Reese's pieces thrive for Giants
Election of Kevin Boss, a tight end from little Western Oregon who had missed half of his senior year with a shoulder injury. And the Giants generally were pegged to finish last in the NFC East.
Nine-plus months later, Ahmad Bradshaw finished with the most rushing yards in the Super Bowl and Boss' 45-yard catch ignited the fourth quarter comeback that lifted the Giants past the unbeaten New England Patriots in one of the greatest upsets in NFL history.
While Reese admitted his 2007 class might be a little overrated because injuries to veterans like tight end Jeremy Shockey caused the rookies to play more than expected, there's no denying Bradshaw, Boss, receiver Steve Smith (second round), cornerback Aaron Ross (first round) et al deserved their rings.
All eight Giants' picks got into at least one game. Ross, Boss and safety Michael Johnson (seventh round) started down the stretch, and Bradshaw ran for more yards in the playoffs than he did during the season.
So when critics wondered about New York drafting receiver Mario Manningham, who has admitted to past marijuana use, in the third round last weekend, remember Bradshaw also had off-the-field issues in college.
"I love players coming in that have something to prove," Reese said.
When the injury history of cornerback Terrell Thomas (second round in 2008) is brought up, don't forget Boss and Smith both suffered major injuries in college and Ross started just one year at Texas.
"We're excited about this group because last year's group came in and through a lot of work ... from as early as the midpoint of the season [the players were] key factors in allowing us to continue to play well," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said.
Reese, who addressed the Giants' biggest needs with his first round pick, safety Kenny Phillips (probably was the top player at that position); Thomas; and linebackers Bryan Kehl and Jonathan Goff, has earned the benefit of the doubt.
"We're conscious of what our need is, but we're trying to find players first," Reese said. "We look for value and need. Most of these players give us both. You always want to improve. You don't want to just lackadaisically say, 'We really don't need this, or we don't need that. We're Super Bowl champs.' You want to improve your team every chance you get. A draft is a great opportunity to improve your team. We expect these guys to come in and compete and try to get in the mix."
With cornerback Sam Madison (34), receiver Amani Toomer (34 in September) and safety Sammy Knight (33 in September) aging, Thomas, Manningham and Phillips should be in the mix quickly. And with starting linebackers Kawika Mitchell and Reggie Torbor departed as free agents, Kehl and Goff could contribute sooner than they might have for lesser teams.
Even Kiper gave the Giants a better grade, a C+, this year.
