2011 NFL Draft: New York Giants' Top 10 Draft Picks of All Time
I've gotten in the habit of these draft history articles lately. I don't know why, but I just love looking at previous drafts and how teams are at drafting.
I am planning on writing an article for next Monday that will power rank the NFL teams in terms of how good they are at drafting, so look forward to that.
Seeing as how my favorite team is the New York Giants, I felt compelled to write this article showing you their best 10 draft picks ever.
Enough babbling, let's take a look.
10. Tiki Barber RB
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1997 Draft Position: Round 2, Pick 36
The best running back in New York Giants history in terms of numbers, Tiki Barber blossomed in the latter part of his career under current coach Tom Coughlin.
He holds every major Giants rushing record and even some receiving records, and was the best running back in the NFL in terms of yards from scrimmage from 2004-2006.
Although he may not be so popular among fans right now because of his remarks towards the Giants after he retired, there is no denying how productive he was on the field.
My favorite Barber moment was when he rushed for a Giants-record 234 yards against the Washington Redskins after Wellington Mara, the Giants' long-time owner, passed away.
9. Eli Manning QB
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2004 Draft Position: Round 1, Pick 1
Most of you will probably scoff at this pick, but there is no denying that Eli Manning is most likely going to own every Giants passing record when he is done.
He hasn't missed a start in his career, has begun to put up monster yards and touchdown numbers, and is developing in to one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL with his new receivers.
His performance in the fourth quarter in the Super Bowl is legendary, bringing the Giants their third Lombardi trophy with a game-winning touchdown with 39 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
They gave up a ton to get him, but there is no way they regret that.
P.S. I like how things come to fruition. Everyone laughed when the Giants gave up two picks to San Diego, which turned out to be Nate Kaeding and Shawne Merriman. That looked great two years ago, but where are those losers now?
Eli is still playing at a high level; they are fighting for jobs.
8. Jessie Armstead LB
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1993 Draft Position: Round 8, Pick 207
The Giants fielded one of the best defenses in the NFL in the late 90s and early 2000s. Jessie Armstead was a huge part of that, carrying on the legacy of great Giants linebackers.
He led the 2000 defense, which was No. 2 in the NFL, on a glorious ride to the Super Bowl. Kerry Collins didn't make that a nice experience by having the worst game of his life, but it doesn't change the fact that the 2000 defense was one of the best the Giants ever fielded.
They shut down the dynamic Minnesota Vikings offense in the 2000 NFC Championship game, beating down Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss to the tune of 41-0, the largest defeat in the history of the NFC Championship.
Armstead finished his career with 991 tackles and made five Pro Bowls between 1997-2001.
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7. Rosey Brown OT
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1953 Draft Position: Round 27, Pick 321
Rosey Brown is definitely old school, but he is one of the best Giants of all time and clearly the best offensive lineman they've ever had. One of the first successful black athletes in the NFL, Brown spent most of his career blocking for legends Y.A. Tittle, Charlie Conerly and Frank Gifford.
Those three may have never been legends without the blocking of Brown.
He ended his career with nine Pro Bowls, is on the NFL's 75th anniversary team and is enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
6. Harry Carson LB
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1976 Draft Position: Round 4, Pick 105
Harry Carson is one of the most popular Giants of all time. He is a decorated player with many awards and was finally inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
He was the defensive captain for 10 straight seasons and helped lead the Giants to their first-ever Super Bowl win in the 1986 season.
He would retire two years later, having nine Pro Bowls and six All-Pro selections. He is also famous for starting the Gatorade shower of his coach after a big victory along with teammate Jim Burt.
Bill Belichick, the defensive coordinator for the Giants at the tail end of Carson's career, called him the best linebacker he's ever coached.
5. Sam Huff LB
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1956 Draft Position: Round 3, Pick 30
Sam Huff has the reputation not only as one of the best Giant linebackers ever, but one of the best players in NFL history. His toughness on defense was well chronicled, and the Giants enjoyed many years of success with him manning the middle linebacker spot of the defense.
Tom Landry, Giants defensive coordinator at the time, created the 4-3 defense just for Huff, so he could utilize his superior vision and instincts while behind the defensive line.
That obviously had a major impact on the game today, as about half the NFL still uses a 4-3 defense.
He is a Hall of Famer, made the Pro Bowl five times (all with the Giants) and was the youngest linebacker to start a championship game when he did so in his rookie season.
4. Frank Gifford RB/WR
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1952 Draft Position: Round 1, Pick 11
Frank Gifford may not have the stats of a Tiki Barber or Rodney Hampton, but many people still consider Gifford to be the best Giants running back ever. He dominated the game during his 12 years, all with the Giants.
He is also probably the most versatile and decorated player under that circumstance. He won Pro Bowl honors as a running back, wide receiver, and corner back.
He rushed for 3,609 yards, had 5,434 receiving yards and passed for 823 yards for a grand total of 9,866 yards. He also accounted for 91 touchdowns; both numbers are very impressive for his era.
He would become even more famous as the play-by-play commentator for Monday Night Football from 1971 to 1997.
Gifford is in the Hall of Fame, something you can't say about any other Giants running back.
3. Phil Simms QB
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1979 Draft Postion: Round 1, Pick 7
Eli Manning may in fact be ahead of Simms and all the way up to No. 3 at some point, but for right now the best quarterback to ever wear a Giants uniform is Phil Simms.
The Giants experienced several years of success under Simms, including winning their first-ever Super Bowl. He was the starting quarterback during the 1990 season when the Giants went 13-3 and won the Super Bowl, but Simms got hurt late in the year and Jeff Hostetler took over.
In the first Super Bowl, Simms' performance is still one of the best ever by a quarterback. He completed 22 of 25 passes for three touchdowns and zero interceptions. His rating of 150.9 is by far the best ever in a Super Bowl.
Sports Illustrated did a column in 2001, calling Phil Simms the most underrated quarterback in NFL history. I'd say that's about right. Of how many Hall of Fame quarterbacks he was battling against in that era, it's a shame he has been overlooked for the Hall of Fame.
He also is famous for coining the phrase "I'm going to Disney World" after a championship victory.
2. Michael Strahan DE
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1993 Draft Position: Round 2, Pick 40
Jesse Armstead would follow in the eighth round. I'd say this was a pretty damn good draft for the Giants.
Michael Strahan holds records and won several awards over his 15-year career, all with the Giants: Defensive Player of the Year (twice), seven Pro Bowl selections, six All-Pro honors, most sacks in a single season (22.5), most sacks in franchise history (141.5), made the list of The Top 100 NFL Players of all time at No. 99 and is a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer.
He retired after finally winning a Super Bowl in 2007, ending his career with one of the best games of his life. The Giants defensive line battered Tom Brady and the NFL's best offense all game long, leading to the biggest upset in Super Bowl history.
Though he would only get one sack in the game, his impact was felt all game long, much like his whole career.
1. Lawrence Taylor LB
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1981 Draft Position: Round 1, Pick 2
This one was easy to place. LT is the greatest linebacker to ever play the game and maybe the best defensive player of all time.
The impact he had on the game transcended what he did on the field. He made it so offensive coaches had to make game plans to stop him and him alone; he basically created a new position and changed what the role of the linebacker was.
His ability to get to the quarterback was uncanny, and maybe unmatched from the linebacker position. His speed, explosiveness and brute strength were powers that he used on every play to disrupt the opposing team's offense.
He has had some off-the-field issues, but that doesn't change what he did for Big Blue.
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