The Reese Era in Review: Revisiting the New York Giants 2008 NFL Draft
Hindsight may be 20/20, but there were several players that Jerry Reese did not pick that could have turned the New York Giants into a dynasty.
Former New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese was once considered one of the brightest minds in football, a genius for finding talent, and the architect of two Super Bowl winning teams. However, as it would turn out, Reese wasn’t the football genius that we all thought he was.
In his 11 years as general manager, Reese was responsible for drafting several busts that ultimately thinned out the Giants roster to what it is today. Looking back at who was still available when the Giants were on the board during the 2008 draft, Reese could have easily maintained the team’s excellence after their 2007 Super Bowl championship if he picked the right players in the draft.
Here are the redraft rules taken into account:
- Outside of rounds five through seven, all players selected in this revision maintain their original round value.
- No trades have been made for this revised draft. It would be impossible to predict how the draft would have played out otherwise.
- The only trades recognized are the trades teams originally made during the 2008 Draft.
Before we begin, I’ll be the first to say that there isn’t much of a difference in picks in this revised draft, but Reese actually did make the right picks when you consider the success the team had after he drafted those players on the roster.
Round 1, Pick 31: Kenny Phillips, Safety, Miami (FL)
Original Pick: Kenny Phillips, Safety, Miami (FL)
After Gibril Wilson left for the Oakland Raiders during free agency, the Giants had a gaping hole in their secondary and drafted Kenny Phillips to fill it. Phillips didn’t see much of the field and struggled in coverage at times, but drafting the safety out of Miami ultimately paid off during the 2011 season.
Phillips started in 15 games that year, recording a career-high four interceptions and 63 combined tackles en route to an NFC East Championship and a Super Bowl XLVI upset of the New England Patriots.
The injury bug would ultimately bite Phillips again the following season and he didn’t play another regular season snap until the New Orleans Saints took a chance on him during the 2015 season. Unfortunately, the veteran safety was cut after just three games and announced his retirement the following summer.
Lack of longevity and a failure to sign him to an extension doesn’t do Reese any favors, but Phillips’ important contributions to a Super Bowl winning team cannot go unnoticed, making his first pick in the draft an overall success.
Round 2, Pick 63: Terrell Thomas, Cornerback, USC
Original Pick: Terrell Thomas, Cornerback, USC
Terrell Thomas may have had the worst knees that any football player could ever have and he may not have lasted as long in the NFL as the Giants would have liked, but the defensive back out of USC was a fantastic player for the Giants when he was able to stay on the field.
After an injury-shortened rookie year in 2008, Thomas recorded back-to-back five-interception and 70-plus tackle seasons, establishing himself as one of the most reliable cornerback’s in the league. Unfortunately, the last three seasons of his career, including the Giants Cinderella run to a Super Bowl title in 2011, would be plagued by ACL injuries which ultimately led to his early retirement after the 2013 season.
Thomas is another case in which a failure to stay on the field could consider him a failure, but the defensive back out of USC played at a high level in his time with Big Blue and was an integral part of the Giants secondary, ultimately making this pick a success.
Round 3, Pick 95: Mario Manningham, Wide Receiver, Michigan
Original Pick: Mario Manningham, Wide Receiver, Michigan
Mario Manningham was another player that Reese drafted who didn’t last long in the league, but the fact that the Giants wouldn’t have won Super Bowl XLVI without his amazing catch on the game’s winning drive is reason enough for him to still be the team’s third-round pick in this revised draft.
Aside from his Super Bowl heroics, Manningham was an excellent complementary receiver in his time with Big Blue, averaging 872 yards receiving and seven receiving touchdowns per 16 games in his first stint with the team.
Manningham left the Giants after winning the Super Bowl and signed a contract with the San Francisco 49ers. Unfortunately, Manningham wouldn’t find more success in the Bay Area thanks to a torn ACL during the 2012 season and the lingering effects of the injury the following year.
Manningham would sign a one-year deal with the Giants in 2014 after his short stint with the Niners, but he was released after he suffered a strained calf in the last game of the preseason.
Despite the injury woes and failure to sign him to a contract extension following the 2011 season, Manningham’s contributions to Big Blue and Super Bowl heroics are reason enough to consider this pick a success for Reese.
Round 4, Pick 123: Josh Sitton, Offensive Guard, Central Florida
Original Pick: Bryan Kehl, Linebacker, BYU
Bryan Kehl only lasted a little over two seasons with the Giants, earning only four starts at weakside linebacker before being waived at the start of the 2010 season. Naturally, mid-to-late round picks aren’t always home run selections, but the fact that Reese actually traded up to draft Kehl says that he expected something special out of the linebacker from BYU.
A better player that was readily available was a non-Power Five offensive lineman named Josh Sitton. Sitton was drafted by the Green Bay Packers that year and has become one of the best interior linemen in the NFL over the past eight seasons, earning four Pro Bowl selections for his stellar play at both guard positions and his flexibility to protect Aaron Rodgers’ blindside.
The Giants had a great offensive line at the time of the 2008 Draft that stayed together for the better part of the next five years, but Sitton is too talented to take a back seat for too long. The lineman out of Central Florida could have easily earned a starting job, especially after the 2013 season when Kevin Boothe earned the right guard job.
Round 5, Pick 165: John Sullivan, Center, Notre Dame
Original Pick: Jonathan Goff, Linebacker, Vanderbilt
Jonathan Goff was a solid player for the Giants, earning the starting middle linebacker job during the 2010 season after two seasons in a reserve role. Unfortunately, Goff wouldn’t see another snap with the Giants after tearing his ACL before Week 1 of the 2011 season. Goff would again tear the same ACL the following season after signing a contract with the Washington Redskins and he has been out of football ever since. John Sullivan, on the other hand, is still in the league today.
Sullivan was drafted by the Vikings 22 picks later and, after spending his rookie year in a reserve role, earned the starting center job in his sophomore season. Outside of a one-season stint with the Redskins, Sullivan has started at every stop he’s made during his career and earned a reputation as one of the most reliable centers in the game today.
Sullivan would have had to spend two seasons in a reserve role if the Giants drafted him, but he would have been a more than effective replacement for Shaun O’Hara after his season-ending injury in 2010 and subsequent retirement.
Round 6, Pick 198: Pierre Garcon, Wide Receiver, Mount Union
Original Pick: Andre’ Woodson, Quarterback, Kentucky
Drafted for depth behind Eli Manning, Andre’ Woodson lasted only a single season on the Giants’ practice squad before being waived the following year. To be fair to Reese, it’s very rare that late round picks last long in the NFL. However, using a sixth rounder on a position that was never going to be available was, to put it lightly, a curious decision by Reese.
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Instead, Reese could have taken a chance on Pierre Garcon, who was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts only seven picks later. For a sixth-round pick, Garcon has more than exceeded expectations. The 10-year veteran wideout has recorded 7,568 receiving yards in his career, including a 113-catch season in 2013.
The Giants had a strong receiving corps at the time of the 2008 Draft, but Garcon could have easily made a significant impact as a rookie for the team after both David Tyree and Plaxico Burress went down with season-ending injuries, and he also could have been a mainstay in the Giants receiving corps for years to come after Amani Toomer retired after the 2008 season.
Round 6, Pick 199: Peyton Hillis, Fullback, Arkansas
Original Pick: Robert Henderson, Defensive End, Southern Mississippi
Again, it’s hard to fault Reese for having a sixth-round pick not pan out, but Robert Henderson never played a single down for the Giants before being waived after his only season with the team. After stints with several practice squads around the league over the next two seasons, Henderson spent 2010 through 2013 in the USFL, CFL, and the Arena League before leaving football for good.
Next: New York Giants could go from worst to first in 2018
The players at this point in the draft that the Giants could have used is pretty slim, but if we’re going on talent alone, the Giants could have easily drafted Peyton Hillis. The Giants were absolutely loaded at running back at the time and it’s highly unlikely that Hillis would have seen the field in 2008, but his versatility as a runner, blocker, and receiver could have easily helped him find his way into the lineup, especially after Madison Hedgecock was released by the team before the 2011 season.