The NY Giants have had their fair share of players fail miserably recently. We've seen several former first-round picks, free agents, and trade acquisitions not work out with the team. The Giants hope their moves this offseason will put them in the position to get back to the playoffs, and all their newly acquired players will live up to the hype.
This year, all eyes will be on the Giants' first-round pick Malik Nabers. The team hopes he can exceed expectations in Year 1 and excel in the WR1 role. The Giants took the wide receiver out of LSU No. 6 overall and they are excited about his potential.
Nabers portrays many similarities to former Big Blue first-round pick Odell Beckham Jr. If Nabers is anything like OBJ, it will be a success story for Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen. Still, as many Giants fans know, not all players live up to the hype and plenty fail to succeed under the New York pressure. Let's take a look at four recent Giants players who never lived up to the hype:
4. CB Eli Apple
One of the most disappointing players that never lived up to the hype during his time with the Giants was defensive back Eli Apple. The former first-round pick was selected No. 10 by the G-Men in the 2016 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. While he was a highly-touted prospect with much to show for it pre-draft, his attitude off the field ruined his reputation during his tenure with the Giants.
As the 2017 season concluded, reports came out that Apple strained many relationships with his teammates and that morale was down, leading to him being labeled as a 'cancer' in the locker room. Giants safety Landon Collins even expressed to the media that Apple should not be on the team the following season and did not support his teammate's actions. Not too long after, Apple faced a suspension for the 2017 season finale due to a dispute with the coaching staff.
In 2018, the Giants traded Apple to the New Orleans Saints, significantly altering his career trajectory. While Apple didn't necessarily perform poorly on the field and showed flashes of success with Big Blue, the front office did not accept his off-the-field antics and moved on from Apple. He went on to play with several different teams, including the Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, and most recently the Dolphins. He's currently a free agent.