March 4, 2026, 5:01 p.m. ET
As we inch closer to the 2026 NFL draft, set to begin April 23 in Pittsburgh, it’s the perfect time to take a look back at how the New York Giants have built their foundation over the years.
With that in mind, Giants Wire is diving into the franchise’s draft history, spotlighting the best first-round selection from each decade. We’ll start in the 1930s, the era that introduced the very first NFL Draft in 1936, and work our way forward through the years.
Long before the draft became a primetime spectacle, the Giants quietly landed one of the best linemen of his era.
In 1937, with the fourth overall pick, the Giants selected offensive tackle Ed Widseth, and he wasted no time proving the choice was the right one.
As a rookie, Widseth stepped into the lineup and immediately earned second-team All-NFL honors. He followed it up in 1938 by elevating his game even further, earning first-team All-NFL recognition and a Pro Bowl selection. In an era where offensive linemen rarely received widespread attention.
Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.
Widseth then went on to help the Giants defeat the Green Bay Packers 23–17 in the 1938 NFL Championship Game.
Over four seasons in New York, Widseth appeared in 44 games and made 22 starts. While those numbers may not jump off the page today, the impact he had during that stretch certainly did. In a run-heavy league built on toughness in the trenches, he was one of the anchors.
Before arriving in the NFL, Widseth built a powerhouse resume at the University of Minnesota. He was part of three national championship teams (1934, 1935, 1936) and racked up several postseason honors: Unanimous All-American in 1936, consensus All-American in 1935, first-team All-American in 1934, and three straight first-team All-Big Ten selections.
Simply put, he won everywhere he went.
When you look decade by decade at the Giants’ draft history, it’s easy to gravitate toward modern stars. But in the 1930s, Ed Widseth set the standard. A first-round pick who became an immediate impact player, helped deliver a championship, and brought a winning pedigree from college to the pros. That’s about as good as it gets.
