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? 

Also, I question if Reggie Smith or Antwaun Molden would have been better selections here for corner. There was definitely better value available here in the second round at other positions; however, they did add to their secondary, which has been sub-par for many years, thus giving them a passing grade.

The Giants added even more talent to the already dangerous receiver group with the selection of Manningham. Who can't wait to hear “Manning to Manningham”? It may not get said a whole lot this year since the wide-out position has plenty of depth, but expect that phrase to become annoying. It will be even more annoying for the Giants' opponents to hear.

He could have been a solid second-round pick, and the Giants got him in the third round, which gives this pick value. However, his character is a question, and the Giants do not reward moody Owens or “Ocho Cinco” like personalities. He has had a history of substance abuse and needs to keep a clean record. Due to all of that, this pick earns a B.

He could explode and be a great replacement for Toomer when he retires, or he could turn into a Pacman and end up in jail. This one is hard to call and a gamble the Giants can afford to take due to their solid receiving core.

The Giants moved right back to defense with their next two picks. Their fourth-round pick yielded linebacker Bryan Kehl, and the fifth round, linebacker Jonathan Goff. Because of the need at linebacker, these picks combined will receive a B. Most likely, one of the two will receive some live action during the season, and if they perform well enough, a starting spot may have one of these guys' name written on it by mid-season. These players are not to flashy, but I see one becoming starting material.

Okay, so the Giants' best pick comes in the sixth round, and at quarterback where they have the Super Bowl MVP starting? Yes. Why? Because they selected Andre Woodson, who could have satisfied a team in the third round who needed a QB, and he dropped all the way here. Something tells me that Anthony Wright and/or Jared Lorenzen may not be a Giant very soon. 

Something also tells me that the Giants are still not satisfied with Eli Manning’s performance. They signed David Carr, who never lived up to his hype but still could, and now they pick Woodson. The Giants have a lot of youth at quarterback, and now they seem to want to make it known that there will be competition for the backup role. They may even want to be sending a message to Eli to keep up his play. This pick could yield a quarterback who is a solid back up in the next two years, and could possibly be starting if Manning’s play drops over that time period. 

Call the idea crazy, but look at some stats and you can at least entertain this as a possible outcome. Grade of pick: A.

The last pick for the Giants was the sixth rounder, Robert Henderson. The Giants put a young, defensive end on the depth start for training camp. I do not see this player making it more than a year on this team. The high expectations of defensive players on the Giants are hard to live up to. I give this pick a D. This could pan out well, and the Giants do well at developing defensive linemen. It just does not seem to make sense to choose a defensive end in the sixth round.
 

Overall, the draft will score a B. The play of the players drafted will determine the real value. The Giants addressed the secondary, as well as the linebackers. They picked up a good receiver on a non-need basis, who could contribute right away.  Three words for you my reader: We shall see.