There have been a lot of excellent players on the Giants’ squad since they first played in 1925. Over the years, the Giants have been home to hundreds of football players, many of whom have gone on to become legends in their own sports. A total of 29 former “Big Blue” players have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. There’s no denying that these athletes represent the pinnacle of their profession.
Here is a list of our top 5 best New York Giants Defensive Players of All Time:
1. Lawrence Taylor
Hands down, the finest defensive player in NFL history, and one of the greatest Blues players ever. The Giants’ defense improved from 24th in 1980 to third in the league in yards allowed in 1981, Taylor’s first season. After a 17-year absence, the Giants finally made it to the postseason. NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year was bestowed to Taylor. He transformed the NFL’s linebacker game.
2. Michael Strahan
At Texas Southern, Strahan was a second-round pick in 1993. He joined the team during the last seasons of Lawrence Taylor and Phil Simms. When he had a breakout season in 1997 he had 14 sacks. He made his first Pro Bowl appearance and was chosen to the All-Pro first team. Strahan set a single-season NFL record of 22.5 sacks in 2001, which still holds today.
3. Harry Carson
In 1976, the Giants drafted Harry Carson out of South Carolina State University in the fourth round. As an All-Pro six times, he was selected to the Pro Bowl nine times. As the embodiment of New York Giants Football, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006. Carson was a key member of two of the Giants’ best defensive teams during his time with the club.
4. Andy Robustelli
New York Giants acquired Andy Robustelli from the Los Angeles Rams in a trade before to the 1956 season. He was named to the All-Pro team that year, as well as three more times in his career. He was elected into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1971 after a spectacular 14-year career.
5. Leonard Marshall
During the 1985 NFL season, Marshall had the third-highest number of sacks in the league, with 15.5. After being selected by the Giants in the second round in 1983 out of LSU, defensive end Marshall amassed 79.5 career sacks, which ranks third all-time in the team’s history.
