This Player Named the Giants' Biggest Draft Bust Ever

We are in the thick of the draft season, and one thing that likely makes New York Giants front office members, coaches, and fans toss and turn is the idea of their top pick being a draft bust. 

It is inevitable as a franchise that at some point, you are going to make a mistake, and the pick you had such high hopes for will simply not live up to your trust and belief in him. That has definitely been the case for the Giants, particularly over the last ten years or so.

But who has been the Giants’ biggest bust in their draft history? SI.com’s Matt Verderame recently wrote a piece for SI in which he gave his chocies for the biggest bust for every NFL team. His choice for the Giants’ biggest draft bust came in the 1971 draft, when the Giants selected West Texas A&M running back Rocky Thompson with the 18th pick. 

It is almost impossible to argue with this choice when you add up all the factors, but his selection is a great barometer for the criteria of what makes a pick a bust. 

We have our own ideas about the greatest busts in Giants franchise history, but before we dive in, let’s first define what isn't a bust. 

If the player didn't perform well for your team but went on to have success elsewhere, then they are not a bust, so don't expect to see cornerbacks Eli Apple or Ereck Flowers on this list. 

If they were awarded a second contract, don't expect to see them on this list, as the organization either approved of their performance or was a glutton for punishment. So, you won't see quarterback Daniel Jones on this list. 

So, what makes them a bust? Based on the Rocky Thompson scale (and my apologies to Rocky, whom I hope is doing well), I broke it down into three criteria:

I debated whether to include injured people, and this is where I landed. If you buy something expecting it to work, and it breaks when you want to use it, do you care about why or just that it's broken? 

It is also important to remember that a bust is not always based solely on the player failing; there is usually culpability to go around, from player to coach to front office. If all areas are not aligned, then, as the Shakespeare line from Romeo and Juliet reminds us, “All are punish’d!” 

With that said, here are my choices for the biggest draft busts in the Giants’ history.

QB Lee Grosscup | 1959, Rd 1, Pick 10

Grosscup was a quarterback in a progressive offense in college, which led to him being taken with the tenth pick. He threw two touchdowns and four interceptions in his two seasons and eight games with the Giants. 

His best and final statistical season was with the New York Titans of the American Football League (AFL). He threw eight touchdowns and interceptions that season. He kicked around other organizations afterward but never made an impact on a team. 

RB Joe Heap | 1955, Rd 1, Pick 8

Heap was an all-around halfback at the University of Notre Dame, and the Giants took him with the eighth pick to continue being that for them. 

After a very quiet rookie campaign, Heap joined the Air Force and ascended to Lieutenant Colonel for the next three seasons in the military. That was the end of his football career. 

FB Jarrod Bunch | 1991, Rd 1, Pick 27

At 6-foot-2 and 250 pounds, Bunch was a battering ram at fullback and was taken to be just that. 

After a rookie season on special teams, he broke into the starting lineup in his second season and produced 501 yards and three touchdowns. 

The next season, he was limited by knee injuries. In the offseason, he underwent surgery and could not pass the physicals, so he was released by his fourth year in the league. 

The Raiders picked him up, but his knee issues persisted and caused his premature retirement from the game.

WR Thomas Lewis | 1994, Rd 1, Pick 24