Five Worst Giants Draft Picks of the Last 20 Years

Toney was one of the most explosive players in college football during the 2020 season at the University of Florida. He was a dynamic receiver who had elite run-after-catch potential. 

Giants general manager Dave Gettleman wanted to add some explosiveness to the offense and believed Toney could provide that.

So the Giants, who initially had the 11th overall pick, decided to trade down to No. 20, collecting the Bears’ 164th pick that year, the Bears’ first-round pick in 2022 (which ended up benignly seventh overall), and a fifth-round pick in 2022. 

Toney showed tremendous promise in his first season with the team, including a 10-catch, 189-yard game against Dallas. However, he also showed an inability to stay healthy, which became a problem off the field. 

In 2022, after getting injured again and failing to endear himself to the new regime of Daboll and Schoen, he was traded to Kansas City for two picks: third and sixth. 

The Giants could have drafted Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons had they stayed at No. 11, but the Cowboys drafted him with the 12th overall pick.

CB Deandre Baker (R1, No. 30, 2019)

Cornerback Deandre Baker was a Jim Thorpe Award winner at the University of Georgia and one of the best cornerback prospects in the 2019 class. 

The Giants believed in him so much that when he was still on the board late in the first round, they traded the 37th, 132nd, and 142nd picks to Seattle for the 30th pick, which they used on Baker. 

Baker’s rookie season was inconsistent but showed a hint of promise. However, the following year, he ran into some off-field issues when he was accused of armed robbery and aggravated assault. This landed him on the Commissioner's Exempt List and eventually led to his release before the season.

The charges were later dropped, but the damage was already done, as was Baker’s time with the Giants. He was picked up by the Chiefs, broke his femur in a January 2021 game against the Chargers, and never managed to fulfill his potential.

Baker went on to sign with the DC Defenders of the UFL in 2024 and was named to the All-UFL team. In two games this season for the Defenders, he already has an interception and three pass breakups. 

OT Ereck Flowers (R1, No. 9, 2015)

Ereck Flowers was taken by the Giants to be their cornerstone left tackle. Unfortunately, he struggled with his consistency. 

During his first four seasons as a left tackle, he was not great in pass protection, especially against speed rushers. He also accumulated many crucial penalties while playing in games. 

The team tried to move him to right tackle but was unsuccessful. By 2018, he has worn out his welcome with the team and the fan base. 

He was released in October 2018 and picked up by Jacksonville, where he started the remainder of the season at left tackle. The Jaguars did not re-sign him, but he eventually found new football life as a guard, spending three seasons between Washington and Miami. 

DT Marvin Austin (R2, No. 52, 2011)

Marvin Austin came into the 2011 draft with much potential and probably just as any character concerns. He went into the 2010 season as a preseason All-American for North Carolina, but he never played a down after internal issues resulted in his dismissal from the team. 

The Giants took Austin in the second round. He tore his pectoral muscle during the preseason in a game against the Bears and missed the entire season. 

When he returned from injury the next season, he recorded eight tackles in eight games, but it was over. Austin was cut during training camp in 2013 and went on to play for Miami and Dallas in 2013 and then Denver in 2014-2015 before hanging up his cleats.

LB Clint Sintim (R2, No. 45, 2009)

Linebacker Clint Sintim was a former team captain at Virginia. In his senior year, he led all linebackers in the country with 11 sacks. 

In 2009, he was the Giants' highest-drafted linebacker in 29 years and was viewed as a potential replacement for Danny Clark, then the Giants' 31-year-old starting linebacker who was a 2008 free-agent acquisition. 

At 6-foot-3 and 254 pounds, Sintim had prototypical size and athleticism. Over his first two seasons, he played a limited backup role but only amassed 33 tackles, 21 solo tackles, and a sack. He missed the next two seasons with torn ACLs and retired in 2013.

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