NFL Draft Report Card: New York Giants

Deciphering how well a team drafted is impossible until the players step on the field. However, expectations are going to be set high for this year’s incoming draft class for the Super-Bowl Champion New York Giants.

Jerry Reese surpassed all expectations last year by selecting eight players who all contributed in critical parts of the Giants' run to their first championship since 1990. Okay, so you can argue that Adam Koets’ fill-in role on the line in the Wild Card victory against the Buccaneers was not crucial, and claim that DeOssie’s special teams performance did not blow you away. But, you cannot shrug off the importance of the performance of Ross, Smith, Alford, Boss, Johnson, and Bradshaw.

Good job Jerry, but that was then, this is now. The taste of the Super Bowl will soon leave fans' mouths as the season opener begins to grow closer. What do you have up your sleeves for New York this year? The answer may be even more thrilling then last year.

The Giants used the 31st pick in this year’s draft to select safety Kenny Phillips.  The Giants have addressed the loss of safety Gibril Wilson by signing free-agent safety Sammy Knight, who currently is 32 years of age. Adding Phillips to the roster will allow the 11-year veteran Knight to nurture Phillips' understanding of the game, while giving the Giants the depth to allow for competition at the position. 

Phillips is versatile enough to play both safety positions in college, and could be expected to do the same in New York. Having a starting-safety tandem of Knight and Phillips is a possibility.  Overall, the pick achieves a B+. The Giants gained the best safety in the draft to fill a position it needed. It was the expected pick and a decent one, but with being a player expected to go around 31st overall, it does not receive an A.

Sticking with the secondary, the Giants next selected Terrell Thomas. This is a solid pick, but not a stand out. The Giants gain another corner that will hopefully gain knowledge through veteran Sam Madison, and compete for playing time in formations with more than four defensive backs.

Therefore, this is more of a pick for the future than now. Madison and Ross will probably start next season, with McQuaters, Webster, and Dockery battling for position on the depth chart. Thomas could see himself in this mix by mid-season, if he works hard and impresses the coaches. This could be especially true if corner play is poor in the beginning of the season.

Overall, this pick earns a C. The Giants could have gone linebacker here to replace Mitchell. How about a defensive end to fight for the spot that Strahan will soon leave, or in the case of his return, the ability to keep Kiwanuka at linebacker? 

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