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The Giants shocked the world by winning the Super Bowl but even though they are the champs the reason it was such a surprise is because most just didn't consider them to be that kind of elite team. In other words they still had holes to fill coming into the 2008 NFL Draft. The Giants didn't necessarily need to hit a grand slam on Draft Day '08 but coming through with a strong effort would be imperative if they hope to return to the big game next year. The G-Men had one of the best drafts in the league last year, could they do it again? 
By the time Draft Day rolled around just about everyone had the Giants taking a safety in their mock draft, the only question was which one would it be. Kenny Phillips of Miami (FL) was the obvious choice but there was a chance he could be gone and Tyrell Johnson had made a late push up draft boards but they ultimately had their pick between the two and went with Phillips. At one point it looked like Phillips was destined to be a Top 10 overall pick but a sub par junior season and average workouts pushed him down draft boards. It's hard to go wrong with the program pedigree though and when it comes to safeties nobody does a better job of producing NFL safeties than the Hurricanes. From Bennie Blades to Ed Reed to Sean Taylor, the list just goes on and on. Where exactly Phillips will ultimately rank in that group remains to be seen but there is no question he has the talent to be one of the best. At this point Phillips is probably best in the box but he has enough speed and range to be a ballhawk in coverage as well so the potential is there for him to be a great all-around performer. With Gibril Wilson signing a big free agent deal with the Raiders the Giants had a gaping hole in their secondary so it would be a surprise if Phillips didn't claim a starting job very early on, perhaps even by Week One.Even though they took a defensive back in round one the Giants still had issues in the secondary and they took another step to address them by selecting USC cornerback Terrell Thomas with their second round pick. Last year's #1 pick Aaron Ross looks like a keeper but Corey Webster still has bouts of inconsistency and both Sam Madison and R.W. McQuarters are getting up their in years so some reinforcements were definitely needed. Thomas is a battle-tested cover guy with very good measurables (6-0, 202 / 4.49) and was a solid late second or early third rounder so for the most part it looks like a pretty good pick on all three fronts, which are talent, value and need. However, my only reservation with the choice is how Thomas will fit in with the Giants defensive scheme. Throughout most of the draft process Thomas was viewed as more of a zone guy whose best fit would be with a team like Tampa, Indy, etc. Will he be able to handle matching up in man-to-man coverage at the pro level? I guess we will see. With their next selection in round three the Giants took a flyer on Michigan wide receiver Mario Manningham, who may be the ultimate "Boom or Bust" pick. Based on talent and production Manningham was probably a first round pick but questions about his character pushed him down draft boards and some took him off completely. What are those issues? Well, he failed drug tests in college, lied about it to NFL decision makers in pre-draft meetings, had a terrible workout at the Scouting Combine and scored a six on the Wonderlic. At first glance it may not appear as though the Giants need help at wideout but staying healthy is a constant battle for Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer is nearing the end of his career so other than last year's second round pick Steve Smith they really didn't have many long-term options at the position. Manningham could become a star or be out of the league in a few years but the potential rewards far outweighed the risks late in round three and if he can just somehow manage to keep his head on straight he could be a major steal. 
In the months leading up to the 2008 NFL Draft many mock drafts had the Giants selecting a linebacker in round one and while that didn't come to fruition they did use their fourth and fifth round picks on the position. First up was Bryan Kehl of B.Y.U., who really saw his stock rise on the heels of a great senior year and some excellent workouts. Not only is Kehl a talented player but he also has top-notch intangibles and at the very least he should be a solid backup and that is where he will begin his pro career. However, if / when Michael Strahan retires Mathias Kiwanuka will likely move back to defensive end and when that happens Kehl could battle for a starting job on the strongside. After landing an outside 'backer the Giants shifted their attention inside and selected Jonathan Goff of Vanderbilt. A smart, productive college linebacker with good size who worked out better than anticipated, Goff may only be a two-down run thumper but he should battle for the backup job in the middle behind Antonio Pierce. Keep an eye on Goff though because he's the type of guy who might be hard to get him out of the lineup once he gets an opportunity. If nothing else the G-Men have now significantly bolstered their depth at linebacker by landing two solid, high-character prospects in Kehl and Goff.In round six the Giants plucked a big name off the draft board when they chose Kentucky quarterback André Woodson. At one point in the process Woodson looked like a sure-fire first round pick but late in his senior season questions began to emerge about his delivery and the system he played in. Those issues were just magnified at the Senior Bowl and Woodson's stock really began to take a tumble. This may be a blessing in disguise for Woodson though because with Eli Manning firmly entrenched as the starter there won't be any pressure on him to play early, which will give him plenty of time to work out his mechanical flaws. Woodson is a developmental signal caller at this point who will battle Jared Lorenzen for the #3 job as a rookie and if all goes well maybe he can assume the backup job 2-3 years down the road. With their final selection the Giants opted for Southern Miss defensive end Robert Henderson, who was a bit of a surprise pick that many teams didn't have rated as a draftable prospect. Who are we to judge the Giants when it comes to evaluating defensive ends though! Henderson will certainly battle for a roster spot and with his ability to play either outside or inside they could utilize him like they do Justin Tuck. At this point it looks like Kenny Phillips will be the only immediate starter to come out of this class but that's all right because it's not like the Giants had a half dozen holes in their starting lineup that needed to be filled. However, in addition to Phillips there are 3-4 other guys who could assume starting positions in the next few years and anytime you can get both instant impact and long-term upside out of a draft class it was a good day at the office. Will these seven picks help get New York back to the Super Bowl next year? Maybe and maybe not, but if this group can have even half the impact that last year's rookies had for the G-Men the team would be absolutely elated. It will obviously be a few year's before we know exactly how good this class is and what kind of impact they will have but at least on the face it has the potential to be yet another bumper crop of youngster for the Giants. GRADE: B 
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