Five Best Giants' First-round Picks from Last 20 Years

The Giants' draft classes have produced many gems that have impacted the franchise over the years. Here's a look at some notable ones.

Oct 15, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (90) reacts following his sack of Denver Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian (13) in the fourth quarter at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

In the past 20 years, the New York Giants have hit a handful of home runs in their respective NFL Draft classes. 

Whether they lasted their entire careers with the franchise or made a short-term impact before bolting elsewhere, these players made the most of their time in Giants blue.

Here are five prior Giants draft selections from the last two decades who turned out to be solid picks for the franchise. 

WR Odell Beckham Jr: 2014 (Round 1, Pick 12)

Nov 18, 2018; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham (13) celebrates his touchdown reception during the second half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Odell Beckham Jr. was the third receiver taken in the 2014 NFL Draft, behind Clemson's Sammy Watkins Jr. and Texas A&M's Mike Evans. Beckham missed the first four games of his rookie tenure due to a hamstring injury before he took off and thrived at the NFL level.

Beckham Jr. led the league in receiving yards per game during his first season (108.8) and finished with 1305 receiving yards and 12 touchdown grabs on 91 receptions. 

The culmination of his Offensive Rookie of the Year performance was personified with a world-shattering one-hand grab versus the Dallas Cowboys during a Sunday Night Football matchup in Week 11 that year.

Beckham collected consecutive second-team All-Pro campaigns following his opening season that consisted of career-highs in receiving yards (1,450) and receiving touchdowns (13) in 2015 and a career-high in receptions in 2016 (101). New York cracked the postseason in 2016 thanks to an 11-5 record that saw Beckham lead the team in catches, receiving yards (1,367) and touchdowns (10).

Beckham's Giants career ended when he was traded before the 2019 offseason. He finished his five-year team tenure with four 1,000-yard receiving campaigns, 44 career receiving touchdowns, and three Pro Bowl selections.

RB Saquon Barkley: 2018 (Round 1, Pick 2)

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (26) heads to the goal line in the second quarter past Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nolan Smith (3) on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024. | Kevin R. Wexler/USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK

Saquon Barkley was regarded as one of the best backs in recent memory during the 2018 draft cycle. He was the first non-quarterback taken off the board and hit the ground running during his rookie campaign.

In his first season, Barkley led the NFL in scrimmage yards (2028) while totaling 15 total scores on 352 touches. He finished second in the league in rushing (1,307) and trailed just Christian McCaffery for receptions (91) and receiving yards (721) by a running back.

Following a second-year campaign that saw Barkley total 1441 scrimmage yards and eight scores on 269 touches, his numbers dwindled the next two years due to injuries and better defensive schemes. 

He lost his entire third season due to a torn ACL suffered in a game against the Chicago Bears and only mustered 856 scrimmage yards on 203 carries in 13 games played during 2021.

Barkley bounced back in 2022 with one of his last great years with the Giants. He had a career-high 1,312 rushing yards and 10 rushing scores on 295 carries while adding 57 catches for over 300 receiving yards.

Barkley's 2022 campaign ended with a playoff victory over the Minnesota Vikings, during which he had over 100 scrimmage yards and two rushing scores. 

While he didn't finish his career with New York because he and the Giants failed to agree on a long-term contract, Barkley, during his six-year tenure with the Giants, collected two Pro Bowl berths, three 1,000-yard rushing seasons, and 47 total touchdowns.

DL Dexter Lawrence: 2019 (Round 1 Pick 17)

Nov 3, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II (97) reacts during introductions before the game against the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Dexter Lawrence was one of three first-round picks the franchise made in 2019, sandwiched between quarterback Daniel Jones at No. 6 and cornerback DeAndre Baker at No. 30. 

Lawrence began his career as a defensive end in the 3-4 base, rarely playing inside at nose tackle. In 2022, that changed, and his career took off.

Since moving to the nose, Lawrence has earned three straight Pro Bowl berths and was voted second-team All-Pro in 2022 and 2023. From a production standpoint, 21 of his career 30 sacks have come since 2022, including a career-high 9.0 recorded last year in just 12 games.  

Lawrence, New York's highest-graded defensive player according to PFF each of the last three seasons, has also been durable for most of his career with the Giants. The lone exception was last year when a season-ending elbow injury limited him to 12 games.

Edge Jason Pierre-Paul: 2010 (Round 1 Pick 15)

92846 Indianapolis 2/5/2012 New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (90) holds up The Record while being interviewed on television after defeating the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl XLVI at Lucas Oil Stadium. TYSON TRISH/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Jpp 4 | TYSON TRISH via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Jason Pierre-Paul was taken to bolster the Giants' frontline during the 2010s. In his second season with the franchise, “JPP” finished as a first-team All-Pro with 16.5 sacks, 23 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and seven passes defended en route to the Giants' last Super Bowl title.

Through his seven-year tenure with the Giants, Pierre Paul collected 50 sacks, 87 tackles for loss, 13 forced fumbles, 7 fumble recoveries, and 47 pass breakups. 

While he never replicated his 2011 season, he finished with nearly half of his 94.5 career sacks with New York.

WR Malik Nabers: 2024 (Round 1, Pick 6)

Jan 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) scores a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Although Malik Nabers’s NFL career is only one year old, he's off to an amazing start after posting a record-breaking rookie career.

Nabers snagged 109 receptions for 1207 yards and seven scores during his rookie campaign. Nabers' reception numbers set the all-time rookie record that was previously broken two years ago by Puka Nacua.

Nabers also set a new record for most games with five or more receptions by a rookie in NFL history with 14, joining Beckham as the only players in NFL history with at least 90 receptions in their first 12 games played.

Nabers went to his first Pro Bowl and finished fifth in the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. He also set a Giants franchise record for single-season receptions (109), which topped the previous mark of 107 set by Steve Smith. 

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