Tyree is the best 211th pick ever
Before heading off to enjoy his Fourth of July weekend, Ben Solak of ESPN did a fun exercise in which he named the best NFL draft pick ever from picks 1-262, the entire seven-round format.
There are a number of New York Giants on the list, some of whom are obvious and some who you may not think of as a “best draft pick ever.”
Here’s the list of Giants:
No. 2 — Lawrence Taylor (1981)
Solak says:
The best defensive player of all time is also the best second overall pick of all time. Taylor is one of two defensive players to ever win league MVP (in 1986, joining defensive tackle Alan Page in 1971), and that rarefied air all but cements him over contenders such as Marshall Faulk, Julius Peppers and Calvin Johnson. Modern contenders such as Von Miller, Saquon Barkley and Nick Bosa are excellent in their time but don’t hold a candle to L.T., who finished his 13-year career with 142 sacks.
No. 40 — Michael Strahan (1993)
Solak says:
The little 8-year-old Eagles fan in me still resents Strahan, who terrorized Donovan McNabb and my beloved Birds for years. I really wanted to pick Thurman Thomas here — an MVP winner at running back whose number is retired in Buffalo. But Strahan’s 22.5-sack season in 2001, his final-season performance in the Giants’ magical Super Bowl XLII run … it’s just too tough to argue against.
No. 56 — Osi Umenyiora (2003)
Solak says:
Umenyiora wasn’t consistently dominant, but his peaks made him the pick at No. 56. In the 2007 Super Bowl season, Umenyiora was quieter in the postseason but excellent in the regular season, with 13 sacks and a Pro Bowl. In the 2011 Super Bowl season, he was quieter in the regular season but dominant in the playoffs — 3.5 sacks over four games. Key roles in big seasons can make the difference in this exercise.
No. 105 — Harry Carson (1976)
No. 160 — David Diehl (2003)
Diehl and Umenyiora in the same draft. Not bad.
No. 207 — Jessie Armstead (1993)
Not a bad Robin from that draft class to Strahan’s Batman.
No. 211 — David Tyree (2003)
A third Giant from the 2003 class. No other 211th overall pick has a helmet catch to help his team win a Super Bowl.
No. 221 — Billy Ard (1981)
