Through two Super Bowls and many stars, New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese has done a tremendous job. We rank his draft classes.
Believe it or not, Jerry Reese has already been the general manager of the New York Giants for 10 drafts. Ever since the 2007 draft, Reese has been at the helm. Approaching his 11th draft as the GM, he has had experienced ups and downs.
Although, so far in his career, the ups have outweighed the downs.
Just take a look at the results of his recent free agency spending spree. His key signings on the defensive side of the ball helped to vault the Giants from having one of the worst defenses in 2015 to having one of the best in 2016. This shows that Reese has become extremely effective at finding players to help his team.
He has also put that to use this offseason in order to help an ailing offense by spending on the offensive side of the ball. It remains to be seen how the spending this time around will turn out.
As recently as 2013, Reese was viewed as one of the worst GMs in football. He was then able to turn it all around with a few good draft classes as well as some smart free agent signings.
With that being said, let’s take a look at Reese’s draft classes, ranking each from 10 to one:
10. 2012 Draft
While this was Reese’s worst draft in terms of overall production, it is not entirely his fault.
When the Giants drafted David Wilson out of Virginia Tech in the first round, expectations were sky-high. He may have started off his rookie season slowly, but by the end of it, fans were left wanting more. He had his biggest game against the New Orleans Saints during his rookie campaign. In that game, he broke a Giants record for all-purpose yards and also went on to score three touchdowns in a rout of the New Orleans Saints.
Who could forget the marvelous back flips that Wilson would do after his touchdowns? I, for one, sure miss him backflipping in end zones.
Anyway, unfortunately, Wilson’s playing career was derailed by a neck injury. He was forced to retire early due to the career ending injury. Reese couldn’t have predicted that the running back would suffer a career ending injury so early into his promising career.
The other big player from this draft was Rueben Randle. The wide receiver from LSU managed to gain over 2,500 yards and 20 touchdowns as a Giant. What I noticed about the receiver is that almost every training camp, he would draw rave reviews but that hardly translated into the season. In fact, he even admitted to being the cause of quite a bit of Eli’s 27 interceptions in 2013. Then he became a free agent as a 24-year-old with a very impressive resume.
He was signed by the Eagles and per the usual was raved about in camp, then cut before the season. He was recently signed by the Chicago Bears. Hopefully, he can experience success there.
In fact, only one player from this draft class played in an NFL game in the 2016 season, Matt McCants. He played in two games for the Chicago Bears and two games for the Oakland Raiders. None of these players drafted are even on the Giants roster after a mere four years.
Those two players headlined the 2012 draft class. In the end, there was a number two receiver an electric running back that could’ve been special.
9. 2011 Draft
This draft was also a dud, but it was not due to unforeseen injuries. Reese just plain missed on most of these guys.
This draft was so weak that it only produced one starter, Prince Amukamara. In fact, out of all of these players, only Prince has appeared in a game since 2014.
The Nebraska product has always been a favorite of mine, although he has struggled to be anything more than average. If he had been able to improve his ball skills, there is no doubt that he could have been above average at the very least.
Let’s start out with the biggest bust of the group, Marvin Austin. There were no questions about the physical ability of the defensive tackle. Just take a look at how he tested at the combine:
Due to these numbers, he was made a second round selection. He was never able to get off his feet in the NFL, much to the dismay of Giants fans.
The other big bust from this draft was Jerrel Jernigan, the wide receiver from Troy. The speedster ran a blazing fast 40 time, which led to the Giants drafting him in the third round.
However, he had a quiet NFL career, posting career totals of 38 catches for 391 yards and two touchdowns.
In this draft Reese had one of his famous late round finds in Jacquian Williams. The linebacker from USC would go on to start 22 games for the Giants. That is pretty solid production for a sixth round selection.
8. 2008 Draft
This draft goes to show that one cannot predict injuries.
The first rounder from this draft was Kenny Phillips, a safety from Miami. Similar to David Wilson, injuries took its toll on Philips. Knee injuries turned him into a shadow of his former self. Although, when he was able to play, he recorded 41 starts and eight interceptions over five seasons with the Giants.
The best player from this draft was selected in the second round, Terrell Thomas. He burst onto the scene in his second campaign. During that season he totaled five interceptions, 13 passes defended and 70 tackles. He was well on his way to becoming one of the best all-around corners in the game.
In his next season, he would collect five interceptions, 21 passes defended and 81 tackles while forcing four fumbles. Surprisingly, he was not selected to the Pro Bowl after stuffing the stat sheet.
Then in 2011, he would tear his ACL for the second time in the same knee. (He tore his right ACL for the first time in college) In 2012, he would tear his right ACL yet again, by this point he had torn his right ACL three times.
Then in 2013, Thomas made a comeback, following Thomas Davis to become the second player to ever play in the NFL after suffering three torn ACLs. In 2013 he played well, but was not close to his 2010 form.
The last notable player from this draft class is Mario Manningham. He was able to total 2,315 yards and 18 touchdowns through four years with the G-Men. Although he’s mostly known for one of the best catches in Super Bowl history. Without that grab, it is highly unlikely that Big Blue would have won Super Bowl XLVI.
This draft class was pretty solid, but could have been special if not for injuries.
7. 2009 Draft
Who can forget the G-Men’s top selection from this draft, Hakeem Nicks.
From the second that he stepped on the field, Nicks was a stud. He would have one of the best rookie seasons in recent Giants history with 790 yards and six touchdowns.
The Tarheel would quickly become one of Eli’s favorite targets. Although as has been the theme in Reese’s drafts, he would become injured. He would go on to suffer multiple foot and ankle injuries that would eventually sap him of his speed and his playmaking ability.
Even though injuries would end his career early, he would still go on to have a pretty impressive career with the Giants.
One of the reasons that Reese has tended to shy away from linebackers in the early rounds is because of Clint Sintim. He was drafted as a linebacker out of West Virginia, but injuries would, unfortunately, strike the kid. He tore his ACL twice and that effectively ended his NFL career.
One of the best homegrown offensive tackles in years was drafted in the third round of this draft, Will Beatty. From UConn, he would start 63 games for the Giants in six seasons before riding the bench this past campaign. At one point, Beatty was one of the best left tackles in the game, but since then he has regressed due to injuries and age.
Oft-injured running back Andre Brown was also selected in the fourth round of this draft. He would start a few games for Big Blue in 2013.
Two above average starters came from this draft class, both at premium positions. That is a nice draft class.
6. 2013 Draft
This was the first NFL draft that I ever watched, so suffice to say that I was a bit let down when Big Blue selected an offensive lineman with their first rounder.
However, in the coming years, I have learned just how valuable that an offensive line is to an offense. Taking a look back at recent years, a poor offensive line has restricted the Giants from being able to have an effective passing and running offense.
But this is not the fault of Justin Pugh, the Giants first selection in 2013. Since he joining the team, he has arguably been their best offensive linemen. He started off playing right tackle and was a serviceable option there. Eventually, he was moved inside to guard where he has managed to excel as one of the best guards in the game.
The other starter produced from this draft was Johnathan Hankins, a defensive tackle from OSU. In his first season, he was coming off the bench due to Linval Joseph. Ever since then he has been locked down as a starter. In his first campaign as a starter, he recorded an 85.9 grade from PFF, which has been his best so far in his career. His next season was shortened by an injury, so he was only able to start nine games.
However this year is the outlier, he had his worst season in his career. In a contract year, some were surprised to see this dud from Hankins. It is not all that surprising, Damon Harrison arrived and he took over Hankins spot on the defensive line. The OSU product was forced to play the three tech and that position is more suited for pass rushers. The former second rounder is more of a run stuffer, this caused Hankins to have his worst season to date.
The defensive tackle is currently a free agent, and he has so far gone unsigned on the market. In fact, he has been almost too quiet in the market. As of now, there is a slim chance that Hankins returns to the G-Men, and that is only due to his lack of a market.
Selected in the third round, Damontre Moore has recently signed with the Dallas Cowboys. Hopefully, Moore can get his career back on track with a change of scenery close to Texas A&M.
The other active player from this draft, Ryan Nassib did not play a snap with Big Blue this past season before going on injured reserve. Similarly to Hankins, he is currently a free agent and not expected to re-up with the G-Men.
In one of the weakest drafts in the history of the NFL, it is showing of Reese’s ability to evaluate talent to see that he drafted two above average starters.
5. 2015 NFL Draft
The Giants held the ninth overall selection in this draft, their highest since selecting Philip Rivers with the fourth overall pick in 2004.
Hopes were high for who Big Blue would choose with a selection so high. Then Reese selected an offensive tackle from Miami, Ereck Flowers. The Miami product was prematurely forced into a starting role as a rookie after Will Beatty suffered a season-ending injury in training camp.
It was quite clear that as a rookie, Flowers was not ready to be a starting left tackle. He was hindered by an injured ankle in his rookie year and that may have also contributed to the cause.
Then in his sophomore year, as a starting left tackle, he was a bit better than he was as a rookie. That is not to say a lot, as his rookie season was awful. He finished 2016 with a grade of 48.4. Though he is a starter at one of the most important positions in football, so Reese does deserve some credit.
I for one was appalled when the Giants traded up to the first pick in the second round and drafted Landon Collins. Usually, the Giants just stay put in the draft, so that goes to show how much they liked the safety from Alabama.
In his first season as a pro, the safety did not prove that Big Blue made a wise decision to trade up and draft him. However, in his sophomore campaign, he excelled. He posted a 91.7 grade from PFF, and that classifies as elite. In a season worthy of DPOY consideration, he posted 100 tackles, four sacks, and five interceptions.
Bobby Hart from FSU was drafted in the seventh round of this draft. He and Flowers combined to form one of the worst starting tackle duos in the league. There is hope for Hart, as he may be better suited at guard. Anyhow, to find a starter in the seventh round is pretty solid.
In this draft, Reese was able to find two starting tackles and one elite safety. That is a pretty good haul if you were to ask me.
4. 2016 NFL Draft
After one mere season, the 2016 draft class is already one of Reese’s better ones. That is not a small feat to achieve.
This draft class has already started a combined 31 games. The only one that has not started a game yet has been linebacker, B.J. Goodson.
Eli Apple, the tenth overall selection in the draft, had a rough start, but closed out the campaign strongly. He has the potential to be one of the top corners in the NFL. He was drafted based on his potential and he still has that potential to develop into a lockdown corner in his second season.
In the second round, Reese selected Sterling Shepard from Oklahoma. This wide receiver was a nice find for the Giants. He fit right in as a slot receiver, ultimately performing better than Victor Cruz this past season. He posted 65 catches for over 680 yards and eight touchdowns. In addition, he looked like a future star at the position and a perfect compliment to Odell Beckham Jr.
When Darian Thompson was drafted in the third round, the front office was thrilled. They had believed that they had snagged the perfect compliment to Landon Collins at safety. Well, he performed admirably until going down with a season-ending injury after only two games. The Giants are still high on the safety and feel as though he is the perfect ball hawk to play alongside Collins.
B.J. Goodson, a linebacker from Clemson may be featured more in the defense this year. Last year he was blocked by a few bodies at linebacker, but based on how free agency is going so far, he looks to get a significant increase in playing time in 2017.
One of my personal favorites from this draft is Paul Perkins. The running back from UCLA looks to have a bright future with the G-Men. After Rashad Jennings release, he will most likely open up the 2017 season as the starting running back. Hopefully, he will rise up to the challenge.
The last selection from this draft, Jerell Adams, a tight end is a bit of an unknown. He started two games so far, but looks to be pushed down the depth chart by the signing of Rhett Ellison.
After one year, this draft class is shaping up to be one of Reese’s best.
3. 2010 Draft
Jerry Reese made two amazing picks in this draft and a lot of average at best picks.
Let’s start off with the headliner of this draft, Jason Pierre-Paul. The first round defensive end out of USF has turned out to be one of Reese’s best picks ever.
From the second that he stepped on the field as a rookie, he earned a 76.8 grade from PFF. He also added 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and six passes defended. Solid.
Since then, he has collected two trips to the Pro Bowl, and one first team All-NFL. He also has won a Super Bowl with the Giants. More recently, he was franchised tagged by the G-Men.
The other huge (haha puns) selection from this draft was defensive tackle, Linval Joseph. During his four seasons as a Giant, he started 46 games. In addition in the three years that he was a starter, his average PFF grade per season was 81. He proved himself to be an above average starter, then the Minnesota Vikings signed him. To this day he still plays with the Vikings and is still pretty good.
The third rounder from this draft, Chad Jones suffered an awful injury in a car crash. It effectively ended his career. I do not fault the GM for this. How is he supposed to predict that a freak accident will happen to one.
Everyoneexceptt for JPP and Joseph are currently out of the NFL. That include infamous seventh round punter Matt Dodge. The reason that this draft is rated so highly is because of the impact the two defensive linemen have been able to have on the league.
2. 2007 NFL Draft
In his first year as a GM, Reese left many awestruck with one of the best drafts in recent Giants history.
With Reese’s first career pick, he selected Aaron Ross, a cornerback from Texas. The corner would proceed to start 43 games over the course of six seasons with the Giants. Although the stats do not wow, he was a pretty decent cornerback for a number of years.
With Reese’s second selection, he drafted wide receiver Steve Smith. This is not the HOF caliber Steve Smith that played for the Panthers and the Ravens. Smith had arguably one of the best seasons ever for a New York Giant playing wide receiver in 2009. He recorded 107 catches for 1,220 yards and seven touchdowns. Unfortunately it was all downhill from there, knee injuries sapped his explosiveness and ended his career.
In the fourth round, long snapper Zak DeOssie was drafted. To this day, he is still the long snapper for the Giants.
Another gem was unearthed in the fifth round when tight end Kevin Boss was chosen. Boss was the successor to Jeremy Shockey and was destined for good things. Until the Raider snatched him away from the G-Men in the offseason.
This brings us to the seventh round of the 2007 draft. Reese would select one of my personal favorite former Giants and perhaps the best late round find in Reese’s career in Ahmad Bradshaw. In his Giants career, the running back would collect 4,232 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns. Who could forget his go-ahead tumbling touchdown against the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI?
All in all, not only was this one of Reese’s best drafts, but this may have been one of the best drafts in Giants history.
1. 2014 NFL Draft
After a few short years, it is clear that this is Jerry Reese’s crown jewel of drafts. It is even better than the vaunted 2007 draft that led to a Super Bowl.
The creme of the crop from this draft is none other than Odell Beckham Jr. From the second that he was healthy, there was no one in the league that was able to stop the phenom.
Since entering the league, he already has 288 catches for over 4100 yards and 35 touchdowns. Keep in mind that this is only through three seasons.
The record breaking LSU product may already be considered one of the best Giants of all time. That alone is deserving of the number one overall draft.
It certainly helps that this draft has produced two other above average starters in Devon Kennard and Weston Richburg.
A linebacker from USC, Kennard may have been the best find in this draft. In recent years, any selection past the second round has been a question mark for the GM. However, this fifth round draft pick has turned that stereotype around. Through three seasons, Kennard has started 24 games. That is pretty good production for a late round draft choice. In addition, this past campaign the linebacker recorded his career high grade from PFF, 79.2.
The other great find in this draft was Weston Richburg. The center from Colorado State has shown all he needs to prove that he can be a franchise center for years. While he had a slow start due to playing a position unfamiliar to him (guard). The past two years he has been one of the best centers in the NFL. His PFF grades at center the past two season has been 87.2 and 82 respectively.
In this draft, Reese was able to unearth three above average starters, and Jay Bromley, the third rounder from this draft still has time to prove his worth. All in all this was his best draft, even though 2014 is still not that long ago.