New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen is under fire more than ever before, as the team takes an appalling 2-13 record into the final two weeks of the regular season. With his job security in doubt, fans are bringing to light the fourth-year GM’s worst moments.
Many will focus on the Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney free agency departures, the amount of time it took to fix the offensive line, or the Deonte Banks whiff, but the biggest what-if of the Schoen era has to be the 2022 NFL Draft.
In what was one of his first opportunities to prove himself to Big Blue supporters, the former Buffalo Bills executive selected defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux and offensive lineman Evan Neal with the fifth and seventh overall picks, respectively.
Neither player has lived up to expectations or stayed healthy, with the latter being particularly disappointing. The Giants were positioned to win the draft and spark a long-awaited franchise revival, but they failed to acquire a true difference-maker.
Despite winning a playoff game during the 2022 campaign, New York’s underlying problems continued. The culture was still not fixed, and Big Blue quickly reverted to its dysfunctional ways. What followed was worse than most fans could have imagined. The team is 9-38 across the last three seasons.
NY Giants have not gotten what they expected from these draft picks
Thibodeaux has not been a bust — he recorded 11.5 sacks in 2023 and has provided serviceable production overall — but he is not the game-wrecker the Giants likely envisioned.
The former All-American with Oregon missed three games during his rookie year, five last season, and is now on the injured reserve (shoulder) after playing just 10 games.
Thibodeaux’s future with the squad is murky, to say the least, as there is bound to be plenty of trade speculation over the next several months. He is a viable defensive contributor, however, which is more than one can say about the man the Giants selected two picks after him.
Neal is arguably the most conspicuous blemish on Joe Schoen’s reputation. His decision to grab the 6-foot-7, 340-pound Alabama tackle instead of Mississippi State’s Charles Cross, who went two picks later and has become a stalwart on the Seahawks’ offensive line, will likely follow the much-maligned GM for a while.
There was reason to believe that Neal would succeed at the NFL level, as he was a national champion and consensus All-American with impressive size. But his footwork and instincts have been noticeably poor since he first arrived.
Aug 4, 2025; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants offensive tackle Evan Neal (73) on the field during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Neal floundered at right tackle, allowing 11 sacks and 85 total pressures in 1,657 snaps as a rookie. He also lacked discipline, committing 18 penalties during that same span. Compounding the issues were his frequent injury absences. Neal, who has not played a snap this season for the Giants, has played in only 16 games since 2023.
While there was initially some hope that the 25-year-old could convert to guard, the coaches scrapped the experiment after Neal wasn’t able to beat out incumbent Greg Van Roten at right guard.
The Giants declined to exercise the option year in Neal’s rookie deal, meaning the offensive lineman’s tenure with the Giants is expected to end when he becomes a free agent in March.
What could have been 
Sep 25, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks tackle Charles Cross (67) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Although Cross has not raked in a bunch of accolades with the Seattle Seahawks, he has grown into a dependable left tackle. Just imagine the kind of flexibility such a player could give New York in the present.
Jermaine Eluemunor has worked out nicely at RT, but the O-line could have potentially attained respectable status a couple of years sooner if they scooped up Cross at No. 7.
The Giants also could have addressed the wide receiver position, which was a glaring need at the time. Drake London and Garrett Wilson were on the board for Schoen to take. Malik Nabers’ ceiling could be higher than both of theirs, but the point is that there was ample value available.
Defensive tackle Jordan Davis, whom the Philadelphia Eagles snagged at No. 13, was also a nice option. The Giants had multiple routes to take, but they chose one that hasn’t yielded acceptable results, hoping to come away with outstanding value that just hasn’t been there.
Schoen could have shaped a new identity for the team with the 2022 NFL Draft. That has not happened, and given that the draft is at the core of building a franchise, it’s a glaring gaffe by the GM and one of the reasons why the organization remains in crisis mode.
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