Biggest Giants Draft Blunders in Last 10 Years

General manager Dave Gettleman became infatuated with Penn State running back Saquon Barkley throughout the draft process, so much so that many reporters were linking Barkley to the Giants as early as late February. 

To be clear, Barkley was definitely a top-five prospect. But the selection of Barkley made little sense for a Giants team that was on the tail end of the Eli Manning era and had offensive line problems.

Fans and media were calling for the Giants to draft an offensive lineman or, better yet, trade down, get more picks, and then get the offensive lineman. 

Interestingly, that’s what the Colts did in that draft. In that same draft, the Colts did just that, trading back three spots with the Jets, selecting offensive lineman Quenton Nelson, and accruing additional draft assets.

Gettleman could have taken the same approach to shore up the Giants' offensive line concerns. Instead, he went against positional value and drafted a running back early in the draft, which is frowned upon amongst general managers.

Barkley finished his time in New York ranked fourth in franchise rushing yards (5,211) and sixth in rushing touchdowns (35).

Unfortunately, things didn't work out between Barkley and the new regime, as they were unable to agree on a new multiyear contract. Meanwhile, the Giants' offensive line remains an issue, and Barkley is thriving in Philadelphia.  

Gettleman makes shocking decisions in R1 of the 2019 Draft

In 2019, Manning was approaching the end of his career with the Giants, so it was no surprise that the Giants began considering a quarterback to succeed him.

But when Justin Herbert, who was widely thought to be the apple of Gettleman’s eye, returned to Oregon, the Giants shocked everyone when, with the sixth overall pick in that year’s draft, they plucked quarterback Daniel Jones, a projected Day 2 pick, out of Duke over edge rusher Josh Allen.

The Jones era was a rollercoaster with mostly downs and a few ups. After four mediocre seasons, he broke out in 2020 by leading the Giants to their first playoff appearance since 2016 and even led them to a Wild Card victory over the Vikings. That led to his receiving a four-year, $140 million contract.

Jones did not live up to that deal’s worth. In his first year after signing, he saw his season cut short due to an ACL injury. However, the Giants stuck with him through rehab and ensured he would be the Week 1 starter in 2024.

He went on to post a 2-8 record as the starter, his inconsistencies maddening to the point where he was eventually benched so the team could avoid risking any injury that would have triggered a $23 million injury guarantee on his contract. 

Jones, who was demoted to third string and denied permission to participate in any team activity where he might have been at risk for injury, was released five days later at his request. 

He finished with 14,582 yards, 70 passing touchdowns, and 47 interceptions while adding 2,179 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground. He completed 64.1% of his throws but held a 22-44-1 record under center during his tenure.

Giants Trade Back into First Round for Questionable Cornerback

Not only did Gettleman reach on Jones in that draft, but he also shocked fans by trading back into the first round to select cornerback Deandre Baker out of Georgia, choosing him ahead of Byron Murphy, Rock Ya-sin, and Sean Bunting. 

Baker didn’t exactly hit the ground running for the Giants. Despite his talents, there were whispers of him being less than willing to throw himself into the playbook and film study.

He played in just one season with the Giants and recorded eight pass deflections and 61 tackles. Baker was released the following offseason after he encountered legal issues stemming from allegations of armed robbery, charges from which he was later exonerated.

Giants miss out on Michah Parsons 

Entering the 2021 draft, it was a badly kept secret that the Giants were hoping to land 2021 Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith to give Jones a receiving weapon. The Giants, who held the 11th spot in the order that year, lost out on Smith when the Eagles leapfrogged in front of them to grab Smith at No. 10. 

The Giants could have then pivoted and taken the best available prospect, outside linebacker Micah Parsons from Penn State, to improve their defense and bolster the pass rush.

Instead, they traded back with the Chicago Bears, who held No. 20 in the order, receiving No. 20, a fifth-rounder (No. 164 overall), and the Bears' 2022 first—and fourth-round picks.

The Cowboys went on to grab Parsons at No. 12 after the Bears took quarterback Justin Fields. Still determined to take a receiver, the Giants selected Kadarius Toney out of Florida. 

Toney was a disaster almost when he set foot in East Rutherford. Between injury issues and other off-field concerns, such as his decision to pick a war of words with the media, for which he later apologized, Toney gave off negative vibes about wanting to be in New York.

He appeared in just 11 games and missed nine games with injuries before being traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in the middle of the 2022 season. Before that, he caught 41 receptions for 420 yards but failed to record a touchdown during his time in East Rutherford.

While it could have been smart to gain more draft capital, none of the players have lived up to Parsons's production. The 25-year-old has been elected to the Pro Bowl four times and named to the AP All-Pro First-Team twice throughout his four-year career. 

He has recorded 52.5 sacks, 256 tackles, 63 tackles for losses, 112 QB hits, nine forced fumbles, and nine pass deflections.

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