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The New York Giants are one of the most storied franchises in all of sports. The Giants have won four Super Bowls, including in Super Bowl XLII when they beat the at-the-time undefeated New England Patriots super team.
Several legendary players have called New York home, including one of the best defensive players ever and one of the most clutch quarterbacks of all time.
Let’s take a look at the 10 greatest players to ever suit up for Big Blue.
1. Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Taylor has an argument as the greatest defensive player to have ever lived, and he is without a doubt the best player to ever play for the Giants.
Taylor was an absolute beast on the field. He possessed a combination of speed, strength, intelligence and ferocity that allowed him to terrorize opposing running backs and receivers throughout his career. He was a menace in the middle of the field, making life miserable for any receiver who dared to run a crossing route through his zone of coverage.
The legendary linebacker took pride in knocking out receivers who ran across the middle of the field, yet he was at his best coming downhill and delivering brutal hits to running backs who got through the defensive line.
2. Eli Manning
Eli Manning is the greatest quarterback in New York Giants franchise history. Yet, he came very close to never even being a Giant at all.
The younger brother of NFL legend Peyton Manning was actually selected by the San Diego Chargers despite allegedly making it clear that he would consider refusing to play for the Chargers. This led to San Diego trading Manning to the Giants in exchange for Philip Rivers.
There is one thing that sets some quarterbacks apart from others, and Manning had it in spades. That trait would be his clutch ability. Eli didn’t seem to be fazed by anything at all, and he would always perform at his best when the lights were the brightest.
Nowhere was this more evident than in his Super Bowl performances. Manning wasn’t favored in any of the Super Bowl games he played in, and yet he never lost. When his back was against the wall, and the team needed him to come through, he always did.
The truth is that Manning wasn’t always the best quarterback in the game. However, he had an innate ability to perform in the clutch, which separates all-time-good players from all-time-great players.
Manning is nowhere near one of the 10 best players of all time, but he very well might be among the top five most clutch players of all time. When the stage was the brightest, when the moments were the biggest, that’s when Eli Manning stepped up and shined.
That’s also why he’s earned second place on this list, although there may be players ranked below him who were better in terms of pure talent. He always got it done when it mattered, and that counts.
3. Michael Strahan
Strahan is somehow not the Giants’ best defensive player ever, but that says more about just how great Taylor was rather than anything negative about Strahan. In his prime, Strahan was one of the scariest pass rushers to ever lace up the cleats.
Perhaps more impressive than any of his physical skills was Strahan’s aggressiveness. He was a tenacious and relentless player who would play every snap until the whistle, and he would never let up or stop putting pressure on the opposing offensive linemen.
Once he got into the backfield, Strahan would relentlessly chase down the quarterback while showing no mercy. Nothing would stop him from pursuing the quarterback and disrupting the play.
4. Tiki Barber
Tiki Barber had a great combination of long-term excellence and a dominant peak that earns him a place on this list. Barber is the name that sometimes gets forgotten, but we won’t make that mistake in putting together this list of the best players to ever wear a Giants jersey.
Barber was a physical running back who would fight for every extra yard that you could gain. This endeared him to Giants fans all throughout the world. His willingness to put his body on the line and fight for his team is commendable and his determination sets an example that every running back should aspire to follow.
The three-time Pro Bowler was probably never the best running back in the NFL. During the time he played, that honor would go to guys such as Barry Sanders, Marshall Faulk, and LaDainian Tomlinson.
Yet, Barber could hold his own, and he was at least 80% of the back that those guys were. He also was durable and had a lengthy career, especially for a running back. He also is easily the Giants' all-time leading rusher.
5. Harry Carson
Harry Carson spent 13 years with Big Blue and was a team captain for 10 years. His physical style of play and aggression from the linebacker position helped set the tone for the Giants' defenses of the late seventies and throughout the 1980s.
There's little doubt that Carson was one of the best midround draft picks ever. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006 and he’s also a member of the team’s Ring of Honor.
Carson was an excellent run-stopper, doing the dirty work that never receives as much attention and media coverage as the flashier plays like interceptions and sacks. Carson was a critical link in the Giants’ defenses during his time, and he set the standard for those who would come after him, including the great Lawrence Taylor.
6. Phil Simms
Phil Simms was like Eli Manning before Eli Manning. If it wasn’t for Peyton’s younger brother forcing his way out of San Diego and to New York, Simms might have gone down as the best quarterback in Giants history.
He certainly didn’t have the same level of athleticism or the ability to make off-platform throws that today's superstars do, but he was the prototypical quarterback for his time, and he was very good at every aspect of the position.
7. Frank Gifford
Frank Gifford was one of the greatest all-around players in NFL history. He made the Pro Bowl at three different positions in his career: free safety, halfback, and flanker. His first four seasons in the NFL, 1952-55, he also returned kicks, and Gifford even occasionally did placekicking duties when needed, making 10 of 11 extra-point attempts and two of seven field-goal attempts.
His primary impact on the field his first nine seasons for the Giants was as a halfback that was utilized as both a runner and receiver. He was First Team All-Pro four times and was named NFL MVP in 1956 when he led the NFL in yards from scrimmage with 1,422 in a 12-game season.
The Giants went 8-3-1 and beat the Chicago Bears 47-7 in the 1956 NFL Championship Game. Gifford had 131 yards receiving and 30 yards rushing. He also had a TD reception.
Gifford retired following the 1960 season due to a severe head injury but returned for the 1962 season and switched positions to flanker. He made the Pro Bowl in 1963 at his new position and retired for good following the 1964 season. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977. The Giants also retired his number.
8. Jessie Armstead
Armstead earned All-Pro honors three times, and he was selected to five Pro Bowls. He spent the majority of his career with the Giants and was inducted into the team's Ring of Honor. He recorded nearly 1,000 tackles and almost 50 sacks while also coming away with 12 interceptions.
Armstead might not be a ballhawk like today’s linebackers are expected to be, but he was reliable at cleaning up the middle of the field and making life miserable for opposing runners. He was good at forcing interceptions for his time, and he deserves a spot on this list.
9. Brad Van Pelt
Brad Van Pelt didn’t play during a particularly successful era of Giants’ football, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve a spot on this list. Indeed, Van Pelt was a huge bright spot in an otherwise miserable time for the Giants.
He had excellent size for a linebacker, even by today’s standards. Based on the standards of his own time, he was, no pun intended, a giant at the linebacker position.
Van Pelt was a physical and relentless backer who made a tremendous difference in the running game and frequently wreaked havoc in the backfield.
10. Amani Toomer
Toomer had a long career with the Giants, and he is the team's all-time leader in receiving yards. Along with Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham, he was one of Manning’s favorite targets, and he was by far his most reliable.
Toomer had elite hands and great concentration. He never gave up on a pass and always saw it into his hands until the ball was secured. Unlike many great receivers, Toomer never seemed to have a lapse in focus, and he was equally great at securing routine receptions and reeling in difficult passes.
Honorable Mentions
Odell Beckham Jr., Victor Cruz, Tuffy Leemans, Y.A. Tittle, Ward Cuff, Charlie Conerly, Ken Strong
The Giants' honorable mentions features a number of pre-Super Bowl era players that the Giants retired their numbers and a pair of wide receivers with short but exciting careers. Odell Beckham Jr. and Victor Cruz were similar players with OBJ having more big seasons, but Cruz set the Giants record for receiving yards in a season with 1,536 in 2011.
Tuffy Leemans, Ken Strong, and Y.A. Tittle are all in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, although Tittle only played four seasons with Giants. He did win the NFL MVP in 1963 with the Giants. Charlie Conerly (quarterback) and Ward Cuff (wingback) helped the Giants win NFL titles in 1956 and 1938, respectively.
