The past decade has been a tumultuous time-period in New York Giants history. This time frame has seen multiple Hall of Famers (Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin) pushed out the door while the play on the field has suffered dramatically. The Giants team has been in limbo for over five years. Are they competing or are they rebuilding? That question was never answered until the 2019 NFL Draft when Dave Gettleman drafted the heir to Manning, Daniel Jones. However, at the beginning of the decade, the Giants defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. Lets take a look at the New York Giants All-Decade team.
New York Giants All-Decade Team: Defense
New York Giants All-Decade Team: Offense
Quarterback: Eli Manning
This is a no-brainer. Manning is the face of the franchise. Before this past season, Manning had started all but one game for the Giants. He led the Giants to a Super Bowl victory. He is seventh all time in passing yards and touchdowns. When you think of the New York Giants, you think of Manning. This is as easy as it gets.
Running Back: Ahmad Bradshaw
Saquon Barkley is the most talented running back in Giants history. However, Ahmad Bradshaw was a crucial piece to the 2011 Super Bowl winning team. Bradshaw is famously remembered for “falling” into the end zone on the go-ahead touchdown for the Giants during the Super Bowl. He was a productive running back for the team for the beginning part of the decade and brought stability to the team.
Wide Receiver: Odell Beckham Jr.
OBJ was a polarizing figure in New York. However, he is the most talented receiver to ever grace Giants blue. Keeping his off the field antics aside, his on field production places him in second of all time in receiving yards and fourth in touchdowns in Giants history. His four years on the team were some of the most controversial times in Giants history, but there is no doubt he was the most important player on the Giants team since entering the league.
Wide Receiver: Hakeem Nicks
Hakeem Nicks had a tremendous start to his Giants career. However, injuries seemed to affect his play. He is still ninth all time in receiving yards in Giants history. At the beginning of the century, Nicks was the focal point of a Giants offense lacking an explosive receiver. Nicks also holds the Giants record for receptions and receiving yards in a postseason, where he recorded 28 receptions for 444 yards.
Wide Receiver: Victor Cruz
Cruz was well known for his salsa dance in the end zone whenever he scored. He became a household name after going undrafted in 2010. Cruz immediately became a top receiver for the Giants, providing Giants with a few memorable moments such as his 99 yard touchdown on Christmas Eve and his historic pre-season game against the Jets. He is 11th all time in Giants history in receiving yards.
Tight End: Evan Engram
Tight end has been a spot that hasn’t properly been filled since Jeremy Shockey left the team in 2008. However, Evan Engram is the best tight end of the past decade. There has been some decent play from the tight end position, however, most of them were only on the team for two to three years. Engram has been on the team for three years and has shown flashes of brilliance. Consistency has plagued Engram’s career, but he could be in for a career year this upcoming season.
Left Tackle: Will Beatty
This position has been a nightmare for Giants fans and Eli Manning himself since Beatty got hurt. Will Beatty played on the team from 2009-2016, however, didn’t play the 2015 and 2016 season due to injury. He was rated the best left tackle going into the 2014 NFL season according to PFF, but dropped to 11th. Beatty was a solid tackle who offered support for Manning. He was replaced by Ereck Flowers, and we know how that has worked out.
Left Guard: Justin Pugh
Justin Pugh is one of the few good offensive lineman the Giants have had in recent memory. He had a poor start to his career at right tackle, but switched to left guard where he performed fairly well. In 2016, he was rated the best left guard in the NFL until an injury derailed the rest of his season.
Center: Weston Richburg
Richburg was a solid piece to the Giants offensive line while healthy. He was rated the 2nd best center during the 2015 NFL season. Although his Giants career only lasted four seasons, he was a solid contributor to a rather poor Giants offensive line.
Right Guard: Chris Snee
Chris Snee will go down as one of the best right guards in Giants history. He went to four Pro-Bowls and won two Super Bowls. Snee was a crucial piece to the 2011 Super Bowl team and received his last Pro-Bowl nod in 2012. He played and started in 141 games during his Giants career.
Right Tackle: David Diehl
David Diehl was the long time left tackle for the Giants. However, he eventually shifted over to the right side at the start of the decade. He played two seasons as the Giants right tackle. Diehl was past his prime when he made the shift, however, he has been the best right tackle of the past decade.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
