New York Giants : Draft Review 2007
Every Wednesday and Thursday I focus much of my efforts on the New York Giants and the draft. Each week I’ve done a positional update, a rookie review, and a look around at the mock drafts from around the web, which is fun to do, but today I wanted to do something a little different and look back at the past. We’ll start with General Manager Jerry Reese’s first draft.
This is widely considered his best draft, and an interesting thing to note is that during the 2007 N.F.L. draft Jerry Reese was heading up two roles: the head of scouting and General Manager (the head of scouting is no headed by Marc Ross). We’ll look back at what happened in the draft, and then do a revisionist history draft to see what else the Giants could have done in the draft. I’ll take a look at one draft per week for the net few weeks.
1st round pick-Aaron Ross, CB, Texas (2oth overall)
Aaron Ross has had an up and down career with the New York Giants, though his rookie season contributions can not be understated. He was a key cog in the Giants Super Bowl run. He made 9 starts in his rookie year and played well and he was gritty. He played through injuries. Then he started in 2008 and played well again. He was good in the run game and had three interceptions. But after 2008 it was downhilll for 2009 and 2010 as Ross struggled with injuries and inconsistency. His passion for the game was questioned and his talent wasn’t on display enough. He was even moved to safety for awhile during that stretch. This year Ross has been very inconsistent. He’s flashed in some games and looked awful in others (he was benched vs the Eagles).
Pick Grade: B-
Ross is not a bust. It is fair to say that without Ross the Giants don’t win the Superbowl in the 2007 N.F.L. season. Take that season out and he’s been a “C” or c- an average player, but I bumped him up a bit because of the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
2nd round pick-Steve Smith, WR, USC
Smith was on pace to be one of the most productive wide receivers in Giants history as he developed a rapport with Eli Manning. Smith had 220 catches with the Giants in four seasons, including one season in which he had 107 catches for 1,220 yards and 7 touchdowns. unfortunately this past off-season Smith and the Giants engaged in a pissing match, which resulted in Smith leaving the Giants for their rivals-the Eagles. It is possible that Smith could one day return to the Giants (as early as next year), but that bridge seems to be burned at this current moment. Smith was not expected to be a huge player in the N.F.L. but through subperb route running and film study Smith was one of the most productive third down wrs in the league.
grade: A-
Smith isn’t a dynamic Wr and isn’t a huge weapon in the end-zone, but his contribution to the Giants was great. He set a franchise record for catches in a season. Smith may regret leaving the Giants because i’m not sure he’ll ever find that connection with a QB again.
Jay Alford, DT, Penn State
Alford is no longer with the Giants, but he made an impact with them, especially on one specific sack in Arizona! He only played two seasons with the Giants before being cut prior to the 2009 N.F.L. season
Pick grade: C
Expecting every draft pick to stay with a team for a long time and be productive is crazy, but the Giants got two good seasons out of Alford and one huge play that clinched a Superbowl victory. Can’t ask for much more than that.
4th round Zak De Ossie, LB, Brown
If I’m grading this pick based on his impact as a linebacker, DeOssie would get a grade of D. But he’s much more important than that. He is a pro-bowl snapper and special teams player. That’s an expensive fourth round pick, but he’s still on the roster.
Grade: B
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