Best draft picks in New York Giants history

Stacker compiled a list of the best draft picks in New York Giants history using career Weighted Approximate Value (wAV), a metric developed by Pro-Football-Reference.com to estimate career impact. The ranking also lists individual accolades such as Pro Bowl selections, First-Team All-Pro honors, and total years as a starter. Players were assigned to their originally drafted teams, excluding any draft-day trades. Data is as of April 2026.

#10. Fred Dryer (1969, Round 1, Pick 13)
- Position: DE
- Career wAV: 80
- Pro Bowls: 1
- First-Team All-Pro: 0
- Games Played: 176
- Seasons as Starter: 11

#9. Jessie Armstead (1993, Round 8, Pick 207)
- Position: LB
- Career wAV: 81
- Pro Bowls: 5
- First-Team All-Pro: 1
- Games Played: 176
- Seasons as Starter: 8

#8. Phil Simms (1979, Round 1, Pick 7)
- Position: QB
- Career wAV: 91
- Pro Bowls: 2
- First-Team All-Pro: 0
- Games Played: 164
- Seasons as Starter: 11

#7. Harry Carson (1976, Round 4, Pick 105)
- Position: LB
- Career wAV: 95
- Pro Bowls: 9
- First-Team All-Pro: 0
- Games Played: 173
- Seasons as Starter: 13

#6. Buck Buchanan (1963, Round 19, Pick 265)
- Position: DT
- Career wAV: 96
- Pro Bowls: 8
- First-Team All-Pro: 4
- Games Played: 182
- Seasons as Starter: 13

#5. Don Maynard (1957, Round 9, Pick 109)
- Position: E
- Career wAV: 101
- Pro Bowls: 4
- First-Team All-Pro: 1
- Games Played: 186
- Seasons as Starter: 13

#4. Tiki Barber (1997, Round 2, Pick 36)
- Position: RB
- Career wAV: 103
- Pro Bowls: 3
- First-Team All-Pro: 1
- Games Played: 154
- Seasons as Starter: 7

#3. Michael Strahan (1993, Round 2, Pick 40)
- Position: DE
- Career wAV: 122
- Pro Bowls: 7
- First-Team All-Pro: 4
- Games Played: 216
- Seasons as Starter: 14

#2. Lawrence Taylor (1981, Round 1, Pick 2)
- Position: LB
- Career wAV: 146
- Pro Bowls: 10
- First-Team All-Pro: 8
- Games Played: 184
- Seasons as Starter: 13

#1. Philip Rivers (2004, Round 1, Pick 4)
- Position: QB
- Career wAV: 150
- Pro Bowls: 8
- First-Team All-Pro: 0
- Games Played: 247
- Seasons as Starter: 15