. But, they settled for Hernandez in the second round. Unfortunate.
READ MORE: 3 former NY Giants draft picks who are likely done in the NFL