Giants have selected No. 11 overall just twice: Here’s who they picked
The New York Giants hold the No. 11 overall selection in the 2021 NFL draft — a position they’ve found themselves in just twice since the draft began back in 1936.
They’ve had the 10th overall selection 10 times and the 12th pick five times, but have landed on No. 11 just twice — in 1952 and in 2000.
In 1952, the NFL was a 12-team league and the draft went 30 rounds. By 2000, the NFL had expanded to 31 teams and the draft was narrowed to seven rounds.
In 1952, the Giants selected USC halfback Frank Gifford with the 11th overall pick. He was the fourth future Hall of Famer selected in the first round that year behind Les Richter, Ollie Matson and Hugh McElhenny.
Gifford became a seminal player in the emergence of the NFL in the 1950s and 60s. He was not only a versatile, productive player on the field, he was the face of the Giants — and the NFL for that matter — appearing in commercials and representing the game with class, style and dignity. He would go on doing that from the broadcasting booth after his playing career ended.
Gifford played 12 seasons for the Giants, missing the 1961 season due to injury. That injury occurred as result of the most vicious hits in the history of league in 1960 at the hands of Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Chuck Bednarik.
Gifford was named to eight Pro Bowls, was a six-time First Team All-Pro and a key contributor to the Giants’ 1956 NFL Championship team. He was also named NFL MVP that season. Gifford’s No. 16 jersey was retired by the team and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977.
In 2000, Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi chose Wisconsin running back Ron Dayne, the reining Heisman Trophy winner. Many thought if the Giants were going to take a running back, they should have taken Alabama’s Shaun Alexander. In retrospect, that would have been the right move. Alexander went 19th to Seattle and became the 2005 NFL MVP.
As a rookie, Dayne joined Tiki Barber in the Giants’ backfield to form their “Thunder and Lighting” rushing duo that carried them to Super Bowl XXXV. He only played four seasons for the Giants never approaching the level of success he had in college.
