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Draft Review: 2009 A Failed Draft Class? Not Really

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With the news that 2009 second-round draft pick Clint Sintim has been waived by the New York Giants, the tired refrain that the 2009 group is the worst draft class of Jerry Reese's tenure as general manager is sure to be recycled. I am not so sure that is really a valid argument.

What is a valid statement is that Sintim's career with the Giants was a failure. We will never know for certain if Sintim could have successfully made the transition from 3-4 defensive end to 4-3 strong-side linebacker. During the first two seasons of his career his progress was tortorously slow. He seemed to be a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. Then he wrecked his knee at the end of the 2010 season, and wrecked it again during training camp in 2011, missing all of last season.

Sintim wore a sweatshirt during training camp that read 'Don't Count Me Out.' Truth is, though, the Giants had not really counted him in for a long time now.

Back to the discussion of draft classes, though.

The 2009 class has often been referred to as a weak one for the Giants. Granted, the bottom four picks (Andre Brown, Rhett Bomar, DeAndre Wright and Stoney Woodson) were useless. Yes, Ramses Barden and Travis Beckum have never really fit into the offense. Yes, we are still waiting for Will Beatty to put in a full season at the starting left tackle.

But, and this to me is a big 'but.' The first-round pick in this draft was wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, taken 29th overall. Nicks is a star, and easily at this point the best offensive player that Reese has ever drafted. Granted, the depth of this class can be questioned. I don't think, however, that you can call the class a bad one when one of those draftees is one of the top five receivers in franchise history just three years into his career.

There are other Reese draft classes that have brought the Giants more useful players. For my money, though, any draft that results in bringing in a guy who is showing he could be one of the best players in franchise history has to be considered a good one.

Below, the Giants year-by-year draft picks with Reese as general manager:

New York Giants Draft Choices Since 2007
2012
RD SEL # PLAYER POSITION SCHOOL
1 32 David Wilson RB Virginia Tech
2 63 Rueben Randle WR LSU
3 94 Jayron Hosley CB Virginia Tech
4 127 Adrien Robinson TE Cincinnati
4 131 Brandon Mosley T Auburn
6 201 Matt McCants T Alabama-Birmingham
7 239 Markus Kuhn DT North Carolina State
2011
1 19 Prince Amukamara DB Nebraska
2 52 Marvin Austin DT North Carolina
3 83 Jerrel Jernigan WR Troy
4 117 James Brewer T Indiana
6 185 Greg Jones LB Michigan State
6 198 Tyler Sash DB Iowa
6 202 Jacquian Williams LB South Florida
7 221 Da'Rel Scott RB Maryland
2010
1 15 Jason Pierre-Paul DE South Florida
2 46 Linval Joseph DT East Carolina
4 115 Phillip Dillard LB Nebraska
5 147 Mitch Petrus G Arkansas
6 184 Adrian Tracy LB William & Mary
7 221 Matt Dodge P East Carolina
2009
1 29 Hakeem Nicks WR North Carolina
2 45 Clint Sintim LB Virginia
2 60 William Beatty T Connecticut
3 85 Ramses Barden WR Cal Poly-S.L.O.
3 100 Travis Beckum TE Wisconsin
4 129 Andre Brown RB North Carolina State
5 151 Rhett Bomar QB Sam Houston State
6 200 DeAndre Wright CB New Mexico
7 238 Stoney Woodson CB South Carolina
2008
1 31 Kenny Phillips FS Miami (Fla.)
2 63 Terrell Thomas CB USC
3 95 Mario Manningham WR Michigan
4 123 Bryan Kehl OLB Brigham Young
5 165 Jonathan Goff LB Vanderbilt
6 198 Andre Woodson QB Kentucky
6 199 Robert Henderson DE Southern Mississippi
2007
1 20 Aaron Ross CB Texas
2 51 Steve Smith WR USC
3 81 Jay Alford NT Penn State
4 116 Zak DeOssie LB Brown
5 153 Kevin Boss TE Western Oregon
6 189 Adam Koets T Oregon State
7 224 Michael Johnson SAF Arizona
7 250 Ahmad Bradshaw RB Marshall