The G-men had a very solid draft in 2008 coming off a Superbowl championship season. Considering that super bowl winners are usually at a disadvantage on draft day the Giants once again found a way to maximize their picks. The bulk of their picks were for defensive players which is consistent with GM Jerry Reese's philosophy that defense wins championships. (see draft selections below)
1 (31) Kenny Phillips, db, Miami
WIth their first round pick they selected Kenny Phillips who was a steal as the 31st overall selection. Phillips is easily the most talented safety in the draft and should immediately fill the void left by former pro-bowler Gibril Wilson who signed with Oakland in the off-season.
2 (63) Terrell Thomas, db, Southern California.
Terrell Thomas is a strong physical cornerback with good speed who should complement NY's 1st round selection last year cornerback Aaron Ross.
3 (95) Mario Manningham, wr, Michigan
Their 3rd selection was perhaps the pick that gave the Giants the most value. Michigam wide receiver Mario Manningham was widely believed to be good enough to have been selected in the 2nd round. The Giants truly lucked out getting this talented receiver who adds another deep threat to the Giants receiving corp. Manningham is expected to compete for a starting position against Sinorice Moss and Steve Smith.
4 (113) Dwight Lowery, db, San Jose State
4 (123) Bryan Kehl, lb, BYU.
5 (165) Jonathan Goff, lb, Vanderbilt
In the 4th round the Giants had 2 draft picks, defensive back Dwight Lowery and linebacker Bryan Kehl. Both are expected to compete for starting positions on the defensive unit as well as on special teams along with 5th round selction linebacker Jonathan Goff.
6 (198) Andre Woodson, qb, Kentucky
With their 6th round pick the Giants opted for an insurance policy for Eli Manning in the form of quarterback Andre' Woodson. Woodson had a stellar college career at Kentucky and the G-men expect him to compete for a backup role against Anthony Wright, David Carr and Jared Lorenzen.
6 (199) Robert Henderson, de, Southern Miss
With their second pick in the 6th round the Giants chose defensive end Robert Henderson from Southern Miss. Henderson brings a nice blend of size speed and athletecism and gives the Giants depth at the D-end position.
