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New York Giants 2005 draft picks Chris Snee (left) and Justin Tuck pose with President Barack Obama (middle left) and quarterback Eli Manning (far right) during their visit to the White House following their Super Bowl XLII championship. Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

Which is the Best Giants Draft Class Since 2000?

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Gene Clemons | Last updated Apr 23, 2025 4:00 PM ET

We are so close to the 2025 NFL Draft that the anticipation is palpable. New York Giant fans will soon know which new additions will don the jersey and become a part of Big Blue Nation.

Over the years, draft picks have helped change the franchise's direction, but overall, the draft is a big gamble. Since 2000, there have been some years when the draft was better than others, but which is the best?

The best draft class would be full of players who had longevity with the team and contributed to team success. After all, who cares if the player was good for another team (sorry, Saquon)?

The Giants’ 2024 draft class has a chance to be the best, and it will be fun to monitor over the next decade. The 2004 class was the best of that era because it landed quarterback Eli Manning in a trade and guard Chris Snee in the second round, and those two alone make a compelling case. However, much had to be sacrificed to get Manning.

Instead, the class of 2005 takes the top spot.

The 2005 class only had four draft picks. They did not have a first, fifth, or seventh-round pick in 2004, and their sixth-round pick, Eric Moore, a defensive end from Florida State, only lasted one season with the team.

Despite that, the other three picks in that draft were absolute slam dunks. They were all integral to the built championship culture, leading to the 2008 and 2012 Super Bowl victories.

It might not be glamorous, but these players helped shape the team's identity for almost a decade.

Round 2, Pick 43: Corey Webster DB, LSU

Webster was up and down in his first three seasons. In 2007, during their four-game run to the Super Bowl, he intercepted two passes and defended five others. That was the starting point for his success.

It was the following season that he established himself not only as a mainstay in the Giants' starting lineup but also as one of the best defensive backs in the league.

That season, he started all 16 regular-season games, recorded 50 tackles, forced two fumbles, picked off three passes, and had 24 passes defensed.

Over the next four seasons, he continued his stellar play, including 2011, when he started all 16 regular-season games and the four playoff games during the second Super Bowl run.

That season, he recorded a career-high six interceptions, 51 tackles, and 17 passes defensed. He retired from the Giants after a stellar nine-year career.

Round 3, Pick 74: Justin Tuck, DE, Notre Dame

Like Webster, Tuck was not an immediate success because there were other quality defensive linemen with whom he needed to compete; however, in his third season, during the 2011 Super Bowl run, Tuck proved that he could be an extremely productive player without starting.

He finished the season with 65 tackles, 23 quarterback hits, and 10 sacks. That performance earned him a starting role in 2008, and the rest is history.

He started 16 games, had 65 tackles, 18 QB hits, three forced fumbles, and an interception returned for a 41-yard touchdown.

He played another five seasons of high-level football, was named an All-Pro, and twice made it to the Pro Bowl. He spent his final two seasons in Oakland but, like Webster, gave the Giants nine stellar seasons.

Round 4, Pick 110: Brandon Jacobs RB, Southern Illinois

Jacobs spent his rookie season for the Giants as a short-yardage and goal-line battering ram. He carried the ball 38 times for 99 yards and seven touchdowns.

In year two, he carved out a bigger role in the offense and amassed close to 500 yards and nine touchdowns. His 1,000-yard season as the number two guy in 2007 helped the team claim a Super Bowl.

In 2008, he took over the lead back duties and recorded his second straight 1,000-yard season, accounting for 15 rushing touchdowns.

He would have three more productive seasons in the backfield for Big Blue and help them win their second Super Bowl before going to San Francisco for a season and returning to New York for his final season in the league. That season, he still managed 238 yards and four touchdowns on 58 carries.

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