The New York Giants Are Winning With a Unusual Rookie Class

The New York Giants 2011 N.F.L. draft received high marks for the talent they accumulated by most draftniks and N.F.L. analysts, including this one. And the rookie class has made an impact, but not in the way everyone expected headed into the season.

But not in the way you’d expect. The Giants are winning this year with contributions from their late round picks. In the first round of the 2011 N.F.L. draft the Giants ran to the podium to select talented cornerback out of Nebraska, Prince Amukamara. Amukamara was considered a top 10 pick. Amukamara was the last rookie to sign and was promptly hurt when he returned from his short hold-out. He hurt his foot on the first day of training camp and missed the first 9 games, and returned in week 11 where he had his one and only interception. He looked lost down the end of the season and was eventually benched and has not played much the past couple of games.

Their second round pick was talented DT Marvin Austin out of North Carolina. He tore his pectoral muscle and has missed the entire season.

Their third round pick was WR Jerrel Jernigan out of Troy. Jernigan has started zero games appeared in eight games and had zero catches. And zero punt returns after struggling to catch the football in pre-season.

Their fourth round pick James Brewer has played zero snaps with zero games started with zero apperances.

And this is what is so unusual about the Giants draft class. Usually teams get contributions from their early round picks, but the Giants first four round picks have a total of 16 games appeared with 1 interception a few tackles, a pass defensed and no starts. Yet they are in the N.F.C. Championship game. It’s mind boggling. I haven’t gone through every single team, but I can not imagine a situation in where a team is getting less production from their first four draft picks.

The Giants have however had some important contributions from rookies, rookies who have really excelled on Special teams this year.

The Giants have four rookie linebackers on their roster: Greg Jones, Jacquian Williams, Mark Herzlich, and Spencer Paysinger.

Jones has become a real big contributor on special teams and Herzlich had solidfied the starting MLB spot before he got hurt and missed the last few games of the season.  Spencer Paysinger has taken a few snaps on defense (most notably in the first 49ers game).

The steal of the Giants draft, and perhaps the entire draft, has been the pick that recieved the most flack when the Giants selected LB Jacquian Williams out of South Florida.

Williams was one of the most productive rookie linebackers in 2011 with 78 tackles, a sack, and 4 passes defensed. Williams has really been improving each week and has come up with big plays coming down the end of the season. Williams is a terrific athlete who is learning the game and looks to be a really nice Will/Nickel linebacker for the future.

The only other rookie making a big impact for the Giants is Fullback Henry Hynoski. The Giants running game has been one of the worst in the league (statistically worst in the league), but is better with Hynoski in the backfield than without him. Hynoski can also catch the football out of the backfield a little bit as well.

What is scary for the rest of the league is that in the 2012 N.F.L. season the Giants will basically have two rookie draft classes. Considering how little the 2011 N.F.L. draft class has produced it’s an intriguing potential for the future of the New York Giants.