With the free agency frenzy now in the rear-view mirror and April just around the bend, it’s time to begin looking ahead (and back) at the NFL Draft, its impact and what it could mean for teams in 2020 and beyond.
While there will be weeks of coverage ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft, we here at Giants Wire decided to kick off draft season with a look back at the New York Giants’ best draft picks by round since 2000.
Here they are in reverse order:
Round 7: Ahmad Bradshaw (2007)
Bradshaw is far and away the Giants’ best seventh-round pick since 2000. Unless, of course, you wanted us to tab Matt Dodge or Bobby Hart for this position. No? Didn’t think so.
Bradshaw immediately took the Giants by storm in 2007 and helped propel them to a Super Bowl XLII title (and later, a Super Bowl XLVI title).
In total, Bradshaw spent seven seasons with the Giants and then three more with the Indianapolis Colts before retiring following the 2015 season.
In 103 career games, Bradshaw gained 4,928 yards and scored 36 touchdowns, adding an additional 1,493 yards and 12 touchdowns through the air.
Round 6: David Tyree (2003)
Truthfully, there wasn’t much to pick from in Round 6 dating back to 2000. For whatever reason, the Giants haven’t managed to hit on a long-term player there, although that hopefully changes with cornerback Corey Ballentine (2019).
Ultimately, Tyree gets the nod here because he not only spent six seasons with the Giants (seven seasons in the NFL), but because his performance in Super Bowl XLII was the stuff of legends.
Fans, of course, remember him for the helmet catch in that game, but it’s easy to forget he also caught a touchdown earlier in the game which ultimately proved to be the difference.
Round 5: David Diehl (2003)
There were a few solid Round 5 options for the Giants since 2000, but none had the longevity or impact that Diehl had for Big Blue.
Originally drafted as a guard, Diehl would eventually shift outside to tackle, where he’d made a substantial impact for the Giants over the years. In 2008, he was named a Second Team All-Pro and in 2019, he was named to his first and only Pro Bowl.
Oh yeah, Diehl also anchored the offensive line for two championship teams and provided valuable, much-needed leadership throughout his 11-year career.
Round 4: Brandon Jacobs (2005)
Again, there weren’t many top-end players to choose from here, but it really wouldn’t have mattered anyway — Brandon Jacobs is a Giants legend and it would have required a special talent to unseat him here.
Has there ever been a guy who bled a deeper shade of blue than Jacobs? The man eat, slept and breathed Giants football and brought back the old school hate your divisional rivals (and all opponents, really) mentality.
Jacobs spent eight seasons with the Giants over two different stints and holds the franchise record for rushing touchdowns to this day. He also helped lead the team to two Super Bowl victories and will forever be loved by Giants Nation.
Round 3: Justin Tuck (2005)
Two-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro, two-time world champion and a member of the Giants Ring of Honor.
Even with all that, you have to feel Justin Tuck had been shorted in his career because he was an elite player for a long time and a major cog in two of the biggest Super Bowl upsets in NFL history.
A captain, a leader, a force on the field and an impactful citizen off of it… Tuck was and is everything a team wants when they draft a player. He excelled across the board, was a tremendous role model and will go down as one of the greatest Giants in history.
Round 2: Chris Snee (2004)
This was a lot more difficult than many of the previous rounds. It could have just as easily been Osi Umenyiora listed here, while Johnathan Hankins, Corey Webster, Linval Joseph and Landon Collins each deserve a nod.
But in the end, Snee was essential to the Giants and their championship years, locking things down inside at guard en route to four Pro Bowls, three All-Pro selections and two Super Bowl titles.
Snee not only belongs in the Giants’ Ring of Honor, but some have begun to make the case that he’s worthy of consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Round 1: Odell Beckham Jr. (2014)
Philip Rivers, Jason Pierre-Paul, Saquon Barkley and Jeremy Shockey all gave me pause for a moment, but ultimately, there was no denying who owned this position…
Never before has there been a player as electrifying as Odell Beckham Jr. And say what you will about him away from the field (or even sometimes on the field), there’s no denying that he has the ability to change any game at any moment — and that’s both unique and special.
While things didn’t work out with the Giants in the end, he will go down as one of their greatest draft picks of all-time and, quite possibly, one of the greatest athletes of all-time.
