10 Biggest Draft Mistakes in New York Giants History

The New York Giants have a vast and cherished history of winning. They are one of the most successful franchises in the NFL and have been owned by the same family for basically their entire existence. 

The Mara family are synonymous with excellence. 

That said, the Giants, like any franchise, have made their fair share of mistakes when it comes to the NFL Draft. 

This article will focus on the 10 biggest blunders by the New York Giants. Considering the first round comes with the most expectations, this will be 10 first-round draft picks that were some of the worst in team history. 

You'll notice a pattern with these. The Giants were pretty terrible in the 1970s and not great in the mid to late '90s, and most of these selections came within those eras. 

10. Larry Jacobson: 24th Overall Pick in 1972 Draft

Larry Jacobson was a stud defensive tackle from the University of Nebraska that had the Giants thinking they could solve their defensive problems. 

Unfortunately major injuries caused Jacobson to play just three years in the NFL. 

9. George Adams: 19th Overall Pick in 1985 Draft

George Adams was said to have a ton of talent but never panned out in the NFL. The Kentucky product never managed more than 500 yards in a season. 

He played with the Giants for four seasons and only lasted two more years in the NFL with the New England Patriots. 

8. Eldridge Small: 17th Overall Pick in 1972 Draft

The Giants were the model of futility when it came to the draft in the 1970s, and especially in 1972 when they whiffed on two first-round picks. 

Though Jacobson was lost due to injury, Small just never panned out and collected just one interception in three years with the Giants. 

7. Jarrod Bunch: 27th Overall Pick in 1991 Draft

Maybe the history of the Giants and drafting running backs in the first round should deter them from taking one with the 32nd overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. 

Jarrod Bunch had a promising career ahead of him but had a serious knee injury in the 1993 season. He would never recover and finished with just 629 yards in three years. 

6. William Joseph: 25th Overall Pick in 2003 Draft

William Joseph was all hype coming out of the University of Miami, but never recorded more than two sacks in a single season and his career was plagued by injuries. 

But the busts are often defined by the players they are drafted in front of, and in this case the Giants could have had Nnamdi Asomugha, who if not for a poor season with the Eagles would be considered one of the best corners in the entire league. 

Just wait until later when you see who else the Giants could have had. 

5. Ron Dayne: 11th Overall Pick in 2000 Draft

Ron Dayne was supposed to be the savior for the Giants' running game, giving them a potent combination of power and speed with he and Tiki Barber. 

Unfortunately Dayne did not possess the necessary speed to be successful in the NFL. He could not just run through every tackle as he did on the way to a Heisman trophy. 

But Dayne is also defined by the players the Giants passed on that year. Just to name a few: Shaun Ellis, John Abraham, Shaun Alexander and Keith Bulluck. 

4. John Hicks: 3rd Overall Pick in 1974 Draft

When you take a lineman No. 3 overall who was a runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, the 1973 Outland Trophy and Lombardi Trophy winner, you hope he is going to anchor your offensive line for years to come. 

As was the case for several first-round picks for the Giants in the '60s and '70s, injuries took Hicks' career from him.

He was named offensive rookie of the year in 1974, but never amounted to much else. He last just four seasons with the Giants and was traded to the Steelers in 1978 for whom he never played.

3. Derek Brown: 14th Overall Pick in 1992 Draft

Desperate to recapture what a dominant tight end can do for an offense, the Giants reached for Notre Dame tight end Derek Brown in the 1992 draft. 

Brown managed just 11 receptions in three years with the Giants and did nothing more in his final three seasons with the Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars. 

For a reference, the Giants passed on Pro Bowl corner Dale Carter, who was taken six selections later. 

2. Rocky Thompson: 18th Overall Pick 1971 Draft

Rocky Thompson signifies everything that was wrong with the Giants organization during the worst era in their history. The Giants drafted him simply because he was a fast runner, completely ignoring his lack of football skills. 

The worst part is the Giants passed on Jack Tatum and Jack Youngblood, who were selected 19th and 20th in the 1971 draft. 

Youngblood is in the Hall of Fame, and Tatum was one of the better players in the league during that time. 

Thompson managed just 217 yards in three seasons. 

1. Cedric Jones: 5th Overall Pick in 1996 Draft

In my opinion the worst pick in New York Giants history was Cedric Jones, who was a reach pick at No. 5 in the 1996 Draft. The Giants needed a pass rusher, and with Simeon Rice gone already, the Giants were hellbent on getting who they thought was the next best guy. 

Well, Jones turned out to have vision problems and managed just 15 sacks in five seasons with the Giants. 

The worst part? The players that were drafted after him. Eddie George, Marvin Harrison and one Ray Lewis were all taken after Jones in that draft. 

Could you imagine Ray Lewis as the Giants middle linebacker right now? I certainly wouldn't mind hopping in a Delorean and make the Giants change their mind, then again you could obviously say that about all these picks.

Unfortunately not everyone is a superstar, but Giants fans should take solace in the fact that Jerry Reese is one of the best in the business, and he has yet to really fall on his face with a first round pick.