All eight of last year’s draft picks made the roster and helped the Giants win the Super Bowl, earning general manager Jerry Reese a reputation as one of the best talent evaluators in football. Last weekend’s draft did nothing to change that.

The Jets, meanwhile, bolstered their defense with a first-round pick who might be the most talented player in this draft, and then traded up for another first-round pick who will play a big role in their offense.

For all the big-name players selected in the first round on Saturday, the cheers were rarely louder at Radio City Music Hall than they were yesterday when the Giants’ third-round pick was announced as Michigan wide receiver Mario Manningham. The second day of the draft is usually quiet and sparsely attended, but the Giants fans on hand voiced their approval for Manningham, one of the draft’s most interesting prospects.

Manningham, who caught 74 passes for 1,174 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, was one of the best wide receivers in college football. Many NFL teams, however, were concerned because he tested positive for marijuana in college, lied about his positive drug test to NFL coaches during predraft interviews, and had a low score on the Wonderlic intelligence test.

But Manningham, who sent letters to all 32 teams apologizing that he “wasn’t straightforward” when asked about past drug use, has unquestionable talent on the field: In terms of pure pass-catching ability, Manningham may be the best receiver in this year’s draft. For Reese to add him with the final pick in the third round is a steal.

Reese also made good selections in the first and second rounds. Miami safety Kenny Phillips, the Giants’ top pick, is big and fast, capable of playing anywhere in the secondary, and sure to be an immediate contributor on special teams. USC cornerback Terrell Thomas, the Giants’ second pick, is skilled at playing the press coverage the Giants need from their defensive backs.

In the sixth round, the Giants added Kentucky quarterback Andre’ Woodson, a big, strong-armed passer who was once considered a first-round prospect but who struggled with accuracy as a senior. Woodson won’t see the field anytime soon, but as a project, he was a smart use of a late pick.

The one big move the Giants didn’t make this weekend was to trade Jeremy Shockey, who has suggested that he would like to play elsewhere. Although the Giants’ offense would be fine without Shockey — they did, after all, win three playoff games and the Super Bowl without him — Reese was wise to hold on to his starting tight end if he didn’t get an attractive trade offer.

For the Giants, this year’s draft was ultimately about keeping the team they have in place. The Jets didn’t have that luxury and needed to make big changes, and that’s what they did.

With their first-round pick, the sixth in the draft, the Jets chose Ohio State linebacker Vernon Gholston. A 6-foot-4-inch, 258-pounder who put on an incredible performance at the NFL’s Indianapolis scouting combine, Gholston played defensive end in a 4–3 defense in college, but he’ll be an outside linebacker in Eric Mangini’s 3–4 defense. Some analysts have compared Gholston to Lawrence Taylor, and although it’s not realistic to compare anyone to Taylor (who is the best defensive player ever to set foot on the Meadowlands turf), it is realistic to think that Gholston will be a Pro Bowler for the Jets.

Gholston’s best college performance came last year against Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long, whom the Miami Dolphins selected first overall Saturday. The first of many Gholston-Long rematches will come in Week 1 of the NFL season, when the Jets play the Dolphins on September 7.

Three hours after drafting Gholston, the Jets traded their second-and fourth-round picks to the Green Bay Packers to get back into the first round and pick Purdue’s Dustin Keller. Although he’ll be listed as a tight end on the roster, Keller is really more of a slot receiver: He doesn’t block well enough to be of much use on running plays, but he’s talented at running short routes over the middle, which will be especially useful to the Jets’ quarterback, whether it’s Kellen Clemens or Chad Pennington.

The Keller pick wasn’t well received by the Jets fans at Radio City Music Hall, but the fifth-round selection of Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge was. Ainge is a 6-foot-5-inch pocket passer who, like Woodson, won’t play this year, but could develop into a good quarterback down the road. By the end of the seventh and final round Sunday, fans of both the Giants and the Jets had reason to cheer. Giants fans could go home confident that their team had added players who will help keep them atop the league, and Jets fans have every to believe that Gholston is the kind of player who can help them get there.

Mr. Smith is a writer for FootballOutsiders.com.