1993 draft: Michael Strahan

and probably viewed him as a potential anchor at DE. Don't think anyone foresaw the HoF career he would deliver.

Was a little behind others

Banks & Johnson were gone. Brooks & Bailey were undersized. Taylor in his final season played more like a DE and did less dropping back into coverage if I remember right. He always played like a stand-up DE anyhow. Our promising 92' 4th round pick Keith Hamilton hadn't filled out yet and was drafted as a strong side DE from a 4-3. We still hadn't given up on our 91' 2nd round pick Knavis McGhee and he was more of a stand up DE as well; he was no good in space and not good playing with his hand in the dirt either. Five time Pro-Bowler Jessie Armstead was chosen in the 8th round and everyone saw that he was a very good player who was a more natural fit as a WLB in the 4-3.

In comment 15211267 LeonBright45 said:

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Banks & Johnson were gone. Brooks & Bailey were undersized. Taylor in his final season played more like a DE and did less dropping back into coverage if I remember right. He always played like a stand-up DE anyhow. Our promising 92' 4th round pick Keith Hamilton hadn't filled out yet and was drafted as a strong side DE from a 4-3. We still hadn't given up on our 91' 2nd round pick Knavis McGhee and he was more of a stand up DE as well; he was no good in space and not good playing with his hand in the dirt either. Five time Pro-Bowler Jessie Armstead was chosen in the 8th round and everyone saw that he was a very good player who was a more natural fit as a WLB in the 4-3.

. At the time of the draft, Johnson still had a year on his contract, banks was a transition tag player and LT had just resigned. To say we were moving to a 4-3 is wrong

In comment 15211286 djstat said:

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In comment 15211267 LeonBright45 said: Quote: Banks & Johnson were gone. Brooks & Bailey were undersized. Taylor in his final season played more like a DE and did less dropping back into coverage if I remember right. He always played like a stand-up DE anyhow. Our promising 92' 4th round pick Keith Hamilton hadn't filled out yet and was drafted as a strong side DE from a 4-3. We still hadn't given up on our 91' 2nd round pick Knavis McGhee and he was more of a stand up DE as well; he was no good in space and not good playing with his hand in the dirt either. Five time Pro-Bowler Jessie Armstead was chosen in the 8th round and everyone saw that he was a very good player who was a more natural fit as a WLB in the 4-3. . At the time of the draft, Johnson still had a year on his contract, banks was a transition tag player and LT had just resigned. To say we were moving to a 4-3 is wrong

Its true they were moving to a 4-3 defense. In 1994 we immediately transitioned to it. Strahan took over for LT at the Right edge defender, Fox, Howard were the DT and Hamilton was the LDE. Miller, Bailey and Brooks were the base LB's with Armstead the nickel backer and special teams gunner. Marcus Buckley and Tommy Thigpen were 2 LB that didn't quite pan out and didnt fit the 4-3 scheme. Armstead finally became a starter in 1996 and Started his probowl streak.

To move him to the left side because he was so strong against the run. His pass rush ability became obvious later.

Strahan and Bratzke were a good combination.

In comment 15211267 LeonBright45 said:

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Banks & Johnson were gone. Brooks & Bailey were undersized. Taylor in his final season played more like a DE and did less dropping back into coverage if I remember right. He always played like a stand-up DE anyhow. Our promising 92' 4th round pick Keith Hamilton hadn't filled out yet and was drafted as a strong side DE from a 4-3. We still hadn't given up on our 91' 2nd round pick Knavis McGhee and he was more of a stand up DE as well; he was no good in space and not good playing with his hand in the dirt either. Five time Pro-Bowler Jessie Armstead was chosen in the 8th round and everyone saw that he was a very good player who was a more natural fit as a WLB in the 4-3.

Armstead was such a good LB candidate that they quickly tried him at Safety. Just sayin’

Strahan and Dorsey were completely different players, maybe viewed positionally as similar, but so different: Dorsey sort of stolid and not terribly quick, good at run game, passing game not so much.

iirc Strahan had very little PT in '93, gradually worked in '94. Did he start on the right side? Don't recall? To further the contrast with Dorsey, his length and wiry strength were more suited to passing game early...was only after a two or three years that he began to blossom as run defender. So, I recall it as the opposite of Ivan's comment.

Fox and Howard as DTs: I attended that draft at the Felt Forum, and one Giants' fan--could well have been a BBIer!!--when Fox's name announced as Giants' 2nd, screamed out from the second tier of seats--his voice boomed throughout the facility: "Pencil him in for the next 10 years". LOL, pencil becoming clear as the operative word.

Along with LT, even as the 2nd overall pick from UNC, Strahan to me ranks as among the two or three best picks ever for value vis à vis his career.

7,5 Sacks. Rolokiecyear had 1 sack then got hurt.

in '93 but from the highlights I saw of Strahan early in his career he had a completely different build and overall game. He completely transformed his body which which gave him the extra speed rush to go with his already incredible strength.

as a rookie and didn't get much playing time. And when they switched to the 4-3 in 1994, he also didn't do too much as he was figuring out his position. At the time the belief was that Keith Hamilton was the better player and Strahan was kind of a bust. He started to show some flashes in 1995 but he didn't break out until 1997. It took him nearly 3 years before we saw his game blossom.

In comment 15211304 Ivan15 said:

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To move him to the left side because he was so strong against the run. His pass rush ability became obvious later. Strahan and Bratzke were a good combination.

I loved Bratzke's game, was mad they let him walk after '98

In comment 15211286 djstat said:

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In comment 15211267 LeonBright45 said: Quote: Banks & Johnson were gone. Brooks & Bailey were undersized. Taylor in his final season played more like a DE and did less dropping back into coverage if I remember right. He always played like a stand-up DE anyhow. Our promising 92' 4th round pick Keith Hamilton hadn't filled out yet and was drafted as a strong side DE from a 4-3. We still hadn't given up on our 91' 2nd round pick Knavis McGhee and he was more of a stand up DE as well; he was no good in space and not good playing with his hand in the dirt either. Five time Pro-Bowler Jessie Armstead was chosen in the 8th round and everyone saw that he was a very good player who was a more natural fit as a WLB in the 4-3. . At the time of the draft, Johnson still had a year on his contract, banks was a transition tag player and LT had just resigned. To say we were moving to a 4-3 is wrong

You are wrong. Pepper Johnson had one foot out the door and the other in the crack of his ass after the mutiny of Rod Rust against the Eagles. Banks was not living up to his contract by that time but we didn't want to let him go for nothing; they weren't going to sign him. That 93' draft sealed the deal that everyone knew we were transitioning to a 4-3.

My memory might be failing me, but I was in my 20s and in prime die hard fan mode at the time reading each issue of Giants Extra at least twice. The way I remember it, Strahan and Hamilton were viewed as our bookend DEs (Strahan on the right, and Hamilton on the left). When we drafted Cedric Jones, they put him at RDE (where he was a bust), and moved Strahan to LDE and Hamilton to DT. Hamilton was immediately better at DT. Strahan took a while to blossom at LDE.

He just kept hitting the QB, they were a scary DL then. I don't think they should have let him go, make some other moves.