The 2004 Draft is simple to look at, really. It's all about Eli.
This, of course, is the year in which the Giants selected Philip Rivers with the fourth pick and traded him to San Diego for Manning, whom the Chargers had taken with the No. 1 overall pick,
Below is the entire Giants' 2004 draft.
2004 Draft Selections
1 Philip Rivers QB
2 Chris Snee G
4 Reggie Torbor DE
5 Gibril Wilson DB
6 Jamaar Taylor WR
7 Drew Strojny T
7 Isaac Hilton DE
The Giants did get a quality guard out of this draft in Snee, a starting safety in Wilson and a good special teams player in Torbor. The other three players -- Taylor, Strojny and Hilton had no impact. The Giants had hopes for Taylor, but injuries derailed him.
How this draft is remembered, however, depends entirely on Eli. If he becomes the player Ernie Accorsi thought he would when he made the move, then this draft is an A+.
Right now, however, he hasn't become that player. In the end, if his career doesn't clearly outshine that of Rivers or Ben Roethlisberger, whom the Giants also could have selected in 2004, this trade was not worth making and this draft can't be looked on favorably.
The jury is most definitely still out.
Grade (for now): B
Next: 2005