Reviewing New York Giants' 5-Year Draft History vs. NFC East's
If there is one thing NFL general managers can agree on, it's the way to build a solid franchise by drafting, developing, and retaining young talent.
So, how have the New York Giants done in that regard compared to the rest of the NFC East?
I looked at the last five years of drafts for the Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders, and Philadelphia Eagles using data via the forthcoming Lindy's Pro Football Draft Preview issue. The categories within each of the charts, which you can see in the summary below, include total picks and then categories to which the picks were assigned based on their statuses at the end of the 2023 regular season: starters, backups, other teams, and out-of-the-league.
(Depending on their statuses before landing on IR, players who ended the season on injured reserve were counted as starters or backups.)
The Giants' last five drafts were run by Dave Gettleman (2019-2021) and Joe Schoen (2022-2023). The Cowboys' drafts have all been run by owner/general manager Jerry Jones. Howie Roseman has run the Eagles' drafts. And the Commanders' drafts have been run by now-former head coach Ron Rivera (202) and Martin Mayhew (2021-2023).
Before getting into the data, I'd like to send a special thanks to my Locked On colleagues, Marcus Mosher (Locked On Cowboys), and David Harrison (Locked On Commanders), and to my Fan Nation colleague Ed Kracz (Eagles Today) for their assistance in the review of my selections in the "Draft Class Impact" section.)
Here is a table with the data from all four teams. Note: I did not include Practice Squad players, which was the other row in the original data.
| Giants | Cowboys | Eagles | Commanders | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Total Picks | 44 | 43 | 36 | 43 |
Starters | 12 | 13 | 7 | 11 |
Backups | 19 | 16 | 15 | 18 |
On Other Teams | 8 | 9 | 8 | 4 |
Out of League | 4 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
Raw Data Takeaways
We'll drill down further into the impact of each of the four NFC East draft classes, but here are a few quick takeaways.
- Of the Giant's 44 total picks (most in the division), they have developed 31 starters and backups. The Giants are tied for the fewest draft picks landing on other teams (8) due to trade, free agency loss, or cut. The Giants also finished with the fewest players (4) out of the league, those four coming from the 2019 and 2020 classes.
- Ten of the Commanders' 43 picks are already out of the league (23.2 percent).
- The Eagles not only have had the fewest draft picks over the five years (36), but those classes have also yielded the fewest starters (seven).
- The Cowboys have been the winners in drafting starters, with 13 of their 43 picks (30 percent) earning starting nods.
Wins and Losses
Draft picks are just one part of evaluating a team's annual success. Coaching, injuries, free agent acquisitions, and, to a degree, schedules also come into play in how a team fares. But since draft picks are a part of it, here's a look at what the four NFC East teams have done over the five years.
- The Giants and Commanders share an identical 29-53-1 record over the five years, a dismal (and division-worst) 34.9 percent win rate. The Giants, though, have had one postseason appearance (2022), in which they won the Wild Card round before being eliminated in the Divisional Round.
- The Cowboys have the division-best 60.2 percent win rate but have one playoff win to show for it in its last three postseason appearances (four games).
- The Eagles are second behind the Cowboys in best win percentage over the last five years, with a 56.6 mark. They also have one more postseason berth than the Cowboys, the only season they missed the postseason being 2020 when they limped through a 4-11 record.
- Regarding postseason records, the Eagles are 2-4, the Cowboys are 1-3, the Giants are 1-1, and Washington is 0-1.
Draft Class Impact
If we really want to measure the value of the draft classes, we need to look at how the picks have contributed. So for this exercise, we're going to look at metrics that include first-team All-Pro honors and Pro Bowl.
Then we're going to look at three additional categories, "Best Players," who are those who are thought of as core pieces to a team's foundation; "On the Cusp," (guys who aren't necessarily starters but who play a big role on the team in a positive way), and "best value," which represents athletes who were Day 3 draft picks but who have worked their way into a regular starting/contributing role.
Dec 17, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; A detailed view of a New York Giants helmet before the game against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome.
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
New York Giants
- No. of 1st Team All-Pros: 0
- No. Pro Bowlers: 1 - IDL Dexter Lawrence (R1, 2019), named to two Pro Bowls (Safety Julian Love was also named to a Pro Bowl. However, was a member of the Seattle Seahawks in 2023.
- Best Players: IDL Dexter Lawrence (R1, 2019), LT Andrew Thomas (R1, 2020),
- On the Cusp: OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (R1, 2023), WR Wan'Dale Robinson (R2, 2023), CB Deonte Banks (R1, 2023), OL John Michael Schmitz (R2, 2023)
- Best Values: WR Darius Slayton (R5, 2019), ILB Micah McFadden (R5, 2022), DB Dane Belton (R4, 2022)
Final Thoughts
The 2021 draft class is a certified bust. Azeez Ojulari and Gary Brightwell remain from that class, but Ojulari hasn't been able to stay healthy, while Brightwell has been just another guy whose primary role has been special teams.
The decision to trade up in the first round for DeAndre Baker in 2019 and then to trade down for receiver Kadarius Toney in the first round of 2021 (even though it yielded an additional first-round pick the following year) are arguably the two worst moves the Giants have made over the last five years draft-wise.
Shane Roper-USA TODAY Sports
Dallas Cowboys
- No. of 1st Team All-Pros: 4 - DB Daron Bland (R5, 2022), OLB Micah Parsons (R1, 2021, 2x) CB Trevon Diggs (R2, 2020), WR CeeDee Lamb (R1, 2020)
- No. Pro Bowlers: 8 - DB Daron Bland (R5, 2022), OLB Micah Parsons (R1, 2021) CB Trevon Diggs (R2, 2020), WR CeeDee Lamb (R1, 2020), RB Tony Pollard (R4, 2019), OL Tyler Smith (R1, 2022), TE Jake Ferguson (R4, 2022), OC Tyler Biadasz (R4, 2020)
- Best Players: DB Daron Bland (R5, 2022), OLB Micah Parsons (R1, 2021) CB Trevon Diggs (R2, 2020), WR CeeDee Lamb (R1, 2020), OL Tyler Smith (R1, 2022)
- On the Cusp: DL Osa Odighizuwa (R3, 2021), DL Chaucy Golston (R3, 2021), LB Jabril Cox (R4, 2021)
- Best Values: DB Daron Bland (R5, 2022), OC Tyler Biadasz (R4, 2020), TE Jake Ferguson (R4, 2022), DB Donovan Wilson (R6, 2019)
Final Thoughts
Give credit to the Cowboys for rolling the dice on defensive stud Micah Parsons with the 12th overall pick in 2021 (one pick after the Giants were originally slated to pick), whose alleged off-field red flags were enough to convince the Giants to pass on him--only for New York to take a chance on receiver Kadarius Toney, who came with his own set of question marks.
Dallas, remember, traded down in that 2021 draft, sending the No. 10 pick to the Eagles (who drafted reported Giants target DeVonta Smith, a move believed to have set in motion the Giants' decision to trade in the first round).
Despite moving down two spots, the Cowboys still managed to get their man in Parsons. They also picked up the 84th pick (third round) in that draft, that pick becoming defensive lineman Chauncey Golston, who has appeared in 47 games for the Cowboys.
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Philadelphia Eagles
- No. of 1st Team All-Pros: 0
- No. Pro Bowlers: 4 - WR DeVonta Smith (R1, 2021), OL Landon Dickerson (R2, 2021), QB Jalen Hurts (R2, 2020), RB Miles Sanders (R1, 2019 - no longer with the team but made the Pro Bowl in final season with Eagles)
- Best Players: IDL Jordan Davis (R1, 2021), WR DeVonta Smith (R1, 2021), OL Landon Dickerson (R2, 2021), QB Jalen Hurts (R2, 2020),
- On the Cusp: Jalen Carter (R1, 2023), Jordan Davis (R1, 2021), OG Cam Jurgens (R2, 2022)
- Best Values: CB Kelee Ringo (R4, 2023)
Final Thoughts
Over the last five years, a common opinion has been that the Eagles, a team that has been to the playoffs in the last three years and four of the five years that this study covers, have drafted well. While they haven't done badly, where general manager Howie Roseman has made his money is through trades and free agency signings that have helped to level up areas of prior weakness.
In 2022, the year the Eagles went to (and lost) the Super Bowl, among the veterans Roseman brought on board were cornerback James Bradberry (cut by the Giants) and receiver A.J. Brown (acquired via trade with the Titans).
Other veteran acquisitions that worked out for the Eagles included cornerback Darius Slay from the Lions (for third- and fifth-round picks), defensive back CJ Garner Johnson from the Saints (fifth- and sixth-round picks), and safety Kevin Byard from the Titans (for safety Terrell Edmunds and for fifth and sixth-round picks in the 2024 draft).
The Eagles have also done well with finding undrafted free agents, most notably LB TJ Edwards, who was with the team from 2019-2022, return specialist Britain Covey (UDFA, 2022), defensive back Reed Blankenship (UDFA, 2022), and cornerback Eli Ricks (UDFA 2023).
John McCreary-USA TODAY Sports
Washington Commanders
- No. of 1st Team All-Pros: 0
- No. Pro Bowlers: 3 - DE/OLB Chase Young (R1, 2020 - no longer with the team, but made the Pro Bowl prior to being traded to San Francisco), DE Montez Sweat (R1, 2019 - no longer with the team but made the Pro Bowl prior to being traded to Chicago), WR Terry McLaurin (R3, 2019)
- Best Players: WR Terry McLaurin (R3, 2019), OL Sam Cosmi (R2, 2021), DB Kamren Curl (R7, 2020)
- On the Cusp: WR Jahan Dotson (R1, 2022), RB Brian Robinson (R3, 2022)
- Best Values: QB Sam Howell (R5, 2023), DB Kamren Curl (R7, 2020), Darrick Forrest (R5, 2021)
Final Thoughts
Including quarterback Sam Howell in the "Best Value" category will surely draw some disagreement among fans. However, when a fifth-round draft pick starts an entire season, regardless of the circumstances, that counts for something.
Otherwise, yes, the Commanders' recent draft history has been as bad as its play on the field. With the Commanders having a fresh start in this year's draft--former 49ers assistant general manager Adam Peters was hired to be the team's general manager by new managing partner Josh Harris--the hope is that future draft classes and rosters will be far more competitive.
